Mock exams are a necessary pressure…

But every year, they’re a point in the school calendar that sends a ripple of tension through both classrooms and staffrooms alike.

For most key stages, it represents a big step up— but when it comes to GCSE mock exams, that stress and pressure multiplies. And that’s because students know that these aren’t your average practice papers: they hold a mirror to the future, and show students, teachers, and even parents what the final outcomes of GCSEs may look like. And because GCSE results are usually the gateway to sixth form, college, apprenticeships, and even the first steps into employment, it becomes a difficult set of emotions to navigate, where one dropped mark in a maths GCSE mock exam might mean the difference on the day of getting into the college students want to go to versus the college they got the grades for.

And for our hard-working teachers, the responsibility is equally heavy. It’s not only about preparing young people for the challenge of their exams, but also about reinforcing the message that what happens in these mocks genuinely matters. That in and of itself creates its own stressful balancing act: highlighting the importance of these GCSE mock exams whilst managing the exam stress that students might be experiencing, and mitigating its effect when it comes to the logistics of exam day.

…Let’s look at that anxiety in a little more detail.

How can exam anxiety impact children and young people?

There’s no denying that GCSE mock exams can carry a heavy burden for student mental health. For some, the lead-up to mocks prompts weeks of stress, anxiety and even sleepless nights: these grades are important as they unlock the future, and re-takes take a long time and a lot of hard work and effort. For others, the anxiety only makes itself known during the exam itself—the moment they sit down to answer questions. Unfortunately, the most common form for these anxieties to take is a destructive combination of the two, with one feeding into the other, and then back again when mock results come in lower than expected due to that acute mock exam anxiety impacting the student’s performance.

And that’s because an anxious brain simply doesn’t operate at its best. When that all-important grey matter is under stress, it can impact memory recall, make concentration harder, and even cause students to overthink questions to the point of confusion.

And that’s before reading differences like dyslexia come into the equation…

Dyslexic students and GCSE mock exams

Whilst some degree of mock exam nerves are pretty understandable, some groups of students are much more at risk of exam anxiety disrupting their performance in a meaningful, damaging way. Those who struggle with mental health challenges, or those who have significant gaps in attendance, often enter the exam hall with compounded worries, and are some of the groups most at risk, as are EAL (English as an Additional Language) students, who may find exam situations daunting due to the high English literacy demands of the papers.

But one group stands out in particular when we look at the demographics of exam anxiety: students with dyslexia, and other types of neurodiversity that can impact reading and comprehension.

Dyslexic students often report that exams are not just intellectually demanding, but logistically so. The added pressure of strict time limits means there’s little room for error, especially if reading speed is a challenge. Dyslexia can also bring memory recall difficulties, making it harder to quickly access the right information during time-pressured settings like GCSE mock exams. On top of this, difficulties with organisation and time management can add another layer of complexity.

The most significant barrier, however, is likely to be regarding the act of reading itself.

To succeed in GCSE mock exams, students need to be able to approach a paper with confidence in their comprehension ability. If a student struggles to read instructions, misinterprets a question, or simply cannot move fluently through long passages of text, their chances of showing their true understanding diminish. Reading with confidence is not a ‘nice to have’ skill in this context—it’s essential for achieving well. GCSE mock exams are meant to show readiness for the real thing, but if reading challenges dominate, the data they return may skew heavily against dyslexic learners despite their ability in the subject.

And we need to address the limitations of human reading support for GCSE mock exams

Traditionally, one of the most common accommodations made for students with dyslexia during exams is the provision of a human reader. These staff members sit with a student and read out exam texts when required, ensuring the information is accessible and that students can respond to it in the answers they give without coming up against an access barrier.

…But human readers come with their own challenges. Schools have to arrange separate rooming for students who require this specific support, which can be a logistical nightmare during a busy exam season and a compulsory subject—and highlight differences between students and their peers, which can leave some students receiving this accommodation feeling uncomfortable and othered.

And whilst many schools take steps to normalise the support offered and break down the stigma, many young people still report feelings of embarrassment or discomfort at being separated from the main exam hall, or having to take exams with an adult next to them. For teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group, visibility to their peers matters, and the ‘spotlighting’ effect of receiving this one-to-one support can negatively impact social anxiety as much as it positively supports grade outcomes. Human reading support is expensive, too— it can cost schools up to £23,148 per year for a single student sitting their GCSEs.

There’s also the issue of consistency to consider. Some students, especially those who have neurodivergent challenges that make it harder to respond to change, may become reliant on specific staff or reading styles. Both of these can be difficult to guarantee in the middle of a busy exam season, when demand for experienced human readers is high across the majority of Trusts and Local Authorities in the UK.

So reading support isn’t always easy to get right…

…especially when reliance on human readers provides us with a lot of variables when it comes to availability, logistics and student response to that manner of support and intervention.

But things aren’t easy when we leverage technology as a response to reading needs in GCSE mock exams either—both EdTech and assistive tech are seeing prices skyrocket across the post-pandemic period due to inflation, resourcing challenges and increased demand, with learning software and screened technology like laptops and tablets seeing some of the highest price increases.

This poses an issue for schools, who often don’t have the budget capacity to seek out multiple different support systems for their learners across the school year. Financially, it’s often a case of making sure they get it right first time—or dealing with the consequences of unsupported learners and far greater stress come GCSE mock exams, and then worse, come GCSE season proper.

That’s why it’s so important for schools to be able to try out their chosen reading support before they commit to making the purchase, and being able to see how assistive tech solutions impact the reading needs and learning challenges in their classroom.

Meet C-Pen Exam Reader 2: JCQ-approved reading support for GCSEs!

✅Approved for use in exams by JCQ!

✅Zero-storage: no need for Wi-Fi

✅Dependable reading support… without the cost of human readers

✅No need for separate rooming

✅No need for Form 8s – just establish as Normal Way of Working (NWoW)!

✅Centre-delegated arrangement: provide support when you’re past the deadline!

When they can read the questions stress-free, they can focus on the answers.

With a reading pen like C-Pen Exam Reader 2, it’s easy to unlock each and every student’s learning potential without getting lost in the paperwork. It’s approved for use in exams by JCQ, and it’s specially designed with no storage functionality or Wi-Fi connectivity so that it doesn’t compromise the integrity of the exam setting.

Students scan the words on the exam paper and listen to them through headphones in the exam hall. This eliminates the need for separate rooming, which reduces invigilation costs and the need for human readers. It also keeps it discreet, which reduces the feeling of being spotlighted or overly visible to their peers during GCSE mock exams, as well as the real thing.

And it’s a lifesaver for busy SENCos too: with C-Pen Exam Reader 2, it doesn’t matter if you’re past the access arrangements deadline because it’s a centre-delegated access arrangement. That means no need for Form 8s, and a huge reduction in the amount of administration. All that matters is that a reading pen like C-Pen Exam Reader 2 (or its classroom counterparts, Reader 2 and Reader 3) has been established as a student’s Normal Way of Working. Once this is established and recorded, they’re able to use it in GCSE mock exams and class tests, and carry that support right the way through to the real thing during summer exam season and any re-sits they need to take.

If we establish confidence and independence during mocks, and give students all the tools they need to thrive, that means that when the real thing rolls around, they’re in the best position possible to show the examiner what they’ve got, beat exam anxiety, and achieve the grades that’ll unlock their future.

Discover how C-Pen Exam Reader 2 can transform reading support in GCSE mock exams for your students today:

Claim your FREE 30-day trial here!

Have questions, or need tailored advice? Our friendly team of reading support experts is here to help find the perfect solution for your Trust, school, or classroom needs.

📧Email us: ukinfo@scanningpens.com

☎️Call us: +44 (0) 207 976 4910