Tips

This section contains some strategies that have helped me personally throughout my high school career to manage my test anxiety.

1. Find a study method that suits you.

Taking tests is inevitable, but if we can find a study method that will help you retain information and feel confident in your abilities, it will become so much easier!!

  • Making Flashcards/Quizlet

    This can be an effective study tool for memorizing basic information such as facts or definitions. These are also a good way to test yourself if you are alone or not studying with anyone.

  • Self Made Study Guides

    These are my favorite way to study! Writing down course content on paper can really help it stick in your mind, and you can use fun pens and highlighters to spice it up! Below is a study guide I have created for one of my past tests :)

  • Study Groups

    Study groups can help if you have multiple friends in the same class or course. Asking and answering each other's questions helps the information stick in your mind.

  • Attend Extra Help

    If your teacher provides it, attending extra help is a great way to study. Your teacher can help give answers to specific questions that you're unsure of, and they can also help review the course material overall.

2. Set up a study schedule.

Let’s face it, all of this studying is not going to do any good if you’re up late cramming the night before. Plus, it’s just going to cause even more anxiety. This is why it’s important to space out the studying, and create a schedule so that you can do a little bit each day. This way, by the time the week is over you will have studied in an efficient manner, while still leaving time for the other things you need to do! I recommend getting a calendar or a planner, and designating time each day for studying on there! Or, in the templates section of this website, you can find calendar and planner printouts for free!

      3. Deep Breathing.      

Deep breathing is very important when managing test anxiety. Taking a test and focusing on the task at hand is much more difficult when you’re anxious. A deep breathing technique I personally use is the 4x4x4 technique. This is where you breathe in for 4 seconds, hold 4 for seconds, and breathe out for 4 seconds. If you feel yourself getting anxious during a test, keep repeating this method until you calm down, and taking the test will be much less daunting after that.

      4. Prioritizing sleep and exercise.       

Although you may not think so, sleep and exercise are vital in ensuring your brain is awake and ready to learn. Exercising not only stimulates your body, but your mind as well. It also ensures that you will get a good night’s sleep. As we sleep, we process what happened during the day. Lack of sleep can cause you to forget certain things that happened the day prior. This is why sleep is so important to ensure that you’re not only energized to take a test, but that you’re also remembering what you study as well.

5. Seek support

The final step in managing your test anxiety should be simply seeking support. Believe it or not, your teachers are there to help you and want to see you succeed. Simply talking to them and opening up about your test anxiety could be incredibly beneficial, as you could come up with a plan together on how to accommodate your needs best.