"I'm reading."
Two words every Nigerian parent hears constantly in the weeks before WAEC or JAMB.
But what does reading actually look like in your house? Is your child working through past questions systematically? Covering their syllabus topic by topic? Or are they staring at a textbook while thinking about something else entirely?
The honest answer is — most parents don't know. And most children know that their parents don't know.
That gap between what you assume is happening and what is actually happening is where JAMB and WAEC results are won and lost.
Here is how to close that gap — without turning your home into a battlefield.
Why Monitoring Matters More Than You Think
Many parents take a hands-off approach to exam preparation because they don't want to add pressure. That instinct comes from a good place.
But there is a difference between adding pressure and staying informed.
A student left entirely to their own devices — especially a teenager — will almost always underestimate how much preparation they need. They will start late, cover topics unevenly, and only realise the gap when it's too late to close it.
Your involvement does not have to create stress. Done right, it creates accountability — and accountability is one of the most powerful tools in exam preparation.
7 Practical Ways to Monitor Your Child's Preparation
1. Ask specific questions, not general ones
"Are you reading?" gets a yes or no.
"What topic did you cover today?" gets you real information.
Make it a habit to ask one specific question each evening — not to interrogate, but to stay connected to their progress. A child who knows they'll be asked what they covered today is more likely to actually cover something.
2. Check their study timetable
Does your child have one? A written, realistic study timetable that covers all their subjects before the exam?
If not, that's the first problem to solve. Sit with them and build one together. Not a timetable you impose — one they help create. They're more likely to follow something they had a hand in making.
3. Ask to see their past question scores
Past questions are the single most important preparation tool for both WAEC and JAMB. If your child is not doing past questions regularly, they are not preparing effectively — full stop.
Ask to see their scores. Not to judge, but to track. A child scoring 40% on a past paper in February needs a different plan than one scoring 70%.
4. Watch their routine, not just their results
You don't have to wait for exam results to know how preparation is going. Their daily routine tells you everything.
What time do they start studying? How long do they actually sit and focus versus sitting and scrolling? Are they studying the night before a test or spreading their reading across the week?
Habits predict results. Watch the habits.
5. Talk to their teachers or tutors regularly
If your child has a tutor, ask for a progress update at least once a month. A good tutor should be able to tell you exactly which topics have been covered, where your child is struggling, and what the plan is for the remaining weeks.
If their school has parent-teacher meetings, attend them — and ask specific questions, not just "how is my child doing?"
6. Use technology to your advantage
Several platforms now allow parents to see how their child is practising — which subjects they're covering, how many questions they're attempting, and what their scores look like over time.
At Tutorial Haven, parents receive progress updates on their child's activity so you're never left guessing. You can see exactly what your child has been working on and where the gaps are — without having to ask them every night.
7. Create a weekly check-in, not daily interrogation
Daily monitoring can feel suffocating for a teenager. Instead, set one weekly check-in — a relaxed conversation, maybe over a meal — where you go through progress together.
What did they cover this week? What felt hard? What's the plan for next week?
This keeps you informed without making your child feel like they're being watched every hour.
What to Do When You See a Problem
You've been monitoring and something doesn't look right. Grades aren't improving. Past question scores are low. They're avoiding certain subjects.
Don't wait.
The natural instinct is to hope it corrects itself before the exam. It rarely does. The earlier you intervene — whether that means getting a tutor, adjusting the study plan, or having a deeper conversation — the more time there is to fix it.
A problem caught in January is manageable. The same problem caught in April is a crisis.
The Balance: Involved Without Overwhelming
The goal is not to sit beside your child every time they open a textbook. That would exhaust both of you.
The goal is to stay connected enough to know when things are on track and when they aren't — and to act early when they aren't.
Your child may not thank you for it now. They will when the results come out.
The Bottom Line
Monitoring your child's exam preparation is not about distrust. It's about investment.
You're investing in their future. It's completely reasonable to want to know how that investment is going.
📲 At Tutorial Haven, we give parents visibility into their child's progress — not just at the end of the exam, but throughout the preparation. Chat with us on WhatsApp: wa.me/2348088981691
Or visit tutorialhaven.com.ng to learn more.
Tutorial Haven provides exam preparation and academic support for SS1–SS3 students across Nigeria. Based in Lagos with online support available nationwide.
