Saying Goodbye to Test Anxiety 

Does this sound familiar?….. Weekly homework goes smoothly, assignments are returned with good scores, and confidence is high. The day of the test comes and, suddenly, anxiety sets in. Studies show that 35-70% of students experience moderate to severe test anxiety. Test anxiety is a potentially crippling reaction to tests, tending towards a phobia for some.

Causes of Anxiety

Some of the most common reasons for test anxiety are below.  We’ll address ways of dealing with these causes in the last part of this blog.

• Being Inadequately Prepared.  Being unprepared is likely the most common reason for test anxiety.  Though a student may complete their homework, it may be done hastily just to get it over with or perhaps completed in the company of friends.  For subjects like math, some personal time needs to be spent paying attention to the details to fully grasp the concepts.  One-on-one help from a tutor is particularly useful for clarifying concepts and providing support to build confidence, however additional time spent working out problems alone leads to a high level of retention.  Math tests often have variations of problems that are slightly different from the homework, so a deep level of understanding is required to do very well on the majority of math tests.
• Fear of Failure.  Connecting one’s self-worth to test outcomes can be an unhealthy thing that students sometimes do.  They put pressure on themselves, worrying about what people might think of their performance.  These can include parents, friends, future potential schools or teachers. This type of thinking during the short period of a test can occupy precious space in a student’s brain that could better be used to solve problems and focus.  
• History of Poor Test Outcomes.  If a student loses faith in himself, it can produce a cycle of negative thinking, leading to additional poor outcomes.  They sometimes start expecting to do poorly, which can cause them to give up more easily on test questions, admitting failure before giving sufficient effort.  In a way, they can feel they are proving themselves right by doing poorly, which can provide a sense of satisfaction in a way.  

Ways to Help

We have all experienced test anxiety at some point in time and as a parent, you likely want nothing more than to help your child not experience this feeling.  Through research and our experience with students over the last 8 years, we’ve found that the suggestions below can help greatly!

• Timed Practice Problems or Drills.  Some schools incorporate timed drills during class and as part of homework when teaching concepts that require memorization, such as times tables and adding/subtracting.  We have noticed that students at these schools typically display much less test anxiety across many subjects as a result of becoming accustomed to being timed.  It’s a great way to create the feeling of taking a test, but in a situation with less pressure.  
• Completing Practice Problems without Assistance.  It’s often a great idea to receive help, however it’s one thing to understand problems when working with someone, like a tutor or parent, but another to be able to do these problems on one’s own.   If receiving help, be sure to have students try practice problems on their own in order to test their knowledge.
• Encourage a Healthy Lifestyle.  Exercise, sleep and eating right can significantly improve anxiety in all areas of life, including school.
• Develop Better Study Skills.  Waiting to prepare for a test the night before is a recipe for creating anxiety.  If it’s known that a test is coming up, start preparing several days before, splitting up the concepts into shorter study periods.  If receiving tutoring, this could translate to a couple shorter prep sessions instead of one long session right before a test.
• Adjust Perspective.  Tests do typically count for more, but high levels of stress only hurts our ability to think clearly.  Also, only in rare cases does one test affect a class grade significantly.
• Rational Restructuring.  A cognitive behavioral method developed in the seventies by therapist Golfried where the student is encouraged to imagine anxiety-provoking situations, like taking a test, to help with desensitization.  This is then followed by bringing up positive and attainable examples to disprove the fear.  This is an exercise that can be practiced at home to help desensitize the fear of tests.
• Pre-Test Activities.  Although preparation and an overall healthy perspective are most important, there are some activities that can help relieve stress right before a big test when needed:  1 – Deep, slow breathing, 2 – A few minutes of exercise like jumping jacks or running and lastly, 3 – Stretching while in the sunlight.  These quick activities can relieve tension and clear the mind in a short time!