Exam Stress 2025

Exam stress: With young people across the UK currently sitting GCSE and A-Level exams, the NSPCC is offering:

·                New Childline statistics on the number of counselling sessions the service has delivered on exam and revision stress.

·                Key themes on what children are sharing with Childline on this topic.

·                Snapshots from young people who have contacted Childline.

·                Spokespeople available for interview.

·                A quote from Childline Director, Shaun Friel.

·                Advice for young people, parents and carers

Statistics on exam stress 

·                Between 1st April 2024- 31st March 2025, Childline delivered 1,647 counselling sessions where the young person mentioned exam / revision stress.

·                This means Childline delivered an average of 137 counselling sessions per month about Exam/Revision Stress.

·                Monthly counselling sessions about exam/ revision stress peaked in May 2024 which had 359 counselling sessions, making up almost a quarter (22%) of all counselling sessions. This means May counselling sessions were over two and half       times higher the monthly average for counselling sessions

·                Where age was known, half (50%) of counselling sessions were with young people aged 12-15, around two fifths (39%) were aged 16-18, while 11% were aged 11 and under.

Key Themes 

·                Young people putting pressure on themselves to do well

·                Feeling pressure from parents and family members

·                Struggling to balance revision and other parts of life like friends and hobbies

·                Losing sleep over revision, exams and the idea of failing

·                Feeling conflicted between knowing breaks can help with revision and stress, but feeling guilty for taking breaks

·                Comparison to friends in how well they’re doing in class/mock exams and how much revision they’re doing

·                Not having motivation to revise because it is hard and being convinced that they will fail regardless

·                Feeling hopeless about the future if they don’t do well in exams

·                Parents and teachers being dismissive about exam stress

Snapshot Quotes on exam stress 

“Exams are coming up and I feel physically sick I’m so stressed. I keep thinking how much I’ll let everyone down if I fail, and I’ll ruin my life. I usually use mindfulness to cope but I feel so nauseous I can’t even concentrate on that.” Girl, 15, Scotland, Childline

“I already know that I’m going to fail. I’m going to let everyone down. It will be 11 years of school totally wasted. Everyone keeps saying just to do my best, but I can’t do my best when I feel like this” Girl, 16, Childline

“The anxiety about exams is making it hard to get any good sleep. I know some of it is the goals I’ve set myself, but my teachers expect me to get good grades too. All my friends are stressed about the same thing so can’t help and my parents don’t know what to do” Young person, 15, Childline

“Do you ever know if you’ve done enough revision? I’m really worried what will happen if I don’t get the grades to go to college. I’m a practical person not an exam person, but I have to do well in exams to even get into practical courses” Boy, 15, Childline

Quote from Childline Director, Shaun Friel: 

Shaun Friel, Childline Director, said “At Childline we know that exam season can be a stressful time for children and young people. We consistently see a spike in contacts about exam stress in May, when exam season begins.??

“Young people are telling our counsellors about losing sleep over exams, feeling pressured by themselves and family members, and struggling to balance revision with other important parts of their lives. Many feel guilty about taking breaks and worry about letting people down if they don’t achieve the results they hope for.

“We want every young person to remember that exam results don’t define their worth or future potential. Childline’s trained counsellors are available around the clock for anyone feeling overwhelmed.

“The Childline website offers practical advice on positive thinking, healthy coping strategies, and maintaining perspective during exam time. Young people can also find comfort in connecting with peers through our monitored message boards, where they can share experiences and support each other.”

Advice for children?

·                Think positively. When we feel anxious, we can start thinking things like ‘I can’t do this’ and ‘I’m going to fail’. It can be difficult but try to replace these with positive thoughts such as: ‘this is just anxiety, it can’t harm me’ and, ‘relax, concentrate – it’s going to be okay’.

·                Be honest about how you feel. Sometimes people can put pressure on you without even realising and sometimes it can help to talk about how it makes you feel. Talking about things can help you to think about other ways they can support you in the future. If you’re worried about telling someone, you can always talk to us.

·                Don’t compare yourself to your friends: Competing with your friends can help to keep you motivated. But it can also make you feel like you’re not good enough, especially on social media. Try keeping a list of the revision you’ve done so you can see how much you’re achieving.

·                Let your stress out: through art, a mood journal or write a letter to someone you trust saying what’s happening.?The Childline website has plenty of resources to help with this, including Art Box which provides a space for young people to write or draw about their feelings.

·               ??Create a realistic revision schedule: Your brain needs time to process information, and short breaks actually help with retaining what you’ve learned.

·                Take care of your physical health: Regular exercise, healthy eating, and getting enough sleep can significantly improve your concentration and memory.

·                Keep perspective: Remember that exams are important, but they don’t define your worth or determine your entire future. There are always alternative paths if things don’t go as planned

Advice for parents and carers?

·                Reassure your child that you are here to support them.

·                Talk to them over text or on the phone if they don’t feel able to talk in person.

·                Recognise that their feelings are valid and letting them know it’s ok for them to be honest about what they’re feeling.

·                Help them think of healthy ways to cope. You could try things like yoga, breathing exercises or mindfulness together.

·                Help your child maintain perspective about their exams. Remind them that while it’s important to try their best, their self-worth isn’t defined by their grades.

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