Effective revision is the best way for your child to avoid some of the stress that surrounds tests and exams. Exam stress can affect everyone in a household, so anything that helps to control this is bound to be a good thing!

In this unit, learners are reminded that revision means just that - returning to things that you have learnt, read or looked at several times before. It should not be a last-minute panic to try to learn in a couple of evenings all the things that should have been learnt during the year.

Planning is the key to good revision. You can help your child by looking at some of the tips in this unit:

• Make sure that they have a quiet, well-lit place in which to work. Sometimes that may not be possible in a busy home. Suggest other places where they could work, such as the school or local library.
• Try to make sure that there are no distractions. The television should be kept in another room, or turned off while they are working if at all possible.
• Encourage them to make a timetable. But remember, you cannot concentrate on work all the time. There should be some balance between working and relaxation. A tired mind is not effective.

Other tips include how to make notes and how to revise actively. You might also suggest that your child has a look at some of the other useful units in this series, such as 'Exam preparation' and 'Time management'.