Instant overview: 10 common mistakes & quick fixes
| # | Error | Diploma | Impact | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Head too high on breaststroke | A / B | Breath stress, low speed | "Look-to-the-bottom" exercise |
| 2 | Arms underwater on water kicks | C | Disqualification | 30 s water kick with ball overhead |
| 3 | Blowing out too late ➜ oxygen debt | All | Stop after 25 m | Bubble play 3 min/day in bath |
| 4 | Legs drop in backstroke | A | Distance not met | Kick-board-drill 4×15 m |
| 5 | Head start not tight (B) | B | Time loss | Land-head roller on mat |
| 6 | Missing hoop under water | A | Underwater trip not met | Aiming point under hoop |
| 7 | Losing shoes in clothes swimming | B / C | Disqualification | Double knot & 25 m test |
| 8 | Wrong HELP attitude | C | Survival component insufficient | 3×60 s practice in shallow pool |
| 9 | Short breaths in breast crawl | B / C | Time limit exceeded | 6-beat drill with snorkel |
| 10 | Nervousness ➜ starting too soon | All | Exhaustion halfway through | 10-breaths focus ritual |
Tip: Film your child two weeks before the exam (1× technique, 1× in clothing) to quickly spot the biggest mistakes.
1 - Faulty breathing & heading position
Many candidates blow out too late, come out on top with a "gasphap", hold the head too high and lower the hips. Thus the speed drops per stroke.
- Bubble-drill: 3× 10 sec continuous exhale with face in water.
- Look-at-the-bottom game: Instructor shows coloured card underwater; child names colour aloud.
- Metronome beat: 25m breaststroke on 3-beat rhythm (exhale-arms-close-inhale).
2 - Incomplete leg stroke
Incomplete "frog-hop" in breaststroke and weak core in backstroke cost metres.
- Kick-board overhead (armelet) - 4×15m pure leg stroke.
- Wall-off exercise - legs fully extended against bathtub edge.
- Home "plank" & "superman" - 3× 20 sec each night.
3 - Failure to meet time limit (condition)
B exam: 75 m ≤ 2:00 min. C exam: 100 m ≤ 2:45 min.
7-day build-up schedule
- Day 1: 4×25 m relaxed (swimwear)
- Day 3: 2×50 m + 2×25 m sprint
- Day 5: 4×25 m in clothes, 15 s rest
- Day 7: Test distance in exam outfit
Still struggling? Book a private interval session.
4 - Wrong start & shutdown
- Landhead roll: Tight chin-to-breast, practice 10× on mat.
- Streamer jump: arrow shape at entrance, arms tight against ears.
- Video analysis: slow-motion shows or knees hit first.
5 - Underwater orientation errors
- Laser line: duct tape as "rails" on bottom towards ring.
- Bubble tunnel: Instructor creates bubble trail - visual line.
- Tag underwater: Trains calm & sense of direction.
6 - Apparel swimming pitfalls
- Double-knot test: 25m swim; is shoe falling out? Tighter knot.
- Weight check jacket: wet coat ≤ 10 % body weight.
- Dry-run: Practice at home in the bath to feel resistance.
View full NRZ clothing requirements on the requirements-page.
7 - Water kicking & floating
- Ball overhead + water kick 3×30 s.
- Bottles of water in each hand 3×20 s (extra weight).
- In HELP position blow out slowly, head neutral.
8 - Mental pressure & exam nervousness
- 10-breath ritual: in 4, out 6, 10 rounds before start.
- Visualisation: eyes closed, run through track in slow-motion.
- Mini-exam at home: put on exam outfit, follow sequence out loud.
9 - Checklist: the last 7 days
| Bye | Focus | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Condition | 2×50 m in clothes, 30 s rest |
| 6 | Technology | Video analysis breast & backstroke |
| 5 | Start | 10 head jumps in a row |
| 4 | Breathe | Bubble-drill + quiet breath 5 min |
| 3 | Clothing | Double-button & coat-weight test |
| 2 | Rest | 200m loose swim, sleep early |
| 1 | Bag-check | Swimwear, clothing set, diploma form, water bottle |
Summary & next step
- Top-10 errors spotted and fixed with targeted drills.
- Core exercises, breathing rituals and clothing check increase success rate.
- Book a private exam drill or request a free trial lesson.
- Ready? Subscribe directly for the teaching package.