Tips for Managing Test Anxiety

A little nervousness before a test is normal and can help sharpen your mind and focus your attention. But with test anxiety, feelings of worry and self-doubt can interfere with your test-taking performance and can lead to racing thoughts, an inability to concentrate, or physical symptoms, such as an increased heart rate, headaches, or nausea. Test anxiety can affect anyone, including primary or secondary school students, college students, or employees who take tests for career advancement or certification.

Here are some strategies that may help reduce your test anxiety:

1. Be prepared. Prepare as thoroughly as possible. This will help you feel more confident going into the exam. To help you prepare, learn study techniques and practice the material throughout the semester. For example, learn to make charts and outlines that organize information.
2. Practice under similar conditions. To help you recall information you need at test time, spend time studying in spaces arranged similarly to testing space (e.g., at desk/on computer) and under similar time constraints.
3. Learn test-taking strategies. Coming into the exam with test-taking strategies can reduce anxiety. For example: 1) For Essay Questions, construct an outline to organize your information, 2) For Short-Answer Questions, answer only what is asked and keep it short and to the point, 3) For Multiple Choice Questions, read all alternatives then eliminate those that are incorrect, and watch for qualifying words such as “only”, “always”, and “most”.
4. Establish a consistent pretest routine.Learn what works for you, and follow the same steps each time you get ready to take a test. This will ease your stress level and help ensure that you’re well-prepared.
5. Learn relaxation techniques.To help you stay calm and confident right before and during the test, perform relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing (or belly breathing), relaxing your muscles one at a time (progressive muscle relaxation), or closing your eyes and imagining a positive outcome. To help relax tight muscles, you can also stretch, stand up, or walk around. Deep breathing can slow down a beating heart or a racing mind, so practice these techniques at home. The very act of concentrating on breathing can biometrically alter anxious feelings.
6. Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is directly related to academic performance. Pulling an all-nighter can exacerbate your nerves. Having adequate rest (7-9 hours per night) is likely to be more beneficial than cramming extra hours.
7. Fuel up. Your brain needs fuel to function. Eat the day of the test and drink plenty of water. Avoid sugary drinks such as sodas, which can cause your blood sugar to peak and then drop, or caffeinated beverages such as energy drinks or coffee, which can increase anxiety. Try to eat foods that offer a steady stream of nutrients, rather than a sugar high followed by a crash.
8. Get some exercise. Regular aerobic exercise and exercising on exam day can release tension.
9. Get to class—or the testing site—early. Feeling rushed will only amp up the anxiety. Pack everything you need for the exam the night before, and set the alarm so you can get out the door on time. If possible, choose a seat that is comfortable and away from distractions
10. Have a positive mental attitude. Visualize or bring a picture of something that brings you joy or come up with a morale-boosting mantra like “I can do this” or “I worked hard and deserve this” to replace negative thoughts. Visualize or peek at your picture or recite your mantra right before the test begins. You can also focus on inanimate, calming objects, such as a pen or a stone you can carry with you.
11. Read carefully. Read the directions thoroughly and read all answers before making a choice or starting the essay. This can reduce the chance of misreading a question. Slowing down can help you stay focused.
12. Just start. The blank page can maximize your anxiety. After you’ve read the directions, dive right in by making an outline for an essay answer. Or, find some questions you can ace to build up your confidence and momentum. You can always go back and change things later if needed, but a few quick answers can get the ball rolling.
13. Don’t pay attention to what other people are doing. Pay attention to your own test and pace, and try to forget about the other students in the room. Think of the exam as an opportunity to show off what you know (which may be more than you first think).
14. Plan your time. Realizing that time is almost up and there are lots of test questions left can make it hard to do anything useful in those final minutes. Stay on pace by reading all of the directions first and scoping out the whole test before getting started. Mentally allocate how much time you’ll spend on each section. If there’s time to recheck, even better.
15. See a professional counselor, if necessary. Talk therapy (psychotherapy) with a psychologist or other mental health professional can help you work through feelings, thoughts and behaviors that cause or worsen anxiety. Contact the Counseling Center or an outside organization for this kind of support.

Adapted from www.princetonreview.com; www.mayoclinic.org