Have you ever drawn a complete blank when answering a test question for material you studied and know? As a nursing instructor, I would often have students come to my office and tearfully described how anxiety prevented them from recalling what they had studied and learned on a test. I would then explain it is normal to have some degree of anxiety with testing. However, there are students who experience extreme anxiety that actually prevents them from performing well. This article will explore test anxiety and provide tips for reducing stress before, during and after exams.
Published
J.Adderton, BSN, MSN
121 Articles; 502 Posts
Test anxiety is when your anxiety level prevents you from demonstrating what you have learned and know on a test. There are students who feel nervous before a test because they did not prepare adequately or have poor study skills. Anxiety in cases of poor preparation do not qualify as true test anxiety. Students suffering from test anxiety experience extreme nervousness before exams, even when they have put forth their best effort in learning the material and are prepared. For many students, test anxiety began as early as elementary school, although some students develop test anxiety in college. The good news- test anxiety is usually a learned behavior and there are many strategies you can use to "unlearn" the intense nervousness of test anxiety.
Symptoms
Symptoms of test anxiety include mental and physical stress occurring before, during, or after exams. Again, there is a level of expected nervousness that comes with test-taking, however, test anxiety leads to symptoms of greater intensity.
Mental
Physical
Anxiety has a cumulative effect and once the ball is in motion, it will build in speed. The first step in overcoming test anxiety is to nip it in the bud before it intensifies. When you first notice the signs of anxiety, it is important you have strategies for reducing stress in your body and mind. Behavioral relaxation techniques help you to achieve a physical state of relaxation. You can relax your mind by cognitive strategies and talking to yourself in a positive way.
Relax Your Body
Deep breathing is an exercise that reduces anxiety and you can do it in the classroom unnoticed. Take a deep breath in using your diaphragm, hold it for several seconds, then exhale slowly thinking of your anxiety leaving the body. A second strategy is to use imagery by imaging yourself in a relaxing scene. The more senses you can incorporate, the better this strategy will work. For example- I would place myself at the beach with the sun's warmth on my skin and cool sand under my feet. I would hear the gentle breaking of waves and smell the salty ocean water. A third strategy is to perform progressive muscle relaxation by tensing then relaxing muscles in your body one by one.
Relax Your Mind
The first step in relaxing your mind prior to a test is to change your self-talk from negative to positive. For example, when thinking "you know you are going to fail", replace the thought with "You are prepared to take this test". Avoid making the situation worse with poor study habits and not preparing adequately for this test. Go to class every day, make notes and talk to your instructor when you have questions. Try visualizing your success by mentally picturing yourself as confident, calm and relaxed when taking the test. Imagine how relaxed you are when you later receive a passing grade.
Here are a few tips for good study and testing skills:
Anxiety can be habit forming and it takes practice to use these tips and tools to lower your level of anxiety. When you notice your thoughts are racing and your body becoming tense, tell yourself to "STOP" to stop the stress ball from rolling.
What strategies have helped you to deal with test anxiety?
Resources:
The Princeton Review, 10 Ways to Overcome Stress Anxiety, 1 Ways to Overcome Test Anxiety | The Princeton Review
Study Guides and Strategies, Overcoming test anxiety
Check if your institution's student services offers information on test anxiety.