How to Prepare for Year 10 Mocks: Maths Revision Tips for Confidence and Success
- Michelle Pankhurst
- Mar 26
- 3 min read
Year 10 mock exams are a crucial step in your child’s GCSE journey. For many students, these exams involve sitting a past GCSE paper for the first time, which can feel overwhelming- especially for those sitting the higher paper- if they’re used to scoring well in class but suddenly find themselves facing unfamiliar exam-style questions.
Meet Emma: A Year 10 Student Facing Her First Maths Mock
Let’s talk about Emma - a hardworking Year 10 student (a fictional example based on real experiences).
Emma has always been in Set 1 or Set 2 for Maths and has consistently achieved 80% or higher in her topic tests. With a target grade of 7, she feels confident in her abilities.
But when she sits her Year 10 Maths mock, everything changes.
Emma scores 31% (75 marks out of 240) -a Grade 5. Her teacher reassures her that she’s on track for a Grade 6 or 7 by Year 11, but the drop from 80% to 31% is a huge knock to her confidence.
The biggest challenge? She can only confidently answer the first half of the paper. The second half feels impossible. She leaves many questions blank and walks out of the exam feeling defeated. She doesn’t know where to start with her Maths revision.
Why Do Students Struggle with Year 10 Mock Exams?
As a former classroom teacher with 12 years of experience, I’ve seen this happen time and time again despite my best efforts to prepare students. Some key reasons include:
🔹 Unfamiliarity with full exam papers – Topic tests are shorter, whereas GCSE past papers have a mix of problem-solving, reasoning, and multi-step questions.
🔹 Not knowing the grade boundaries – Many students expect to score 70-80% for a Grade 7, but in reality, they only need roughly 55% or above in the real exam.
🔹 Difficult second-half questions – These questions combine multiple topics, often with wordy problem-solving elements that students haven’t encountered in regular classwork.
🔹 Exam conditions feel different – Even the best-prepared students can struggle under the pressure of timed examsand the formal exam setting.
How Can You Help Your Child Prepare for Year 10 Maths Mocks?
If your child is aiming for a Grade 5-9 in their GCSEs, here’s how to help them build confidence and feel prepared:
1️⃣ Understand the Grade Boundaries
Managing expectations is key. Students often think a low percentage means failure, but on the higher tier Maths paper, a Grade 7 is typically around 55-67% (Edexcel) or 58-70% (AQA). Use the MathsBot Grade Boundaries Tool to see what different grades look like:
2️⃣ Practice with Past Papers
Encourage your child to work through full past papers before their Year 10 mock exam. They should focus on:
✔️ Recognising question styles
✔️ Improving time management
✔️ Breaking down multi-step problems
Find free GCSE past papers and revision resources here:
3️⃣ Join My Free Year 10 Maths Revision Sessions
If your child is in Year 10 and preparing for their end-of-year mock exams, now is the perfect time to start practicing with past papers.
That’s why I’m running three free online Maths revision sessions to help students get familiar with exam-style questions and develop key problem-solving strategies. On each date we will look at a different paper (Paper 1, 2 and 3), to familiarise them with the format of the exam.
📅 Dates: 23rd April, 7th May, 21st May
🕢 Time: 7:30 PM (60-minute sessions)
📍 Where: Online (Zoom)
✅ We’ll go through a past paper together in a low pressure environment
✅ Your child will gain confidence tackling different question types
✅ Cameras will be off, and questions can be asked via private chat
By preparing early, students can enter their Year 11 GCSE year feeling confident, rather than having to rebuild their confidence after a tough Year 10 mock.
🔹 Want to help your child succeed in Maths?
Start now - join my free revision sessions and give them the support they need to feel ready and capable in their exams.
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