Pupils sitting GCSEs and A-levels over the next few weeks are under increased pressure due to 'exam congestion', according to head teachers.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has warned that as more pupils sit a wider range of subjects, increasing numbers of them are being overwhelmed by three of four exams in a day.
The NAHT is calling for the examining bodies to co-ordinate their exams more effectively.
The exam season begins across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Monday, but teaching unions fear what is already a difficult time for pupils is being made even harder.
Chris Howard, vice-president of the NAHT, said: "The exam boards need to do more to best co-ordinate their efforts so that youngsters don't have this problem of three or four examinations in one day which is clearly asking too much of anybody.
"It can't encourage the best performance by them."
There are fears that the problem of exam congestion could become even worse next year as new and old A-level systems overlap.
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents the exam boards, acknowledges the difficulty of squeezing thousands of different examinations into a one month period.
It said the increasing number of subjects being offered to pupils and restrictions on the scheduling of examinations, including bank holidays, school holidays and religious festivals, meant some clashes were inevitable.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has warned that as more pupils sit a wider range of subjects, increasing numbers of them are being overwhelmed by three of four exams in a day.
The NAHT is calling for the examining bodies to co-ordinate their exams more effectively.
The exam season begins across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Monday, but teaching unions fear what is already a difficult time for pupils is being made even harder.
Chris Howard, vice-president of the NAHT, said: "The exam boards need to do more to best co-ordinate their efforts so that youngsters don't have this problem of three or four examinations in one day which is clearly asking too much of anybody.
"It can't encourage the best performance by them."
There are fears that the problem of exam congestion could become even worse next year as new and old A-level systems overlap.
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents the exam boards, acknowledges the difficulty of squeezing thousands of different examinations into a one month period.
It said the increasing number of subjects being offered to pupils and restrictions on the scheduling of examinations, including bank holidays, school holidays and religious festivals, meant some clashes were inevitable.
