Conquer Test-taking Anxiety!

I go through test taking anxiety every single time I am taking an exam. This feeling is something which helped me in preparing for my exam more but it has also made me do bad in my exams. And it is the worst feeling in the world. Every time I have to take a test I go through so much stress that it’s unbelievable. So I tried to follow some steps which I think helped me so want to share them with everyone who go through this.

What is test-taking anxiety?

Test anxiety is a combination of physical symptoms and emotional reactions that interfere with your ability to perform well on tests. Many students experience varying levels of test anxiety for a number of difference reasons. It could cause from a history of poor test taking. If someone is unprepared of an exam, afraid of exam etc. The stress over the test produces the body’s “fight or flight” response. Our body releases adrenaline, and the energy used to do good thinking gets diverted into being on high alert. Our brains prepare for the worst, and it becomes all too difficult to imagine doing well and to answer questions.

Sometimes a little bit of nervousness can actually be helpful, making you feel mentally alert and ready to tackle the challenges presented in an exam. But excessive fear can make it difficult to concentrate and you might struggle to recall things that you have studied. You might feel like all the information you spent some much time reviewing suddenly seems inaccessible in your mind. Sometimes this stress can even make people sick.

What are are the symptoms of test-taking anxiety?

There are few types of symptoms people face if they suffer from test-taking anxiety.

Emotional symptoms: fear, anger, feeling helpless, guilt, shame, disappointment

Cognitive and behavioral symptoms: comparing yourself to others, difficulty concentrating, blanking out, negative thoughts of past performances

Physical symptoms: nausea, racing heart, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, headache, dizziness, dry mouth, tense muscles. Sometimes people experiencing intense test anxiety are at increased risk of having a panic attack.

Ways to overcome test-taking anxiety

1. Practice: Many people don’t begin to prepare for a test in adequate time because the fear of failure is overwhelming to them. Give yourself permission to make mistakes as you prepare for the exam. Also, time yourself when preparing for exams.
2. Avoid negative thoughts: People with test anxiety tend to assume the worst about an upcoming exam, so take some time to examine and challenge those thoughts.
3. Rest: People usually tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves and study overnight and forget about resting. But it is very important to rest and sleep before exam as sleep helps with concentration and memory.
4. Take deep breaths: whenever someone is feeling anxious, taking deep breaths or meditation helps a lot with that.
5. Ask for Help: Sometimes this anxiety can get out of hand and in that case never hesitate to ask for help in managing test anxiety.
6. Avoid the perfectionist trap: Don’t expect to be perfect. We all make mistakes and that’s okay. Knowing you’ve done your best and worked hard is really all that matters, not perfection.

Hope this help you overcome your test-taking anxiety!