Top 10 Mistakes Students Make in GCSE Exams (and How to Avoid Them)
GCSE exams are designed to test not just knowledge, but how well students apply that knowledge under time pressure. Even hardworking students often lose marks by making avoidable mistakes.
At AK Education, we’ve seen these errors repeated year after year but the good news is, once you know them, you can avoid them. Here are the top 10 GCSE exam mistakes and the best strategies to fix them.
Mistake 1: Not Reading the Question Properly
Many students rush and miss key command words like explain, describe, evaluate. This leads to incomplete answers.
How to avoid it:
Underline command words in the exam.
Before writing, restate the question in your own words
Mistake 2: Leaving Easy Questions Blank
Some students panic and skip questions they think they can’t do, missing out on marks they could have earned.
How to avoid it:
Always attempt every question. Even a partial method or short sentence can earn marks.
Never leave an answer space empty.
Mistake 3: Not Showing Working in Maths
Examiners award method marks. If you only write the final answer and it’s wrong, you lose everything.
How to avoid it:
Write every step of your working clearly.
Use the correct mathematical notation.
Check calculations at the end if you have time.
Mistake 4: Vague Answers in English
Students often describe rather than analyse texts, which keeps them in lower mark bands.
How to avoid it:
Use PEE/PEEL structure (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link).
Always explain why a writer uses a technique and what effect it has on the reader.
Mistake 5: Forgetting Key Terminology in Science
Examiners expect precise vocabulary. Writing “plants breathe” instead of “plants respire” loses marks.
How to avoid it:
Create flashcards for scientific key terms.
Practise past paper questions with a focus on command words like state, explain, evaluate.
Mistake 6: Poor Time Management
Some students spend too long on one question and then run out of time for others.
How to avoid it:
Check how many marks a question is worth. A 2-mark question should not take more than 2 minutes.
If you’re stuck, move on and come back later.
Mistake 7: Weak Revision Planning
Students often cram at the last minute or revise topics they enjoy rather than ones they struggle with.
How to avoid it:
Create a revision timetable at least 12 weeks before exams.
Focus extra time on your weakest subjects.
Use active recall methods (flashcards, self-testing) instead of just rereading notes.
Mistake 8: Ignoring Required Practicals in Science
Many marks are linked to required practicals, yet students often neglect them.
How to avoid it:
Revise the method, variables, and expected outcomes for each practical.
Practise explaining how you’d improve reliability or accuracy.
Mistake 9: Overusing Highlighters Instead of Active Revision
Highlighting notes feels productive but doesn’t actually build memory.
How to avoid it:
Replace passive highlighting with active techniques such as practice questions, flashcards, and teaching the topic to someone else.
Mistake 10: Not Checking Answers
Simple mistakes like copying the wrong number or mislabelling a graph can cost grades.
How to avoid it:
Leave 5 minutes at the end of each paper to check answers.
Focus on calculations, spelling of key terms, and making sure every question is attempted.
Why Avoiding These Mistakes Matters
Each of these errors might only lose 1–2 marks, but across an exam paper they quickly add up. By eliminating them, students can often improve by an entire grade without learning any new content.
At AK Education, we help students refine their exam technique so they stop throwing marks away and start achieving their full potential.
Final Words of Advice
Success in GCSEs isn’t just about knowledge - it’s about exam performance. If you avoid these 10 common mistakes, you’ll give yourself a huge advantage.
Be disciplined, read carefully, manage your time, and show your working. Above all, practise under exam conditions so nothing on the day surprises you.
