For students who suffer from test anxiety, it can be helpful to use anxiety-reduction techniques both before and during the exam. In the days or weeks leading up to the exam, try the following test anxiety strategies.
Try To Keep Things in Perspective
When you’re experiencing exam-related anxiety, it might seem as though a single test has the power to influence your entire future. It’s helpful to put things into perspective. Yes, it’s important to do well in school, but a single exam — or even a single class — doesn’t necessarily determine your future.
If you’re finding it difficult to put things into perspective, try this simple mental game. Take a piece of paper and a pen and jot down a list of negative things that will happen to you if you score less than 100% on your exam. (For example, will you get kicked out of school if you score only 99%, or will you fail to land your dream job if your grade on this exam isn’t perfect?)
Having trouble coming up with anything negative that is reasonably likely to come true if you don’t score 100%? Exactly! That’s the point of this mental exercise — to remind yourself that it isn’t necessary to be perfect to do well in school. You don’t need to get a perfect grade every single time; you only need to do well.
Practice Various Stress Reduction Techniques
Stress reduction techniques can be very helpful for anxious college students. You may need to try a few to find what works for you. Visualization, meditation, listening to calming music and deep breathing can all be effective test anxiety strategies. It’s ideal to practice your chosen stress reduction technique on a daily basis.
Set aside a few minutes at least once daily to practice it. Daily practice will help you use it more effectively on exam day.
Prepare Thoroughly for Your Upcoming Test
Some people develop anxiety because of a perceived lack of control. To put yourself back in the driver’s seat and give yourself a boost of self-confidence, you should prepare thoroughly for your exams.
Your professor may indicate the dates of exams on your syllabus. This will give you plenty of time to develop a study schedule leading up to the exam. Set aside time each day to review your class notes, handouts and other materials.
It’s more effective to study for a shorter time each day than to have very long study sessions once or twice per week. If you’re having trouble with the material, visit your professor’s office during office hours to discuss it. You should also take advantage of any tutoring services your college may offer.
Not everyone has the same study preferences. Some people do best when studying by themselves in a quiet, distraction-free environment, while others find that they retain information better when they discuss the class material with their peers. Try attending a few study groups and studying by yourself to figure out which approach is likely to work best for you.
Even if you prefer studying in solitude, it can be helpful to get together with a few classmates now and then. These don’t necessarily need to be people in the same class as you. This is because you’ll want to teach the material you’re studying to your classmates and vice versa.
When you teach the class material to other people, you’re more likely to retain that information for yourself.3 Plus, teaching your peers about the concepts you’re studying can enhance your self-confidence and make you realize that you have a firm grasp of the material.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep Before the Exam and Every Night
Getting enough sleep is one of the most impactful things you can do to support your academic performance, including your test-taking performance. Sleep is crucial for memory formation, and not getting enough quality sleep can lead to cognitive impairments.4
It’s important to prioritize your sleep every night so that your study sessions are more effective, you retain more information during classes and you do better during exams. Avoid all-night study sessions because these will do more harm than good. Instead, set aside a reasonable amount of time each day to study leading up to your exams and try to get to bed at about the same time every night.
Treat Your Body To Healthy Nutrition and Less Caffeine
It can be hard to focus on a test when you’re hungry. Eat a healthy meal before your exam. Try to limit your intake of simple carbohydrates, sugar and caffeine. You may get a rush of energy from these substances, but it will be followed by an energy crash — and that’s not helpful during exam time.
Make Plans To Do Something Fun Afterward
Another effective way how to deal with test anxiety is to reward yourself afterward. You can make plans to do something fun following your exam so you’ll have something to look forward to. When you start to feel a little anxious, try to shift your focus to your post-exam plans.
Take a Longer Walk on Your Way to Class
Students who experience exam-related anxiety might feel like they have lots of nervous energy, especially on exam day. If that describes you, it can be helpful to take a longer route to the classroom. If you live off campus, park much farther away than usual.
Listen to some calming music while you walk and practice deep breathing. Remember to give yourself extra time to get to your class. You’ll want to arrive a little early, but not so early that you begin to get nervous while waiting for the class to start.
