Tackling Test Anxiety

Prepare thoroughly for the exam.

Give your all in preparing. Knowing that you gave adequate time and effort to preparing for the exam can reduce your anxiety as you walk into the test. This may include:

• Know the test format and content
• Create a study plan and complete study guides
• Join a study group
• Use tutoring
• Talk with professionals, mentors, or professors in the field to make sure you understand the information
• Talk to peers who have taken the test before and ask for recommendations on how to prep for the test

Make a Study Schedule and Avoid Cramming.

Don’t listen to those who say they only studied right before the exam; cramming is not the most effective or only way to prepare for an exam! Although some find cramming motivating, it can also cause an overload of stress.

• Use a calendar to block off study times, working backward from the date of the test
• Treat study times as protected times that cannot be usurped by other tasks like napping or watching the latest HBO saga
• Aim to spread your studying out across weeks (maybe even months), building upon what you have mastered and learned each study session
• Give yourself time to review
• Overestimate the time you will need to study, rather than underestimate
• Sometimes studying with a group helps hold you accountable for keeping a set time in your schedule

Keep Study and Test Environments Similar.

In general, learning happens best when you learn information in many different environments. However, it can be a helpful tool for jogging your memory during a test if you use conditioned stimuli while studying. In other words, keep conditions as much the same as possible while you are studying as on the test day. For example, wear the same shirt or clothing during your study sessions as on the test day.

Engage in Movement/ Exercise.

Exercise helps in several ways: increasing the feel-good endorphins that combat anxiety and depression, burning off excess energy, and providing time to set aside general stress by focusing only on the task at hand.

• Find movement and exercise that you love (e.g., yoga, tai-chi, running, break-dancing, etc.), not something that is a burden to you

• Aim for movement that increases your heart rate

• Pencil-in exercise time in advance that is protected time (just like your study time)
• Use a few minutes at the end of your exercise time to think about the test and practice positive thinking so that you associate the test with feel-good endorphins and positivity

Get Sleep.

Sleep tends to be the first thing that people sacrifice when they are strapped for time. However, sleep is essential for retaining information, concentration, and regulating stress- all things you will need prior to and on test day!

• Set a consistent sleep schedule for the length of time you are studying for the test (aim for about 8 hours of sleep per night)

• Although you will be tempted to review as much information as possible prior to the test, do not let this mini-cram session impact you getting the number of hours of sleep you need to function just before test-day
• Create a relaxing sleep routine to help you fall and stay asleep (e.g., no electronics for the half hour prior to sleep, drink a relaxing tea like chamomile, eliminate caffeine from early afternoon on, get in comfortable pajamas, and practice deep breathing)

Focus on Getting Good Nutrition.

Just like sleep, nutrition tends to be sacrificed for something fast, easy, and yummy when people are busy. Many times, these foods are the opposite of good nutrition.

• Really focus on getting good daily nutrition during your study-prep time as it aids with brain function, energy, and concentration
• Aim for Omega-3’s, foods high in antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, and quality proteins
• Rather than focusing on changing your whole diet or depriving yourself of foods, practice incorporating nutritious foods into your diet daily
• Ideal foods that increase memory include:

Identify Negative Thinking and Practice Thinking Positively.

It is important to think positively about the test because it increases your sense of control and reduces anxiety. Negative thinking can undermine your confidence and reduce motivation as you prepare for and take the test.

• Pump yourself up with encouraging statements like, “I can do this!” and “I’ve got this!”

• Put encouragers on a post-it note and put it on your mirror, in your studying notebook, or in your car where you can see it everyday

• Find inspiring quotes that speak to your test-taking journey

• Listen to inspiring or energizing music routinely

• Monitor the thoughts you are having related to the test, yourself, and/or your abilities. Then ask yourself, “Is this thought helping me? Is this thought really true?” If it’s not helpful or entirely true, practice exchanging that thought with a thought that is helpful and positive (even if you don’t believe it at first). The more you practice, the better you will get at it. Here are some examples:

Example. If I fail this test, I will never get the nursing certification. ➜ Actually, if I fail this test, I can take it again in 90 days.

Example. It doesn’t matter how much I study, I will probably fail the test. ➜ Actually, I will follow my study plan and get the support I need, and this will help me pass this test.

Example. If I fail this test, it reflects on me, and everyone will be so disappointed in me. ➜ Actually, this is just one test and it doesn’t take away any of my prior accomplishments. My friends and family won’t see me differently because of this one test. I will just try again and they will be proud when I do pass this test.

Strive for a Relaxed State of Concentration While Studying.

The more you practice being relaxed when you are not stressed, the more you are able to relax during key times when you are anxious (such as during the real test). Routinely practice the following:

• As you sit down to study, take long, deep breaths in through your nose and imagine your belly is a balloon that you are filling with air, then breathe out through your mouth. Take more deep breaths in the middle of your study time, and then again at the end

• Listen to soothing, relaxing music during study times. Listen to this on the way to the test and think of those melodies during the test. Take some time during studying to visualize a relaxing, peaceful scene

• Stretch and breathe deeply while studying and during the test
• Practice taking a deep breath as you transition from study topic to study topic as this could be a good mental reset that you can also use during the test as you move from question to question on the actual test

Routinely Engage in Relaxing Activities.

The best way to combat test anxiety is not to try to reduce anxiety, but rather to focus on increasing relaxation. Routinely incorporate relaxing activities into your week, such as the following:

• Deep Breathing

• Massages

• Remind yourself to “SLOW DOWN” in daily activities as moving fast increases adrenaline and anxiety

• Go do something fun (e.g., movie, hang out with friends)

• Use your senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing to mindfully do an activity (For example, rub lotion onto your hands slowly and notice the smell and feel of the lotion. Eat a treat slowly while noticing the flavor, texture, and smell of the treat.)

• Go for a walk or swim
• Read a good book
• Take relaxing bubble baths

Reward Yourself.

Think of test preparation and managing test anxiety as a marathon, rather than a sprint. In this marathon, you are working very hard and incorporating many study sessions into your already busy lives. Give yourself rewards along the way to stay motivated and honor the work you are putting into mastering this test. Some people think they should only reward themselves if and when they pass the test. Challenge this thought and provide rewards more liberally.

• Reward yourself during your scheduled study times with a guaranteed treat after you finish studying (e.g., food, nap, a set number of Netflix shows)

• Get yourself to study by drinking your favorite beverage or having your favorite snack while you study

• Plan larger scale rewards for a solid effort of studying (e.g., massage after a week of study, buying a new outfit after studying)

• Sit down and list out anything you can think of to reward yourself from small to big and use this list to chart out your rewards.
• Plan what your big reward will be for test-day after your take the test, no matter the outcome

Know Thyself.

Understanding what contributes to your test anxiety is a very important component to reducing the anxiety. One way to get in touch with your anxious roots is to engage in some self-reflection. This insight-oriented work helps you know yourself and provides insight into your difficulties, which is a necessary step for behavior change:

• On a piece of paper, write your thoughts and feelings that come to mind when you think about your upcoming test. Don’t censor; it is important to be honest.
• Ponder the following: Are there concepts you worry you’ll forget? What are your fears associated with the test? What are your hopes with this test? Do you experience any learning struggles, if so, what? Are taking tests difficult for you? Do you have any previous traumatic experiences with test taking? When did your test aversions begin? Do you experience anxiety for all tests or tests that are only content specific (e.g., only on math tests) or format-specific (e.g., essay tests only)?
• Now, examine what you wrote. Are you surprised by your answers? Are there any easy-fixes to your answers (e.g., increasing study efforts for specific content areas, finding out more about the test taking environment, discussing with your supervisor the impact of passing/failing on your career … etc). If so, start combatting those quickly to peel away some of the anxiety build up.

Visualize Test Day.

We largely fear the unknown. Visualizing what the test will be like can help the unknown become known, and thus less scary. Close your eyes and visualize what the testing experience will be like from start to finish, including driving there. Engage in slow deep breathing and positive thinking as you visualize the scene. The more often you visualize yourself taking the test and using your relaxation techniques, the more likely you’ll actually be relaxed during the real test.

• Try to tour the test facility (or watch the video on the website that shows the testing facilities) and know the test format to more accurately visualize the scene
• Imagine yourself doing well
• Imagine yourself becoming panicky and using your relaxation skills to calm down and continue on to do well
• Imagine yourself seeing the results that you passed. What will you think, say, or do?
• Imagine yourself seeing the results that you did not pass. What will you think, say, or do?

Set the Stage for Success.

• After a good night’s sleep, wake up and do something relaxing like taking a long warm shower, going for a run, and deep breathing
• Eat a nutritious breakfast from the good food list above so that you have energy and are not hungry and distracted during the test. You may be nervous, so keep it light and take a snack
• Review just a little bit of material prior to the test so that you can jog your memory and activate the area of your brain related to everything nursing
• Approach the test with confidence and listen to music on the way to the exam to help you get energized and/ or relaxed
• Say positive things to yourself: “I’ve prepped as much as I can,” “I will do my best,” “I get a treat after the test!”
• Arrive to the testing site well in advance. You will already be anxious and don’t want to add anxiety about being late or not finding the site. Arriving early gives extra time for working through nerves
• Wear a comfortable outfit you have been studying in
• Drink water to help stay hydrated as anxiety can make your mouth go dry

Use Smart Test-taking Strategies.

• Encourage yourself to “Go Slowly” to reduce anxiety and eliminate careless mistakes
• Read the directions carefully
• Skip a question you don’t know and come back to the question later. This is especially helpful if you blank on something due to anxiety
• Budget your test-taking time

Practice Self-Care and Relaxation During the Test.

Expect that you will experience anxiety. Anxiety does not mean you are not ready or that you will fail. It just means you are human and care about passing this test. Just remember what you’ve been practicing to manage it. Refocus on your coping strategies.

• Breathe deeply
• Close your eyes as needed to “reset”
• Move around in your chair and stretch to relieve tension and increase concentration
• Remind yourself that after your test, you will be getting a reward that you predetermined
• Think about something supportive someone you love might say to you when you feel anxious
• Think positively
• Take a mid-test break to eat a snack and rehydrate if you are feeling fatigued, even if that means that the test clock will continue to run for a few minutes while you reset through a break

Expect Anxiety.

Know that anxiety after the test is normal. Experiencing anxiety after test day is just as normal as experiencing anxiety prior to test day, even though you might assume that your anxiety would be all gone. Expecting it can help you tolerate it better.

Schedule Time to Worry and then Distract Yourself.

It is common to replay parts of the test and wonder about which questions your answered correctly or incorrectly. This can get exhausting and sometimes people will start to assume they answered something incorrectly (even though they were actually correct). Especially if you didn’t pass the test, this anxiety (along with disappointment) can become intense.

• Remind yourself that you did your best at the time and hindsight is 20/20
• Limit your worry time to a specific time frame (e.g., 30-40 minutes) and then do something distracting
• Remind yourself that you cannot remember the exact question or phrase, so don’t assume you answered something incorrectly

Talk about the experience with supportive friends, family, and co-workers.

Talking about the test with others can help you process what the experience was like. Review with them what parts went well, how you managed your anxiety, and the parts that did not go so well.

Reward yourself.

Make good on the reward you promised yourself, no matter the outcome

Get extra rest.

Taking a test drains our energy, so be sure to get extra rest, comfort, and relaxation

Examine the effectiveness of your study strategies.

One way to judge the effectiveness of your studying is to compare your scores from when you started studying to your scores a month or two later. If there are no improvements, perhaps you aren’t addressing the material appropriately, which in turn may be creating anxiety and poor test performance. To aid in your study strategies, we recommend that you:

• Seek tutoring or academic assistance (e.g., study with a friend, talk to others who have taken the test)
• Diversify your study approach (e.g., don’t just stick to taking pre-tests, also do some reading, create some notecards, etc.)

Read self-help books on test-anxiety.

A basic search online or at a book store can lead you to some self-help books on test anxiety. Make sure to budget adequate time for this type of self-study.

Take our online guided course for managing test anxiety.

If you found these top tips useful, consider taking Sandstone Psychological Practice’s online course that goes more in depth and provides a guided tour to managing test anxiety, personalized to your needs. We are licensed psychologists who have a private practice in Nevada. We specialize in test anxiety and are dedicated to helping students and test-takers take control of their anxiety so that they can perform their best and achieve their educational goals. Visit www.udemy.com for more information about the course.

Seek individual or group counseling.

Test anxiety is a particular type of anxiety and may require some individualized treatment. A psychologist or therapist could work with you one-on-one to better understand and address your test anxiety. If you are interested in finding a therapist, you can search www.PsychologyToday.com for providers in your area. If you have insurance, you can also contact your insurance company for a list of providers in your area. We also recommend that you discuss with your therapist the following:

• Medication management for your treatment of anxiety
• Consider examining underlying learning problems that could be exacerbating your anxiety.

Implement needed accommodations.

If you have a documented disability that affects how you take tests, you may be eligible for accommodations. Common accommodations include: extended time on the test, large-type exams, a reader to dictate questions, and taking the exam in a distraction-free room. Take the steps to request accommodations by visiting the testing site webpage and following instructions for requesting accommodations. If you believe you have a non-diagnosed disability, plan well in advance (many months) to visit a psychologist who can help you determine whether you have a diagnosable disability.