Almost every parent of a secondary student has heard the same frustrated sentence after a test:

“But I knew the answer!”

And they’re often right. Your child might genuinely understand the topic, yet still lose large amounts of marks in British-curriculum exams.

Why? Because in IGCSEs and A-Levels, grades depend as much on specific skills and exam technique as they do on content knowledge. These skills are rarely explained clearly to parents, and students often don’t realise they’re missing them until it’s too late.

This article breaks down the hidden skills schools seldom teach, how they impact grades, and how parents can identify these gaps early even if you’re not a teacher.

The Myth: “If My Child Understands the Subject, They’ll Get Good Marks.”

In the British system, this isn’t true.

A student can:

• understand the topic
• revise hard
• memorise notes
• give the right information

…yet still fail to meet the Assessment Objectives (AOs) that examiners actually mark against.

These AOs exist in every subject, and they reward skills like application, analysis, structuring ideas, and evaluation — not just knowing the content.

This is why a student may score 90% one week and 52% the next. It’s not inconsistency, it’s technique.

The Hidden Skills That Decide Grades (But Aren’t Immediately Obvious)

Here are the most common skills that cause students to lose marks without realising why:

1. Understanding What the Question Is Really Asking

Many students answer the question they think is being asked, not the one written on the page.

They miss key “command words” like:

• Explain
• Analyse
• Evaluate
• Discuss

Each command word demands a specific style of answer. Missing this can cost half the marks instantly.

Helpful external resource:

• AQA Command Words Guide, search “AQA command words GCSE A-level”

2. Applying Knowledge to New Situations

IGCSE and A-Level exams test transfer of knowledge, not repetition.

For example:

• Biology questions often disguise familiar content inside unfamiliar scenarios.
• Maths questions require multi-step reasoning, not copying worked examples.
• English and Humanities expect students to justify and explain, not restate.

If students revise by memorising notes, they often freeze when the question looks different from class examples.

Trusted resource:

• Cambridge International “Learner Guides”, these show exactly how students are expected to apply knowledge.

3. Structuring Answers the Way Examiners Award Marks

In essay-based subjects, students lose huge amounts of marks because their answers:

• jump between points
• lack explanation
• fail to link ideas
• don’t use subject-specific terminology
• don’t follow examiner-style structure

Students often think their writing is “good,” but examiners reward clarity, logic, and argument, not creativity or length.

External resource:

• Cambridge Examiner Reports (publicly available) these documents explain precisely what students did wrong and why marks were lost.

4. Showing Working, Reasoning, and Justification

In maths and science, marks are often awarded for the process, not just the final answer.

A student can get the correct answer and still lose marks if they don’t show:

• Steps
• Reasoning
• Units
• labelled diagrams

Most schools don’t teach this explicitly, they assume students pick it up naturally.

The Silent Problem: Students Don’t Notice These Gaps Until Too Late

Teachers see these skill gaps every day. Parents see the results, inconsistent marks but not the pattern.

But students themselves often have no idea what they’re missing.

That’s why parents repeatedly hear:

“But I studied everything!”
“I understood it when I revised!”
“I thought I did well!”

They’re not wrong, they’re just missing the invisible skills that exams reward.

How Parents Can Spot These Hidden Gaps in Minutes

You don’t need to mark work or understand the syllabus.
Here’s a simple approach:

1. Ask your child to explain why an answer is correct

A student who truly understands can explain reasoning. A student who memorised cannot.

2. Look at one paragraph or one maths question each week

Ask yourself:

• Is there explanation?
• Is there structure?
• Is there working?
• Is the question fully answered?

3. Compare teacher feedback with learning insights

Teacher feedback is based on submitted homework. But tools like InstantTutor show what your child struggles with privately:

• topics they repeatedly ask about
• the types of questions they get stuck on
• the skills they consistently miss (application, technique, command words)
• areas they avoid because they’re unsure

When you compare the teacher’s feedback with the app’s insights, the real pattern becomes visible. Often, the gap is not knowledge, it’s technique.

Helpful Resource for Parents

• Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) – “Metacognition & Self-Regulation”, evidence-based guidance showing how students improve when they understand how to think and structure answers.

Final Thought: Your Child May Know the Content, But Exams Reward More Than Knowledge

British-curriculum exams test thinking, application, and technique. These are the hidden skills that turn content into grades.

Understanding this gives parents a rare advantage and helps students realise that exam success is not about working harder, but working smarter.