Overcoming Test Anxiety
Everyone feels anxious before a test. Taking a test can, and often does produce a stressful
situation called "test anxiety." Test anxiety is a special, intense kind of nervousness that arises
from the total test situation. Often, test anxiety arises from pressure to get, good grades, fear
of failure, and most often lack of preparation.
Students with test anxiety experience various physical and emotional symptoms while taking
an exam. The most common symptom is a feeling of intense anxiety, better known as “panic.”
When this happens your ability to think is immediately disrupted, your brain begins to “freeze
up” and it becomes extremely difficult to concentrate.
Forgetting information previously learned, rereading test questions several times before
understanding them, difficulty concentrating and physical discomfort like nausea, rapid pulse,
and excessive perspiration are also common symptoms of test anxiety.
However, worrying and stressing about tests won't help, because they are inevitable. Most
college students have to take tests whether they like it or not. Luckily, there are some
techniques that may help you deal with test anxiety. The first step in dealing with anxiety is to
be well-prepared for your exam and to develop a positive attitude about test taking.
Techniques for Overcoming Test Anxiety
Most test anxiety is caused by under preparedness. You put off studying until the last minute,
or you are not sure what to study. You may even feel you don't need to study. Whatever the
reason, if you are not prepared for a test, you are a prime candidate for test anxiety.
However, learning and practicing the following techniques can help you conquer test related
anxiety.

Be Well Prepared for the test
In other words, don’t wait until the day before the test to start studying. It is important to
spread your review over several days instead of trying to cram it all in at the last minute.

Include as much Self-Testing in your review as possible
Using note cards to learn specific concepts or formulas can be very helpful.

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Get enough sleep, good nutrition, exercise, some personal "down" time, and a reasonable
amount of social interaction.

Think Positively
As you anticipate the exam. Say to yourself, "I can do OK on this exam. I've studied and I
know my stuff."

Stop Negative Thoughts
Engage in "Thought Stopping." If you find that you are worrying a lot, mentally comparing
yourself to your peers, or thinking about what others may say about your performance on
this exam, STOP IT! The time you waste comparing yourself to others, is better spent
studying for the exam.
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
Get Organized
Before you go to bed on the night before the exam, make sure to collect together anything
that you will need for the exam -- pen, pencil, ruler, eraser, calculator, etc. Double check
the time of the exam and the location.

Get Plenty of Rest
Set the alarm clock and then get a good night's sleep before the exam.

Be on Time
Get to the exam on time - not too late but not too early.

Don't Talk to Other Students
Never discuss the exam material just before going into the exam. Doing so, will just make
you more nervous.

Find your Perfect Seat
Sit in a location in the exam room where you will be distracted as little as possible.
If you don’t need to see the board, often sitting in a back corner of the room, is the best
place to sit. As other students leave the room, the noise and distractions move away from
you, instead of towards you.

Stay Calm
As the papers are distributed, calm yourself down by taking some slow deep breaths.

Read Instructions Carefully
Make sure to carefully read any instructions on the exam. If it’s OK to write on the exam, jot
down any formulas, definitions, etc. This frees your brain. In other words, once the
formulas are on paper, your brain can concentrate on solving the formulas, instead of
memorizing the formulas.

Keep your Focus
As you work on the exam, focus only on the exam, not on what other students are doing or
on thinking about past exams or future goals.

Encourage Yourself
Stay motivated If you feel very anxious in the exam, take a few minutes to calm yourself
down. Stretch your arms and legs and then relax them again. Do this a couple of times.
Take a few slow deep breaths. Do some positive internal self-talk; say to yourself, "I will be
OK, I can do this." Then direct your focus on questions; link questions to their
corresponding lecture and/or chapter.

Don’t Let the Tough Answers Get You Down
If the exam is more difficult than you anticipated, try to focus and just do your best. It might
be enough to get you through, even with a reasonable grade!

Give Yourself Credit for a Job Well Done
When the exam is over, treat yourself. If you don't have any other commitments,
maybe you can go to a movie with a friend. If you have to study for other exams, you may
have to postpone a larger break, but a brief break can be the pick up that you need.
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