GCSEs and A levels 2025: Five places parents and students can get support during exam season

• The 2024/25 GCSE and A Level exam season is currently underway
• Exam results can have a big impact on a young person’s educational journey
• There are a wide range of online resources and support services available for both them and their parents
• These cover everything from mental health help, to practical advice on what to do after results day

The coming months will be a very stressful time for young people across the country, with ripple effects that can impact the entire family.

The 2024/25 summer exam season is now well underway, with A Levels kicking off this week (starting May 12), the week after GCSEs began. Exam season will run until late June, and then secondary school pupils and sixth form students will face a lengthy wait to find out how they did - with the results days for A Levels and GCSEs falling on Thursday, August 14 and Thursday, August 21 respectively.

How pupils do in these exams can have a big impact on their future. At GCSE level, it can affect which sixth form college they get into, as well as which A Level subjects they can take. Once they do reach their A Levels, entire university offers can hinge on exam results - as well as other opportunities after secondary school.

For some, the mounting pressure can even start to feel like too much. Fortunately, there are plenty of free, accessible places both them and their parents or carers can get a little extra help balancing their mental health during this tumultuous time.

Here are 5 excellent resources for both students and parents supporting teens studying for exams at the moment - as well as places they can go for more support if they need it:

1. For students: Ofqual’s official guide

Ofqual, the Government’s official exam regulator, has penned its own guide for young people dealing with exam pressure - with help from Professor Dave Putwain, a former teacher-turned-researcher at Liverpool John Moores University.

As well as practical revision planning tips, it’s full of mental health guidance with realistic steps students can take to feel a little better about their exams. From replacing negative beliefs with positive ones, to recognising the important role stress actually plays, to tips on controlling physical anxiety symptoms in an exam situation - the guide is both practical and workable for students feeling the pressure.

You can access it for free online here.

2. For parents: The NHS guide to helping your child beat exam stress

Naturally, seeing their children struggle with anxiety and exam pressure can be tough for parents as well. It’s easy to feel out of your depth when it comes to guiding them as they weather the storm.

The NHS has created an online guide for parents with all you need to know about supporting them while they prepare and sit their exams. It includes tips on making sure they’re eating well and getting enough sleep, discussion points and ‘treats’ to help them take a load off, and even signs to look out for that they might be getting overwhelmed.

You can access it free online here.

3. For students: The Student Room online forum

Sometimes, what helps most can be connecting with others going through the same things you are - or even those who have made it out the other side.

That’s where The Student Room comes in, a UK-based forum site where students can chat about their GCSEs and A Levels, universities, student finance, and more, asking the questions that really bother them in a supportive community of their peers. The site is moderated by a team of staff and helpers to keep users safe, and even has its own dedicated mental health message board.

You can find this (and the site as a whole) online here.

4. For students: Childline’s online and over-the-phone helpline services

If things get really hard, having someone to talk to can help ease the weight of that burden. Childline is a free, private and confidential service available for anyone under the age of 19 in the UK, which connects young people in need to counsellors.

All of its counsellors are specially trained volunteers and staff. They are taught to listen to young callers without judgement, and even provide mental health support. The charity says they know about the problems young people face - and won’t be easily shocked.

Childline is available any time of the day or night. You can reach them over the phone by calling 0800 1111 - or if you’d prefer to chat online, you can reach their 1-2-1 service here.

5. For both of you: The exam results helpline

Unfortunately, no matter how prepared you or your child might be, things might not always go to plan. Not getting the exam results you expected can be devastating. It can also leave young people confused about what their next step should be.

There is usually a free national helpline that will go live on results day each year, open to both parents and students. Come results day, they can discuss their results and get help working out their next steps - no matter what those results were. Its advisors can provide information on sixth forms and colleges, subject choices, exam resits and re-marks, vocational learning routes, careers, and more, according to UCAS - the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service - which itself can help students with university offers and the Clearing process.

More details on this service will usually be provided closer to August, but in recent years it has been administered by the National Careers Service.

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