Most students experience some level of anxiety during an exam.
However, when anxiety negatively affects exam performance it has become a problem.
Build confidence.
- Be persistent and keep up with course material. Complete homework the day it is covered.
- Ask questions along the way!
- Get to know your professor. Go to office hours.
- Consistently come to the MLC.
Prepare for the test.
- Personalize Success. Visualize yourself doing well on the test.
- Be prepared! Master the class notes. Review homework problems. Examine past errors.
- 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 reduce stress. Processed foods, sugars tend to increase stress. - Take a small healthy snack to help take your mind off of your anxiety. Drink water to stay hydrated.
- Allow yourself plenty of time and arrive a little early.
- Choose a comfortable location for taking the test with good lighting and minimal distractions.
- Strive for a relaxed state of concentration. Avoid thinking you need to cram just before the test.
- Avoid speaking with fellow students who have not prepared, who express negativity, who distract you.
Complete the test with confidence.
- Write yourself a positive note on your test paper. “I can do this!”
- Write down any formulas you have memorized.
- 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.
- Don't panic when students start handing in their papers. There's no reward for finishing first.
- Relax. You are in control. Take slow, deep breaths.
- Don’t think about the fear. Pause: think about the next step and keep on task, step by step.
- Use positive reinforcement for yourself. Acknowledge that you have done, and are doing, your best
- Some anxiety is actually good! You need a certain level of anxiety to focus and perform your best.
Review how you did on the test
- List what worked and hold onto these strategies.
- List what did not work and put those strategies aside.
- Celebrate that you are on the road to overcoming this obstacle.
- Overcoming anxiety is a process. Take one step at a time.
Use Available Resources
- For more help with test anxiety, set up an individual counseling appointment at the Cowell Center
(408) 554-4501. - If eligible for academic accommodations, have them in place and use them. Contact the Office of Accessible Education at (408) 554-4109 or oae@scu.edu and discuss the accommodations with your instructor ahead of time.