Test anxiety
What is test anxiety?
Have you ever felt nervous before taking a quiz or a test? If you’ve experienced this sensation, you have experienced test anxiety. Test anxiety can impact your ability to perform well on your exams.
Test anxiety can manifest in both physical and psychological ways. You may experience your palms or feet get sweaty, feel lightheaded, or sick to your stomach.¹ You are not alone in your experience! Continue reading to learn some strategies to manage your anxious feelings before a test.
How can you manage test anxiety?
Before the exam
- Review test taking strategies well before your test.
- Study early to avoid cramming sessions.
- Use tutoring services or talk to your instructor if you need help.
- Learn as much as you can about the format of your test. This can alleviate some stress about what the test will be like. It can help you develop a plan on how much time to allot per section.² For example, does your test consist of multiple choice, True/False, and fill in the blank questions? Is it mostly short or long answers?
- Get a good night of sleep the night before the exam.
Day of the exam
- Make sure to eat a good meal.
- Arrive for the exam early.
- Ignore what others are doing. If you get distracted during the exam, pick a seat where you won’t be visually distracted by other classmates’ progress.²
- Learn breathing techniques or quick meditations that you can do anywhere.¹
- Be kind to yourself. If you notice negative self talk, interrupt it and flip the script. Instead of “I am a bad test taker” change it to “I’ve got this!”¹
After the exam
- Once you’ve turned in your exam, take a break. You can’t change anything on the exam so don’t beat yourself up over it.¹
- Once you receive your results, review the answers. If you’re not sure why you got something wrong, talk to the instructor so you’re able to make improvements for your next exam.
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