GLE1OHow to Overcome Test Anxiety

1) Do you have a difficult time motivating yourself to start studying for a big test? ______

2) Do you expect that, no matter how hard you study, that you will do poorly on the test? ______

3) Do you find yourself easily distracted during your study time? _____

4) When you take a test, do you have difficulty understanding directions and the questions? _____

5) Do you feel physical discomfort such as upset stomach, a headache, breathing difficulties or tension as you take a test? ______

6) During the test, do you frequently space out and draw a blank? ______

7) Do you find it hard to organize your thoughts during the test? ______

8) Does your mind wander to other things as you’re testing? ______

9) Immediately after you finish a test, do you remember an answer that you couldn’t recall during the test? ______

10) Do you find that your test scores are usually lower than those on papers and other assignments? ______

Each of the above 10 is a common symptom of test anxiety; if you replied yes to four or more, then anxiety is probably an issue with you and might be causing you real problems with your classes.

Test anxiety is not something dreamed up by students to explain why they do so poorly in their classes. It’s a recognized psychological phenomenon. Specifically, it’s a form of the psychological condition known as ‘performance anxiety.’

Don’t get too worried, though. Just because you experience test anxiety doesn’t mean you’re psychologically imbalanced. In fact, this is one psychological condition that is experienced by most people at some time or other. Some people just face it more than others.

Causes of Anxiety

  • Is your bodies and mind’s reaction to something stressful
  • Any time you’re under stress, the body releases adrenaline.
  • Adrenaline is a hormone whose purpose is to prepare a person for danger.
  • Adrenaline causes pounding heart, sweating, rapid breathing, sweaty palms, etc.

When the body starts experiencing these symptoms, they interfere with basic thinking processes. Put simply, this means that your pounding heart and rapid breathing interfere with mental processes such as remembering, problem solving and analyzing.

You worry that you won’t do well on the test  adrenalinepounding heart, sweating, rapid breathing, sweaty palmsbasic thinking processes like remembering, analyzing, and problem solving are affected

Students who experience test anxiety feel that their brain is just not working right.

Other Causes of Anxiety:

  • Worry about how others will perceive you if you do poorly on the exam
  • Have to do well to make parents happy
  • Maintain their status as the smart one in the class
  • Perfectionism

The Procrastination Connection

Most students who have a problem with test anxiety also have problems with procrastinating. This is not a coincidence. Our natural reaction when danger is perceived is to avoid the situation. So even though it’s not logical, when the deep-seated emotions sense that the upcoming test presents danger, the mind’s response is to avoid the issue altogether.