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Dealing with Test
Anxiety
Most students
experience some level of anxiety
during an exam
However, when anxiety affects exam
performance it has become a problem.
General
preparation/building confidence:
Review your personal situation
and skills
Academic counselors can help you in
these areas, or refer to our Guides
on the topic:
- Developing good study habits
and strategies (a
link to our directory)
- Managing time
(dealing with procrastination,
distractions, laziness)
- Organizing material to be
studied and learned
Take a step by step approach to
build a strategy and not get
overwhelmed
- Outside pressures
success/failure consequences
(grades, graduation), peer
pressure, competitiveness, etc.
- Reviewing your past
performance on tests
to improve and learn from
experience
Test preparation to
reduce anxiety:
- Approach the exam with
confidence:
Use whatever strategies you can
to personalize success:
vizualization, logic, talking to
your self, practice, team work,
journaling, etc.
View the exam as an opportunity
to show how much you've studied
and to receive a reward for the
studying you've done
- Be prepared!
Learn your material thoroughly
and organize what materials you
will need for the test. Use a
checklist
- Choose a comfortable
location for taking the test
with good lighting and minimal
distractions
- Allow yourself plenty of
time,
especially to do things you need
to do before the test and still
get there a little early
- Avoid thinking you need to
cram just before
- Strive for a relaxed state
of concentration
Avoid speaking with any fellow
students who have not prepared,
who express negativity, who will
distract your preparation
- A program of exercise
is said to sharpen the mind
- Get a good night's sleep
the night before the exam
- Don't go to the exam with an
empty stomach
Fresh fruits and vegetables are
often recommended to reduce
stress.
Stressful foods can include
processed foods, artificial
sweeteners, carbonated soft
drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried
foods, junk foods, pork, red
meat, sugar, white flour
products, chips and similar
snack foods, foods containing
preservatives or heavy spices
- Take a small snack, or some
other nourishment
to help take your mind off of
your anxiety.
Avoid high sugar content (candy)
which may aggravate your
condition
During the
test:
- Read the directions
carefully
- Budget your test taking time
- Change positions to help you
relax
- If you go blank, skip the
question and go on
- If you're taking an essay
test
and you go blank on the whole
test, pick a question and start
writing. It may trigger the
answer in your mind
- Don't panic
when students start handing in
their papers. There's no reward
for being the first done
If you find yourself tensing
and getting anxious during the test
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