The answer to the aforementioned question varies depending on who you ask. Ask a parent and they will tell you that these exams are absolutely vital. Ask a student and their work ethic may determine how much mocks really matter to them. But ask a teacher and hopefully you will get a far more balanced response. From what I can tell, Year 11 mocks are still the most important exams you have sat so far, but only relatively – the big one is still in May and these are generally only really important for those thinking of changing schools at Sixth Form, who need predicted grades, those looking to reconfirm their scholarship or bursary place at a selective school, or those in state schools who need to reassure themselves that this is still the right subject for them. But besides that, mocks are still undoubtedly useful as another set of numbers to consider when making A- level choices or even starting to think about university courses.

Despite all that, every teacher I have spoken to has described Mocks as far worse than the real thing. This time, you are vastly under-prepared and are being asked to complete all your exams in a two-week period that would normally be spread out over two months! Arguably, the importance of mocks is really mostly that they are a massive learning opportunity for students. This is the time to look at your answers and not just your marks and take the time to re-evaluate your revision style and approach to exams as well as technical criteria to do with your methods for answering questions and managing your time once you are actually sitting in the exam hall. So the overall message is don’t stress … yet!