This is always key, but this year many learners will be taking their first live assessments since their SATs, so helping develop their techniques is especially important.

Maths 

One of the key aspects of the assessment is ensuring that the learner understands what is being asked of them in the questions. 75% of the assessment is problem solving, so the learners need to practise unpicking the questions. Using ExamWizard is good way of doing this. Using past questions focused on a specific coverage and range area ensures that the learners are used to the way the questions are written and allows them to get better at answering questions. Underlining the key words and phrases helps too, so the learners can see through the context of the questions and get to the crux of the situation. 

Another good tip is always writing in the full working out in the space provided. Many marks are given to the process, so doing this ensures that the learner gets marks even if they get the answer wrong. 

Learners also need to ensure that they fully answer the question. This is a common mistake that can be the difference between passing and failing. Often the questions are written with a statement and then a question such as “Nelly believes that she will spend £100. Is she correct?” Learners need to answer that question with justification, so yes or no and why. No yes or no and they are not actually answering the question. 

Looking at the mark schemes with the learners is also good practice. Let them see where the marks are given. With the example in the previous point, they will see that to get the full marks they need the yes or no AND the justification. 

Learners should also check their answers, even when there are no marks for it (but doubly so when there are). Does their answer make sense? With the Nelly question above, if their answer is Nelly spends £2000, is this realistic? Often learners will just accept their first answer, even if it cannot be the correct one. One other tip is with the Nelly question, the answer will not be very different from what the assessment says, 10% either side give or take. So an answer of £2000 is obviously wrong. 
The individual questions in the Pearson assessments are not linked, so the learners do not need to answer question 1 to do question 2 (obviously if the question is asking the learner to check their previous answer this is not the case). Learners who struggle for time might be better placed moving onto the next question if they are struggling and flagging that question up to return to it later. 

Finally, ensure the learners are used to the format of the assessment and have all the tools they need. If they are doing an online assessment (either in the provider or through Remote Invigilation) ensure that they have practised using all the tools. 

English 

Speaking, Listening and Communicating 

The Speaking, Listening and Communicating assessments can be the most nerve-wracking assessments for learners of all ages. I can still remember the nerves from standing in front of a small group when I started out as a teacher (I had regular nightmares that I would forget what to say) and once watched a marine visibly shaking when he introduced himself to his class for his first ever lesson. What I mean is that nerves can affect everyone. The key is to have practised what you are going to say and to have some small visual prompts to help remind you. Confidence can come from having done something many times before. 

Reading 

The biggest piece of advice that can be given is to ensure that the learners fully understand the rubric of the questions. If the question asks for two answers, the learners should give two answers. If the question asks them to compare texts B and C, then they need to use both those texts. Using past papers will allow the learners to see how the assessments are structured and give them practice at ensuring they answer the questions in the correct manner. 

Writing 

An important part of the writing assessments is that the learners have practised writing the different types of texts. A learner can be easily thrown off course if the assessment asks them to write something they have never written before. 

Learners should read through the questions and give thought to how they are going to address their answer before they start writing using the questions to support them. This way their writing is more coherent. 
Learners should practise writing within the time limits (approximately 35 minutes for the longer questions at level 1 and 2 and 25 minutes for the shorter ones). This would allow them the opportunity to proofread their work. 

Finally, speaking of proofreading, learners should always proofread their work. One way of practising this in class in a meaningful way is to have examples of mistakes made in their previous work and give them time to correct them. This way, they are working on their own errors and improving both their proofreading and SPaG skills at the same time. 

Chris Briggs - Sector Manager Post 16 English and Maths