Practice questions can be a useful way for parents to support school exam preparation without taking over their child’s study. Rather than simply asking whether homework is finished, parents can encourage children to attempt questions that reflect the topics they are learning.

Start by identifying a subject or topic that needs attention. Give your child time to answer independently before discussing the result. If an answer is incorrect, avoid immediately providing the solution. Ask what they were thinking, which part was difficult and whether they can identify where their approach changed.

Parents can also help children create a simple mistake-review routine. For example, after completing several questions, the student can record topics they found challenging and revisit those areas later. This makes practice more purposeful than repeatedly answering questions without reviewing errors.

Practice questions are particularly useful when they encourage students to recall information, apply concepts and become familiar with the style of questions they may encounter. However, they should complement other forms of learning rather than replace teaching or understanding.

The parent’s role is mainly to encourage consistency and reflection. A short, focused practice session can be more useful than a long session that leaves a child frustrated.

Keep the focus on progress, not perfection, and treat mistakes as information about what to practise next.