Here's why your year 12 mocks are important – and how to prepare for them
Sure, the grades you get in your year 12 mock exams won’t count towards your final A-level grades.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put the effort in when it comes to revising for them and sitting them.
After all, year 12 mocks have the potential to impact your future, whether that’s your performance in your A-level exams in year 13 or your life at university.
Why are they so important? Here are five key reasons:
1. Universities base their decisions on predicted grades
Most teachers use year 12 mock exam performance to predict your final grades to a greater or lesser extent. Strong predicted grades will give universities an idea of how good a candidate you are. Some universities give unconditional offers based on predicted grades.
So while there’s no need to stress about year 12 mocks, it’s a good idea to take them seriously and do your best. Your future self will thank you!
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2. They make revising in year 13 a whole lot easier
There’s no question: A-levels are a big step up from GCSEs. Preparing properly for your year 12 mock exams means you’ll be learning and memorising the course content more gradually and going over it more times. This will take the pressure off when it comes to your final exams in year 13.
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3. They give you self-belief
Give it your best shot, and your year 12 mock exam results will show you that you can do this. That little boost of confidence will make all your hard work worth it.
And remember, if you do worse than you expected, you are not doomed as you can still learn from them.
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4. They show you where you need to improve
If you treat them like a practice run or dress rehearsal, year 12 mock exams will highlight where you need to do more work and make for effort when the real thing comes around. Without this benchmark you’d be going in blind, so make the most of it.
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5. They teach you about exam technique
When it comes to doing papers in exam conditions, there aren't infinite opportunities to practice. Year 12 mocks are one of a handful of chances to perfect your exam technique.
This includes planning your time, reading the paper properly and applying your knowledge to new, unseen questions.
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