Colman Noctor: Focus on the child, not on the exam result 

The role of the adult supporter is to help the teenager put the challenge in perspective and remind them of their competence

What can grown-ups do to help young people to manage the stress that exam time inevitably brings?Picture: iStock

Exam stress often kicks in immediately after the Easter break.

Previously it was largely the Leaving Certificate cohort who were likely to express severe exam anxiety. But I am seeing a growing number of students as young as first-year who say they are stressed about their performance in school summer tests.