Why You Don’t Have to Suffer from Test Anxiety

Test anxiety is one of those things that those who have it think is hopeless; there’s nothing they can do about it.  They’ll say things like “I know the material; I’m just not a good test-taker.”  The truth, though, is that there are strategies you can use that will help you overcome test anxiety.

Before we examine these strategies, let’s take a look at what test anxiety is. Put simply, it’s a kind of performance anxiety.  Performance anxiety is a recognized condition wherein a person performs poorly at the very thing he’s worried about.  This worry triggers adrenaline, and this adrenaline rush locks up critical thinking functions, including remembering and problem-solving.  That’s why test anxiety is so prevalent. Most people have an important test that causes much worry.  This worrying becomes self-defeating, since it sets the processes into motion that will cause you to forget much of the information that you’ve studied.

Does it still sound hopeless to you?  Relax:  We’re coming to the good part. There are several good strategies that will help you beat the enemy of test anxiety. Here are nine of the best ones.

1)    The first and most obvious way to fight test anxiety is to make sure that you’re well-prepared for the exam.  Knowing that you’re ready for the test builds confidence.  Since test anxiety happens because of the adrenaline rush caused by fear, you’re less likely to have this adrenaline rush when you’re prepared for the test.  In other words, confidence will kill anxiety.

2)    This next one is related to the first one: One effective way of getting rid of anxiety is to take several practice tests before the real thing.  Why? Because when you see that you are doing well on these practice versions, your confidence will rise.  This will once again overcome test anxiety.

3)    Get rid of stress by preparing your body.  What does this mean?  Several things:  First, begin exercising, especially during the week or two before the exam.  Also, eat a healthy diet, since this helps to keep your brain alert. Finally, make sure that the day before the test, you get plenty of rest.

4)    Think positive thoughts.  Remember that test anxiety comes about because of adrenaline released when you fear the possible outcome.  In other words, it all starts in your thoughts.  This means you should refuse to engage in negative self-talk.  Tell yourself, instead, all the reasons that you should do well. (“I’ve studied for two weeks, it’s my favorite subject, I usually do well on tests,” and so on)

5)    Avoid some of the very things that you think will help you on study nights. For instance, many people decide that, in order to stay up late studying, they’ll stay alert by drinking lots of coffee, drinking energy drinks, or taking caffeine pills. The problem is that these things tend to make you jittery.  If those “jitters” stay with you when you enter the testing room, it’s likely to exacerbate test anxiety.  Instead, drink water or juice—and get a good night’s sleep.

6)    Organize everything that you’ll need for the nest, before you go to bed. Make sure you set the alarm.  It’s important that your day starts off right. If you find yourself scrambling to find everything at the last minute, you’ll go into the testing room already stressed out.

7)    If the questions look harder than you’d expected, scan through the test to find the items that you can do easily. Do these first, both to save your time, and also to give yourself confidence that you can do this.  That confidence might help remind you of some of the other answers that your anxiety was at first blocking.

8)    Some people have reported success with scheduling mini-breaks during the test.  Simply put, tackle several questions for about 10 minutes, then take a minute to rest your eyes and practice some breathing exercises. Then go another 10  minutes followed by another mini-break, and so on.

9)    Finally, let’s talk about anxiety during essay portions.  If you find your mind blank, just start writing.  Often, the process of writing will trigger something in your brain and make you start remembering things.  The other important consideration is to make an outline for your essay.  This helps you organize your thoughts, so that when your brain freezes, you’ll have an easy guide to get you back on track.

Bottom line:  You don’t have to feel like a helpless victim of test anxiety.  By practicing these nine steps, you can feel confident as you tackle your exam. And that confidence will be your ticket to a higher grade.