With Queensland Year 12 students entering their final exam period this week, new guidance from a leading educational neuroscience expert puts school leaders — not just parents — at the centre of the response to student exam stress.
Professor Ken Purnell, Head of Educational Neuroscience at CQUniversity Australia, says how students study matters as much as how long they study. His advice has direct implications for how principals and teachers structure support programs in the lead-up to high-stakes assessments.
According to the NAB Education Insights 2026 report, nearly two-thirds of Australian students cite schoolwork, exams, and grades as their top sources of worry. That pressure is present in classrooms and staffrooms alike — and schools have a practical role in managing it.
What the brain needs to handle exam stress
Neuroscience backs a simple principle: spacing study into shorter blocks, rather than marathon revision sessions, is more likely to consolidate memory. Professor Purnell recommends structured rhythm — roughly an hour of focused work, followed by a 20-minute break that involves physical movement. The interval gives the brain time to process and retain what it has just taken in.
Self-testing is another strategy with strong neuroscientific backing. “Having to retrieve information from memory is a much more active way of learning than simply rereading your notes,” Professor Purnell said. Teachers who build retrieval practice into classroom routines before the exam period — through low-stakes quizzes, peer questioning, or structured revision tasks — are already applying this principle.
Sleep is equally non-negotiable. “Your brain needs time to consolidate what you’ve learned,” Professor Purnell said. “Sleep is part of studying, not something to sacrifice in the final days before an exam.” School leaders who communicate this message directly to students and families are reinforcing one of the most evidence-based tools available.
The evidence on building whole-school wellbeing structures for exam season consistently points in the same direction. Sleep, movement, and structured study all belong in the formal support conversation — not as incidental advice, but as deliberate school policy.
What role can schools play in reducing exam pressure?
Schools play a distinctive role that families cannot replicate: they set the tone. Calm, structured environments reduce the cognitive load on students during an already demanding period. Professor Purnell notes that calm is contagious — steady, encouraging adults help students think more clearly.
For teachers, this means resisting the urge to escalate urgency in the days before exams. Encouraging students to trust their preparation, rather than adding new pressure, is a form of professional support.
The evidence consistently points to a calm, structured school culture as a protective factor — explored further in guidance on supporting students through final exams.
Student leaders can amplify that culture. Breakfast clubs, peer check-ins, and wellbeing initiatives run by student leaders have been highlighted as effective ways to build a supportive pre-exam environment in Australian schools.
Turning neuroscience into school policy
Exam anxiety is a layered challenge that goes beyond study habits, as research into the real stress driving exam anxiety in Australian schools makes clear. Professor Purnell’s neuroscience-backed recommendations translate into several concrete actions for K–12 leaders:
- Communicate the value of sleep and physical activity directly to students and families in the lead-up to exams
- Encourage teachers to use retrieval practice rather than passive revision in their final lessons
- Create low-pressure spaces for students to ask questions, take breaks, or decompress
- Brief wellbeing staff and student leaders so support is visible and accessible
For students sitting exams, Professor Purnell’s guidance is simple: start with the questions you know, build momentum, and use slow breathing if panic sets in.
Experts have emphasised that teachers and leaders must also look after their own wellbeing during the exam period, taking a proactive approach rather than waiting until stress escalates. Sustainable support for students under exam stress starts with sustainable practice for staff.
With exam periods now a fixture of the annual wellbeing calendar, building these structures into whole-school planning — rather than deploying them at the last moment — is where the real leadership opportunity lies.