THE months of hard work are behind them, the studying has been done, and now it is crunch time.

Across Hampshire, thousands of teenagers will today begin sitting down at their exam desks with not just a pen, but their whole futures in their hands.

The first GCSE exams begin this afternoon, marking the start of the most important six weeks of those youngsters’ lives.

Starting with Religious Studies today, pupils across the county will sit tests in dozens of subjects ranging from languages to maths and PE to technology before the exam period ends on June 19.

It is a stressful time, not just for the 15 and 16-year-olds taking the papers, but also for their parents.

Many would gladly sit the exams in their child’s place if they could, but stopping short of breaking any rules, what can they do to help their teenagers do the best they can?

Leanne Hubbard, Hampshire area manager for parent support charity Parentline Plus, said exam time can be an extremely stressful period for everyone in the family.

“People calling our Parentline have expressed concerns about finding a balance between wanting their children to do well in exams and not putting too much pressure on them,” she said.

“Parents tell us that the best way to get through this period is to be as calm, positive and reassuring as possible and to try to keep your sense of humour.”

Although most revision has already been completed, Richard Schofield, head teacher at Southampton’s Redbridge Community School, said there are still things parents can do to help their teenagers through exams.

“At this stage we try to urge students not to panic or overwhelm themselves, to take things in their stride and find a relaxed approach to revision, which should be done in bite-sized chunks,” he said.

“Parents should make sure their children find their own preferred style, drink lots of water and get oxygen into their brains through regular exercise.”