Colman Noctor: Tips for dealing with exam stress ahead of the Leaving Cert

• ‘What can I do if I cannot sleep the night before?’

This is a common and understandable issue, given the stressful anticipation of the exam the following day. Avoid studying too late the night before the exam. Give your brain time to recharge. If you are ruminating, try to distract your mind with something else.

Listen to a podcast unrelated to the Leaving Cert. Try to engage in progressive muscle relaxation; plenty of free apps can guide you through this exercise. And remember, once the first exam is over, your anxiety will reduce considerably. The anticipation of the event is the worst part, so even if you don’t sleep well the night before the first exam, it will get better as you progress through the weeks.

• ‘When should I stop studying on the day before the exam?’

Despite the temptation to cram the night before, your energy is better spent trying to create space in your brain, instead of filling it. Finish studying at about 8pm. Go for a walk, take a shower, have a snack, and try to wind down for the evening. Your brain needs time to replenish.

Despite the urge to do more, try to do less. Distract yourself before bed. Spend time with reassuring people and allow your brain to recover.

• ‘What if my mind goes blank in the exam hall?’

Though this is a widespread concern, it is an uncommon occurrence. If you get a ‘blank’ on the day, this does not reflect what you know or don’t know. It is a glitch in your brain system. For example, your phone might freeze when you press too many items on the screen together, and your brain can do the same. When this happens to a phone, simply turning it off and on again usually does the trick.

The same process applies here. Use your breathing to reset your brain.

Breathe in for five seconds and out for eightseconds, and do this five times. This rhythmical breathing will help you reset and re-look at the paper again. When your brain is less stimulated, it works better.

Remember, your brain is like your desktop: The information is there, and you need to find the file. If you don’t see it the first time, don’t panic.

Change the search words and go again. It is in there.

• ‘What if the expected questions don’t appear in the paper?’

There is little value in attempting to control the uncontrollable. Remember, while a question’s phrasing may differ, in most cases, the topic area is the same. People who are marking papers are more interested in what you know than what you don’t know.

Try to put down as much information as you can on the topic.

You have done the work: The exam is your opportunity to show that.

Reassure yourself that you have the information and find a way to show the examiner that as best you can.

• ‘I’m never going to get the points I need for the college course I want.’

I always urge students to line up a spectrum of alternatives, depending on the outcome of their results. There may be one course you would like to take, but try not to pin all your hopes and expectations on it. Thinking about your results as a spectrum of possibilities helps not to see success or failure as absolutes. They are not.

There are degrees of success in life, and it is essential to realise this, especially at exam time.

Parents should encourage their Leaving Cert student to trust their process.

They have done the work, and it will pay off. Acknowledge effort, not outcome, and bring context, perspective, and support to every conversation.

As a parent, remind yourself that this, too, will pass.

A different cohort

LAST week, I gave a talk on mental health to sixth-year students at an all-girls Dublin school. It’s the third consecutive year I have done this, and I sense the stress as I enter the hall of 100 students preparing for state exams. The group seem fidgety and annoyed that they have no choice but to be there. I get it. These students are under severe pressure, and being told they must attend a session with a psychotherapist talking about ‘wellbeing’ is probably perceived as a waste of precious study time. From the start, this is a ‘tough crowd’.

The 2024 Leaving Cert cohort did not sit their Junior Cert exams, because of the pandemic, so this will be their first experience of a written state exam. It was understandable, therefore, that most of their questions were about practical topics, such as, ‘What can I do if I cannot sleep the night before an exam?’; ‘When should I stop studying the day before the exam?’; ‘What if my mind goes blank in the exam hall?’ As I answered them, I found myself questioning exams as a format and how effective they are as a measure of any student’s ability.

I’ve worked as an academic in third-level institutions for many years, so I am regularly involved in discussions about whether exams are the most effective assessment of a student’s knowledge.

Many of my colleagues support exams, saying they are standardised to measure knowledge and understanding and to ensure that all students are assessed on the same material under similar conditions. They also say that exams cover a broad range of topics within a subject and can evaluate whether students understand the course material.

Some academics believe that the prospect of exams can motivate students to study and engage with the material more thoroughly, leading to better retention and understanding of the subject matter, and that multiple-choice or standardised tests offer a more objective way to evaluate student performance, minimising the potential for bias in grading.

Most convincingly, these academics argue that exams promote students’ ability to think on the spot, encourage them to engage with the material more deeply, and to understand the underlying concepts. They say that exams require critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, essential for navigating complex and unpredictable situations in academic and real-world contexts.

On-the-spot thinking

Another source of debate is the structure of state exams. The majority are crammed into a two-week period and often require the student to sit exams in two subjects on the same day. While this might seem unfair, some educationalists argue that it promotes cognitive flexibility and the ability to switch between thinking about different or multiple concepts. This flexibility is enhanced when students are required to think quickly during exams, which is believed to be beneficial for learning new tasks and multi-tasking.

The ability to think on the spot in exams can develop essential life skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, adaptability, and cognitive flexibility.

However, is the high-stakes environment of the Leaving Cert the right time to develop and assess this skill set?

The counter-argument is that exams induce significant stress and anxiety, which may negatively impact student performance and wellbeing.

While the Leaving Cert includes a range of assessment methods, including oral and aural examinations, coursework, and practicals, the predominant assessment remains the exam.

My argument against state exams is that they represent a single snapshot of a student’s knowledge and abilities, and this may not accurately reflect their overall competence or learning progression, especially if a student has an ‘off day’. Furthermore, standardised exams can disadvantage certain groups of students, such as those with test anxiety, learning disabilities, or those from different cultural or linguistic backgrounds.

Academics in third-level institutions widely accept that the use of various assessment methods is more effective. These might include projects that allow students to explore topics in-depth and demonstrate their understanding through detailed work. Oral presentations that assess communication skills and the ability to think on one’s feet are also helpful, and group work helps to evaluate students’ capacity for teamwork and collaborative problem-solving.

While exams can be helpful for assessing aspects of a student’s knowledge and skills, they should not be the sole or dominant evaluation method.

A more holistic approach, with diverse assessment methods, can provide a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of learning and abilities.

• Dr Colman Noctor is a child psychotherapist