Exams 2025: Top 20 excuses teens use to get out of revising - and how parents can help them push through

• Secondary school pupils are now a couple of weeks into the summer exam series
• A poll of a thousand teens has found most don’t feel prepared for their exams
• Most of their parents don’t think they’re doing enough to study either, the survey showed
• Students admit using some creative excuses for why they aren’t studying more
• But one education expert says this might just be a sign that they’re feeling the pressure

A new survey has found eight in 10 parents feel like their teen isn’t prepared for their secondary school exams this year - and they’re arguing about it up to four times a day.

The 2024/25 summer exam season is now in full swing, with A Levels kicking off this week, and GCSEs getting underway earlier this month. Exams are set to run until late June, meaning this year’s candidates most likely still have quite a bit of revision ahead of them before they begin the lengthy wait for August’s results days.

Polling of 1,000 15 to 18-year-old secondary school pupils and their parents - carried out last month and commissioned by sixth-form college group Mander Portman Woodward (MPW) - found that the pressure was getting to the whole family. The majority of parents reported feeling frustrated at their children, with 86% sure they weren’t doing enough to achieve the grades they needed.

Just over one in 10 (11%) of the young students asked felt confident about their upcoming exams. Many said they were struggling to study, with over half (51%) feeling overwhelmed as soon as they hit the books. One in three (33%) constantly felt tired, while 29% said facing the mountain of work left them feeling bored.

According to those who took part in the study, getting distracted was another big struggle. The average amount of time they could focus on revision before picking up their phone was just 14 minutes. Nearly two in five (39%) admitted getting repeatedly reeled in by Snapchat or TikTok.

Many teens told researchers they were turning to sometimes creative excuses for why they aren’t studying at any given time, which one education expert says is a sign of just how much they’re feeling the pressure. Here were some of the most common excuses they admitted using - and what parents can do to help them break through the barriers to good revision:

Top excuses teens use to get out of studying

1. ‘I have a headache’ (47%)

2. ‘I’m just too tired’ (25%)

3. ‘I have a stomachache’ (21%)

4. ‘Let me just finish this TV show’ (20%)

5. ‘My laptop battery is dead’ (17%)

6. ‘I need to tidy my room’ (17%)

7. ‘I have revised absolutely everything’ (15%)

8. ‘My phone battery is dead’ (12%)

9. ‘The Wi-Fi isn’t working’ (11%)

10. ‘I need to tidy my notes and desk’ (9%)

11. ‘I can’t find a pen’ (9%)

12. ‘I can’t find my laptop charger’ (8%)

13. ‘I need to have a shower first’ (8%)

14. ‘I’ve lost the book I need’ (7%)

15. ‘Before I start, I am going to redo my revision timetable’ (7%)

16. ‘I am going to reorganise my folders so that everything is easy to find’ (7%)

17. ‘I’m just going for a run’ (6%)

18. ‘I need to wash my hair’ (5%)

19. ‘I can’t find my note pad (5%)

20. ‘I was just about to vacuum the house (5%)

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How parents can help them through

MPW chief executive Spencer Coles said the results of their survey showed teens were clearly struggling with revision. “What's particularly telling is that students themselves recognise they need help, with a third saying that removing technology would help them focus, while others are looking for structured schedules and support.

“The findings show how revision creates real stress for young people, explaining these creative excuses,” he added. But what he found equally concerning was how many “seemingly productive” excuses or study methods many students were resorting to - from updating timetables, to creating “overly complex” mind maps, to simply reading through notes repeatedly.

“These activities make students feel like they are busy and generate impressive stacks of paper, but they're essentially passive approaches that create an illusion of productivity,” Mr Coles said. “Many students are putting in hours of work without seeing proportional results because they're using strategies that feel productive but don't actually help information stick.”

Two thirds (61 percent) of the 15- to 18-year-olds polled said they wished they were better at revising. “This isn't about lack of motivation but finding the right method. When students receive guidance tailored to their individual learning styles, they tend to develop both the skills and confidence necessary for exam success,” he continued.

He recommended a few things parents could do to support their children revise more effectively - and break through some of the barriers stopping them from studying. One of these was getting them out of the isolation of their bedrooms, by creating a calm-yet-communal study space.

“The dining room or kitchen table is less lonely, and you're more likely to stay on track (and off your phone) if others are around,” Mr Coles said. “Family members can also help by testing you, keeping the motivation up, and making sure the coffee keeps flowing.”

Parents can support their teens in more active - and effective - revision methods too. “Don’t just lie on your bed reading. The ‘reading = revision’ strategy can give the illusion of learning, but it’s passive. Be active: answer questions, get someone to quiz you, or try teaching the material to someone else.”

Finally, family members can help the young student in their lives hone their detective skills, by finding the right resources to work out exactly what the examiner will be looking for. “Study past papers, mark schemes, exemplar responses, and examiner reports,” he added. These resources can help teens shape how they answer exam questions - so long as they “practise accordingly”.

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