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THE
SILENT TIMER™
Handbook
Reducing Test Anxiety
Read more test-taking
tips.
Some degree of test anxiety
is common for anyone taking an important standardized test. Depending on
how you handle it, however, test anxiety can either give you extra motivation
to do well or prevent you from performing to the best of your ability.
By
learning what causes test anxiety and following some practical tips for
reducing it, you will be prepared to achieve your optimal score on test
day.
Common Causes of
Test Anxiety:
- Lack of preparation
- Poor time management
- Negative thoughts/fear of failure |
Reduce test anxiety by directly addressing the abovementioned causes:
Be Prepared.
By
learning the test's directions and material ahead of time, you can walk into
the exam with a confident attitude. You've seen these types of questions
before, so you're ready to attack them. After much practice, you become
familiar enough with the test to feel comfortable and confident in your
abilities. Do yourself a favor and start preparing early!
Practice Test Day.
Taking
a practice test in your bedroom with the stereo in the background is very
different than taking an exam in a packed testing center with strict test
day rules. Being around others, small classroom distractions, and strict
time pressures are all inevitable stimuli that can increase test anxiety.
The more you practice under real test conditions, the less these stimuli
will contribute to your anxiety.
- Take the
practice test at the time of day that you will be taking your exam.
- Find
a location where there is some noise distraction,
such as a library. Exposing yourself to common distractions such as coughing
and paper shuffling will help you learn to ignore them.
- Make sure
you are timing yourself to get a feel for the time pressure you will feel
on test day. Buy THE
SILENT TIMER™
to help you pace yourself.
Improve your Time Management.
A major stressor on test day
is the test's strict time limit. If you had an unlimited amount of time to finish,
your test anxiety would be greatly reduced. Conquer this test anxiety factor
by improving your pacing skills before test day. Equip yourself with THE
SILENT TIMER™
to get a firm grip on time management. Don't let the test's timing feed your
test anxiety.
Maintain a Positive Attitude.
One of the most common causes of test
anxiety is negativity. Your mindset can be a powerful influence on
your performance. Clear your head of negative thoughts by practicing
positive self talk before you even get to test day.
All too
often a bad practice test score or a difficult test concept conjures lowered
self esteem and thoughts of failure, both which contribute to test
anxiety. Practice positive "self-talk" by actually
telling yourself that "I can do this with enough practice," "I
am going to conquer this test with small steps at a time," "I
am confident that I can improve my score," etc.
And most
importantly, "I
CAN overcome this test anxiety!"
Stay
Healthy.
When
we are stressed out, it seems that we often tend to neglect one of the
main factors that could affect test performance- our health. Test anxiety
can be exacerbated when one is tired, tense, or malnutritioned. Make
sure that you pay close attention to your emotional and physical well-being
when preparing for an exam.
To reduce
test anxiety, get plenty of rest. Even if you are studying a lot, you will
not be able to absorb information efficiently if your mind is exhausted.
Stay
hydrated and eat right. Use meals as enjoyable breaks and regulate the
amount of sugar and caffeine you are consuming. Exercise. Aerobic exercise
will help reduce some of that anxious energy and can reduce the tension in
your muscles.
| REMEMBER:
All of your hard work, studying, and preparing will not do you
any good if you are not physically or emotionally well on test day.
A good score is important, but so is your well being! |
Relax.
Tension
causes shallow breathing. To reduce test anxiety, practice taking slow, deep
breaths instead. Start doing this before test day to get into the habit of
reducing your test anxiety when you feel it coming on.
Take half
an hour every day to do something relaxing like meditation or yoga. If you
are in the midst of test anxiety during practice, take a few minutes to breathe
deeply and imagine peaceful surroundings.
On Test Day.
- Avoid
any actions on test day that may contribute to test anxiety.
- As always,
be prepared, think positively, and try to relax.
- Gather
all necessary materials (pencil, your Timer, ID, calculator, test ticket,
etc.) the night before and bring water and a light snack to eat during
your break (if allowed).
- Arrive
early to your test center and visualize yourself completing the exam successfully.
- Imagine
post-exam rewards and how it will feel to have done well on this exam.
- Take
deep breaths and clear your mind of negative thoughts.
Don't
let test anxiety ruin your chances at a good score. You are about to do
your absolute best, so get ready to do well!
Test Anxiety Can Be Overcome.
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