The last three weeks before the Dubai College assessment: a calm plan

What matters most in the last three weeks?

A rested, unworried child matters more than any amount of extra practice. Our view is that the last three weeks should feel lighter than the weeks before them: short sessions of 20 to 30 minutes, at least two rest days a week, normal bedtimes, and at most one full timed practice a week. The aim is familiarity with the screen and the kinds of question, not cramming.

The school has said three things that shape the plan. The assessment is about two hours, so a child needs to be fresh for one long sitting. It is adaptive, so questions will feel hard at times, and that is normal. And a child sits it only once, which is a reason for calm, not pressure.

What does the 21-day plan look like?

Here is the plan we would follow, day by day. For a Monday to Friday school week, the two full timed practices fall on Saturdays, with the review the next day. Swap days freely around family life; the shape matters more than the dates. Print the page and the calendar prints on its own.

How many full mocks should a child sit in the last three weeks?

Our view is two, a week apart, and no full mock in the final week. A full timed practice of about two hours is a long sitting for a ten or eleven year old. One a week is enough to rehearse the length and the screen, and it leaves room for rest and for the review that follows, which is where most of the learning happens.

How to review a practice paper

1. Wait until the next day. A tired child does not learn from a review.
2. Go through the wrong answers only, and ask your child to explain why the right answer is right.
3. Look for a pattern: one topic, a careless slip, or running out of time.
4. Pick one or two drills from the pattern, and stop there.

How should the final week feel?

Easy. Our view is that the final week has no full practice, no new topics and plenty of rest: familiar work builds confidence, while new material builds doubt. A single module on its own early in the week keeps the routine without the fatigue of a full sitting. The two days before the assessment are for sleep, food, time outside and an early night.

What should parents say, and not say?

Children hear how adults talk about a test. Our view: say "let's see what this one is like" rather than "this one really matters". Praise effort and method rather than scores, and treat a poor practice paper as information about what to practise next, which is all it is. Before the day, tell your child that hard questions in an adaptive test usually mean they are doing well.

What should a family avoid?

• Long sessions. Two hours of practice in an evening teaches tiredness.
• More than one full timed practice in a week, or any in the final week.
• New topics in the last seven days.
• Comparing scores with friends. Practice papers differ, and an adaptive test gives different children different questions.
• Late nights. Keep normal bedtimes for the whole three weeks.

The school says it does not endorse tutoring for its assessment, and nothing here is a way round its process. It is a calm routine so your child walks in rested and does their own best work. For what happens on the day itself, see the assessment day checklist. For practice in the school's three modules with a plan counted back to 15 November, see Dubai College entrance practice.