You Only Have 2 Months; You Have Ages... It's Revision Season

Surviving the Great English Exam Siege

Picture the scene: your teenager, who once found a way to dodge washing-up with the strategic cunning of a Cold War spy (yes, I was late to the Slow Horses party), now insists they are ‘too busy revising’ to come downstairs.  And yet, and yet, their room remains suspiciously full of TikTok soundtracks and the glow of Netflix.  Welcome to the (English) revision season - an emotional rollercoaster where you, The Parent, play a starring role as hybrid cheerleader and enforcer.

Fear not.  Be it GCSE, IB, or A Level English Language and/or Literature, here are a few survival strategies that won’t just keep your household intact, but might even lead to something vaguely resembling success.

1. The Myth of ‘Reading the Book Once’

If your teen thinks that skimming Macbeth at high speed in March means they ‘know it’, remind them that you once read a mortgage document and still have no idea what it meant.  Active revision is the key: mind maps, conceptual quote banks, and - dare I say - actual written analysis.

Parent Tip: If you want to help but don’t want to sound like you’re interrogating them, try a casual “Hey, remind me - why does Lady Macbeth go full hand-wash obsessive?”  Making them explain concepts to you will reinforce their knowledge without the usual eye-rolling (I can’t promise that last one, eyes roll in teenage heads).

2. The “I’ll Just Watch the Film” Gambit

Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet is undeniably stylish, but at no point in the exam will “Leonardo DiCaprio looks sad in a Hawaiian shirt” count as a valid response.  Film adaptations can be useful, but they should be supplements, not substitutes.

Parent Tip: Watch with them and get them to explain what’s different in the film versus the text.  If they can articulate why the change matters, they’re revising without even realising.  This goes for the National Theatre Live films… just see my review of Max Webster’s Macbeth to see how.

3. The Timed Practice Essay (a.k.a. The Thing They Will Avoid at All Costs)

You know what’s great about a TikTok video?  It’s under 60 seconds.  You know what’s terrible about an English exam?  You have to write continuously for an hour and a half / two hours… some even LONGER (extra time can harm as well as help).  The only way to build stamina is to practise under timed conditions.

Parent Tip:  There is none.  But set up a quiet space.  Write on a board in front of them when the question starts and the time it finishes (make sure you are clear how long they have).  Have a timer ready.  Tut disapprovingly if they don’t write a plan first.  Rush in with extra paper when they raise their hand. Supply lots of chocolate at the end (mostly for you).  What to do with the essay once you are done?  Give it to the teacher who looks the least harassed… this is also where tutors come in who can break down the answer, praising where it is due, focusing revision where needed. 

Let’s be honest - most of us weren’t exactly models of discipline when it came to revision.  Cast your mind back to those desperate nights of last-minute cramming, the heroic consumption of energy drinks, and the deeply flawed belief that listening to music while ‘reading’ counted as studying.  I have one friend who recorded her essays and then played them as she fell asleep…  Remind your teen that you get it - you’ve been there, you’ve done the panicked skimming of revision guides at 2 a.m., and, miraculously, you lived to tell the tale.  A little perspective (and a learn-from-my-mistakes bit of humour) can go a long way in helping them realise that all is not lost.

Good luck. May your WiFi survive, and may the odds be ever in your teen’s favour.