Use a past paper to find out what your child needs to practise next. First, choose a paper that matches their exam board and tier. Let them try it before they look at the answers. Then check their working, not just the final mark. Pick one skill to practise and test it with a new question. A full timed paper can help once your child has learned most of the course. Before then, a few questions on one topic may help more.
Find the right paper
Ask the school which exam board your child uses. The exam board writes and marks the exam. Also ask which tier they are working towards: Foundation or Higher.
Get the paper and its mark scheme from the board's site. A mark scheme shows how marks are given. Start with AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR or Eduqas. These are examples. Your child's school can point you to the right course.
Check the paper's own instructions. Is a calculator allowed? How long should it take? Do not guess from a paper used by another board. Some recent papers are kept for schools first. If you cannot find a suitable paper, ask the teacher what to use.
A few questions or a full paper?
| If your child needs to… | Try… |
|---|---|
| Learn or check one skill | A few questions on that skill, with time to review each step. |
| Practise the full exam | A whole paper, using its time limit and calculator rules. |
Do not rush into full papers if your child has not learned the topics yet. AQA advises using full past papers for mock-style practice after enough of the course has been covered. A short set can give a clearer answer to a small question, such as “Can I expand brackets?”
Turn mistakes into a plan
Let your child finish the attempt before opening the mark scheme. Keep their working, even if an answer is wrong. Then ask:
- Did they know what the question asked?
- Did they know which maths to use?
- Where did their working first go wrong?
- Did they run out of time, or did they get stuck on the maths?
Made-up example: a child tries `3(x + 2) = 21` and writes `3x + 2 = 21`. They multiplied the `x` by 3 but missed the `2`. The correct next line is `3x + 6 = 21`, so `x = 5`. Their next task is to practise a few questions on brackets. A new question can then show whether that step now makes sense. This is not a real pupil's work or a past-paper question.
Write down the question, the first step that went wrong, and one thing to practise. If the mark scheme is hard to use, or the same error keeps coming back, show the teacher the working. A mark you give at home is only a guide.
What should you do this week?
Ask the school for the board and tier. Pick one suitable paper or short set. After your child tries it, choose one skill to work on. Then check that skill with a fresh question. One paper score cannot tell you your child's final GCSE grade.
For help making room for paper practice, see our GCSE revision timetable guide.