Fighting Test Anxiety

Test Anxiety SOS
By
Board Certified Coach

Fighting test anxiety isn't an impossible battle. By learning some effective stress management techniques, you can bring your anxiety down to a productive level that will help you achieve maximum success on your test.

Test Anxiety Isn't Always Bad

Many people think that any level of anxiety before an exam will cause them to perform poorly. This is not true. Actually, some anxiety can help you do better than having no nervousness at all. Having a manageable amount of anxiousness can motivate you to think harder on questions. Without pressure, you may choose answers that may be wrong because you don't have enough initiative to really think about the question. With the appropriate amount of anxiety, you fear that you will get the answer wrong so you take more time in picking the right response.

The problem lies in knowing how much anxiety is productive for you. Everyone's anxiety is different so there are no specifics on how much nervousness you should experience before an exam to score well on it. The only way you can gauge how much stress you should have before a test is to ask yourself if your anxiety is manageable.

How to Know if Your Anxiety Is Counterproductive

Before your exam, you may know that you have anxiety, but you may not realize how bad it is until you get the test material in front of you and you forget all the information you studied. To prevent this from happening, it's important to realize at what level your stress is, and then work to reduce it.

Ask yourself these questions to find out if your anxiety is counterproductive to scoring well on the test.

  • Do you feel so ill that you don't know how you will be able to sit through the exam?
  • Are your nerves so bad that you are shaking?
  • Envision yourself taking the test. Pay attention to your heart rate and breathing. Have either of them increased and do you have a hard time catching your breath? Are you dizzy? Do you feel nauseated?
  • Are you contemplating cheating on the test to relieve some of the pressure?

Tips for Fighting Test Anxiety

If you answered yes to any of the questions for counterproductive anxiety in exam taking, stress management techniques and tips may help you reduce your nervousness so you are able to competently take the test.

  • Eat well before the exam.
  • If exercise helps you de-stress, try to get a workout in before you need to go take your exam. Don't overdo it because you may tire yourself out too much and not be able to concentrate.
  • Do not pull an all-nighter to study. Instead, set time aside to study so that you are still able to get at least seven hours sleep the night before your test.
  • Watch your caffeine intake because it will make you feel more nervous.
  • Stay away from energy drinks and other products that promise alertness. You may be alert to study but you may crash when it's time to take the exam.
  • Pay attention to your breathing. If it starts to accelerate or you feel as though you can't catch your breath, take a moment to count breathes. This will slow down your physiological responses to stress and slow down your breathing.
  • To calm down your heart rate and lower your blood pressure, visualize being in a place that makes you feel calm. This can be at home laid out on your couch or lounging at the beach.
  • Socialize with friends so you can release some of the tension. Try not to discuss the information you are about to be tested on, just enjoy their company.
  • If your muscles are tense, sit or lie down and close your eyes. Focus on each muscle group starting from either your head or your feet. Tighten each muscle group and then release. Play some peaceful music in the background to help you release the tension.
  • If thinking about the material you studied increases your stress, try thought blocking. This is when you don't allow your mind to think of unpleasant things by telling yourself to STOP and engaging yourself in a hobby or doing something else that takes concentration.
  • Do something relaxing such as taking a bath, meditating or reading a book.
  • Vent about your nervousness to a friend or family member. Sometimes letting it out can release the pressure.
  • Be prepared. Many times, people experience stress because they know they aren't ready to take the exam. Don't cheat yourself by not learning the course material. This means taking adequate time to study without it interfering in activities that promote health such as sleeping, eating, and exercising.
  • If time limits stress you out, some instructors will allow you to take the exam at another time, which would allow you to use as much time as you need. Discuss any special circumstances with your instructor.

Changing Your Perception about Taking Exams

Many people experience a great deal of stress because of their perceptions of exams. They attribute too much worth in the exam, when in actuality, it's only one measure of how well they know the information. While sometimes one test can dictate how well you do in a particular course, or whether or not you are granted a job, it's not the end of the world if you do poorly on it. It just means that either you need more help in learning the information or you are inappropriate for that position. Putting things into perspective will help you tremendously when fighting test anxiety.

By caring for yourself, lowering your nervousness with stress management techniques and changing your perception, you will be able to fight test anxiety so that you can achieve a score that reflects your true understanding of the material.