Mock exams: Do they prepare candidates?

It is believed that mock exams are more difficult than final exams thus motivating candidates to read extensively. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa

What you need to know:

  • If you have done Mock exams before, you probably remember how they teased and mocked you; for better or for worse. There is also the myth that mock exams are at times harder than the final national exam, but that is just a myth. The question is though, how much do they prepare candidates for the final exams?

To, Marvin Ssewaya, a Senior Five student at Lubiri Secondary School, mock exams were a wakeup call. “When I was in Senior Four, I was very playful.
In addition, my school Old Kampala S.S.S was purely a day school. We used to have assessment tests, which I took lightly, and before I knew it, it was mock time. When the results were released, I was in Fourth grade. My mother was disappointed, my teachers too,” Ssewaya regrettably says.
But instead of giving up, he says the failure motivated him. “In Third Term, I came back determined to perform better. I concentrated in class, read more, prepared for the tests, and by the time we started UCE, I was ready to take it on; and I got 32 points,” he says.

Reduces anxiety
Bronney Samanya, the head teacher of Kijabijo Primary School in Kiira notes that mocks are meant to help learners do more research, especially on questions and topics they find new. He adds that the exams can predict the likely result or performance of learners and so it motivates them. “It makes a teacher adjust and plan further for the learners depending on the results but it also determines how effective the teaching process has been, so the teacher can adjust accordingly,” she says.
The atmosphere of fear and anxiety that the final paper creates is enough to put students off, according to Samanya. Therefore, giving them a test of what the final exams might look like gives them confidence and belief that they are doable.


“After the mocks, I have seen my children put in extra effort. You will often see the one who used to watch movies after school go straight to the reading room to revise,” Francis Zziwa, a parent and retired teacher says. Nonetheless the results are often not good, you have to encourage them that the final paper won’t be that bad, he notes.

Get adequate lighting
As part of the preparation process, constant revision (both during day and night preps) for both day scholars and those in boarding section is a major determining factor.
But the facts on the table are; we still experience power outages every now and again, and there are areas in the country that do not have electric power supply yet have schools. But students can beat these odds and have a hassle-free revision period.


“Primary school was a very difficult time for my daughter as far as revising from home was concerned. Our only source of light during the night were candles. During her Primary Seven, we would buy kerosene and she would use the lantern for revision, but she did that with difficulty. Today, solar panels have become more wide spread and cheap, so I purposed to buy one which I got at Shs250,000. My son is currently a Primary Seven candidate at Good Shepherd Primary School, Buloba and reading to him has become easier because he can wake up to read, with sufficient light for him,” Martha Ssegujja, a parent and resident of Buloba, says.
Solar panels range from Shs150,000 to Shs350,000 or more basing on the number of items and lights one wants connected to it. “As an alternative, we bought a gas lamp – the small one from Total which comes with a gas stove and a lamp at Shs260,000. I have children in nursery school and one in Senior Four so, the light comes in handy when we experience power outages, especially during rain seasons,” Abraham Nuwagaba, a resident of Mpererwe says.

Explore options for lighting
If your home or school is not connected to electricity or solar power, there are other cheaper alternatives. For example, solar rechargeable lights/ lamps – which can be accessed from different fuel stations, range between Shs30,000 – Shs50,000. There are also small electrically rechargeable lamps ranging between Shs15,000 and Shs50,000 in electronics shops and supermarkets around town, as well as lamps that use dry cells ranging from Shs10,000 and Shs30,000 in electronics shops.

Tips for revision

Ironically, the best way to revise is not to pour over your books and class notes every hour of the day available.

Take time off. Take a break and relax as much as is feasible in your revision time. Revise for an hour and take a 15-minute break. Try to do something that you enjoy in those 15 minutes.
Do not stress. If you are having a bad day, you cannot focus and just want to get away from equations - get up and do something different.


Talk to friends. Make sure you speak to your friends and ask them how they are coping. It may seem like everyone else is dealing with the pressure so much better than you, but a few minutes conversation with a friend can reassure you that you are not alone.