BY HANNAH GRAHAM

ALL around Dorset, Year 10 students are taking part in mock exams for all subjects.

Some of the core subjects will take place in a controlled exam environment, identical to the scenario for the final exams in Year 11.

Students are given a timetable with all their exam dates, seats and rooms on, and told to do revision for a number of topics.

These exams are great practice for the real thing, and it gives an insight into the things you have to improve on, but it all comes at an inconvenient time for students who are already stressed due to other tests.

What with more mocks at the start of Year 11, and again before the real GCSEs, it's just exam after exam.

I think that the staff within school need to make it clearer for the students what they will have to be studying, and give more personalised revision tasks as some techniques that work wonders for some people will only confuse others.

On top of this, there is the obvious link between exam stress and mental health issues, which are sadly abundant in society.

Pupils stress over mocks, then they stress because they are stressed and this leads to possible mental health issues and yet more stress.

It ends up as a vicious cycle that can prove extremely damaging to young people's self esteem, personality and even their exam results.