Coping with Test Anxiety
Supplemental Instruction by Ms. Andrea Haymond-Tang
The information available through this site is inteded to assist students in becoming effective and efficient learners. The pages were adapted from material presetned at two websites: www.academictips.org and www.studygs.net. If you are interested in obtaining additional help, you might visit either of those two sites or perhaps two others: www.studyguidezone.com/resource_tips.htm and www.studytips.org.
General Exam Tips
Answering Multiple Choice Questions
Answering True-False Questions
Answering Essay Questions
Answering Short Answer Questions
Taking Open Book Exams
Preparing for Emergency Exams
Coping with Test Anxiety
Note Taking Strategies
Active Listening
Coping with Test Anxiety
Test anxiety consists of intrusive thoughts that disrupt your ability to focus on the exam. It's important to know that test anxiety is a normal occurrence that can happen to anyone and everyone. If you experience it, you're not alone. The trick is to learn how to deal with it effectively and in a way that allows you to focus properly on the test. Here are some tips:
Before the Exam:
1. Be prepared - study well ahead of time and know the material.
2. Get a good night of sleep the night before.
3. Go into the exam with a confident mind-set.
4. Eat something healthy, like fresh fruit or vegetables, before the exam. These kinds of foods are recommended for reducing stress. The sugar in fresh fruit will also help balance out the blood sugar in your brain, allowing it to function better.
5. Allow yourself plenty of time before the test to do what you need to do and still get there a little early. Feeling rushed and being late will only add stress, not reduce it.
6. Do something that relaxes you before the exam.
7. Don't try to do a last minute cram session. Odds are that this will only increase stress.
During the Exam:
1. Read the directions carefully.
2. Budget your time.
3. Get comfortable.
4. If you come to a question you don't know the answer to, skip it and come back to it later.
5. If the exam is an essay one and your mind goes blank for all of it, choose a question and start writing. Doing so may trigger the answer in your mind.
6. Do not panic when other students begin handing in their exams. Just because they're done before you does not mean they're smarter or going to get a reward for being first.
If you know you have a difficult time with test anxiety, a few weeks before the exam, talk with your instructor about it. He/she may be able to offer advice or suggestions that can either help ease your mind about the exam itself, or provide you with additional information on the exam material.
If you're still struggling with test anxiety, consider going to the Student Health Clinic on campus. The staff there can talk with you in detail about stress reduction methods and other things that can help you.