Childline Wales issue advice over GCSE and A level exam stress
New research from charity Childline showed between 1st April 2024-31st March 2025, 1,647 counselling sessions were delivered where the young person mentioned exam / revision stress.
New research from charity Childline showed between 1st April 2024-31st March 2025, 1,647 counselling sessions were delivered 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.
May counselling sessions were over two and half times higher the monthly average
This means May counselling sessions were over two and half times higher the monthly average for counselling sessions
A 17-year-old girl in Wales told Childline: “I don’t know where to start, no one’s taught me how to revise. I felt the same last year and just sort of pushed through the stress. I didn’t think it would be even worse this year with A-levels”.
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.
Now the charity is issuing advice for parents and teenagers to manage their anxiety.
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.
“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” , said a 16-year-old girl.
A 15-year-old teenager said, “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”
Advice for children:
- Think positively.
- Be honest about how you feel
- Don’t compare yourself to your friends
- Let your stress out
- Create a realistic revision schedule
- Take care of your physical health
- Keep perspective
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.”