•Learn what test anxiety is.
•Be able to identify if you have test anxiety and learn how to
overcome it.
•Be able to find ways to deal with test anxiety
•Be able to avoid test anxiety while taking tests
•Strategies you can learn to help overcome test anxiety
•Describe a plan of action that you can take in order to avoid test
anxiety.
•Test anxiety can be defined as a performance anxiety
• this anxiety can be a feeling that someone might have in a
situation when performance really counts or when the person has
pressure to perform well.
•Test anxiety can cause things such as making a persons’
mind go blank or making a person have racing thoughts.
•Determine what type of test anxiety you have. Do
you have anxiety while preparing for the test, or do
you prepare and have anxiety while taking the test.
You probably have test anxiety if you answer YES to four
or more of the following:
1.I have a hard time getting started studying for a test.
2. When studying for a test, I find many things that distract me.
3. I expect to do poorly on a test no matter how much or how hard I study.
4. When taking a test, I experience physical discomfort such as sweaty palms,
an upset stomach, a headache, difficulty breathing, and tension in my
muscles
5. When taking a test, I find it difficult to understand the directions and
questions.
6. When taking a test, I have difficulty organizing my thoughts.
7. When taking a test, I often “draw a blank.”
8. When taking a test, I find my mind wandering to other things.
9. I usually score lower on a test than I do on assignments and papers.
10. After a test, I remember information I couldn’t recall during the test.
Compliments of
www.how-to-study.com
•Ask for help
•Have a positive attitude
•Visualize success
•Ask yourself questions while studying to determine what you
need to study
•Vocabulary
•Strategies
•Grammar rules
•Rhetoric
•Question stems (What is this question asking me?)
•Evaluate study habitats (mental)
• Organize yourself (physical)
•Self Care (emotional
o Study strategy that can help control test anxiety
o Study Techniques
o Positive attitude
o Have a plan
Evaluate study habits
(Mental)
Organize yourself
Review tests and quizzes
Use resources
Take a break
Organize yourself
Set a schedule for your preparation
What are your goals and targets that
you want to accomplish before the test
itself?
Get to work. Practice with an
abundance of strategies and pick
strategies that work for you.
Review tests and
quizzes
Practice makes perfect. Each time you take a
practice test, you have the opportunity to
practice another strategy, review question
stems and become familiar with the
breakdown of the test.
Analyze how you did in previous/similar tests
and quizzes in the past and review them.
Why did you get answers wrong? Why did
you get answers correct?
Use online resources
and aids.
There are many online resources that can
assist you with SAT prep. However, the one
that is most helpful is Khan Academy.
Take practice quizzes and follow the program
that Khan Academy creates for you based of
your PSAT score.
You must link your Collegeboard account to
your Khan Academy account.
Organize Yourself
(Physical)
Comfortable… but alert
Just breathe
Be mindful of the clock
Be healthy
Be comfortable… but
alert
It is important to sit comfortably in the chair you are in
during the test, but make sure you are not hunched
over, slouching or have your head in your hands or
on the desk.
Your body position reflects your mood and attitude. If
you are confident, sit up right and be in charge of the
test. You will do better this way.
If you are sitting with your head on the desk or in your
hands, you are likely to fall asleep, or have trouble
concentrating.
JUST BREATHE
Have you ever stopped out of a test and you
feel yourself take a big breath in or out? It is
because you haven’t been breathing correctly
during the test.
Sometimes during tests, people tense up to
the point they forget to breathe correctly. This
is unnecessary.
Self monitor yourself, take a deep breath and
breathe!!
Watch the clock
We know to mind the clock during the test, but this
test taking anxiety buster is addressing the clock
before the test.
Wake up in time to eat a healthy breakfast.
Arrive early to the test so you have time to find your
room and your seat in plenty of time.
That way, you can be sure to not be in a rush and be
in the room well before the test starts.
There is nothing worse than rushing before an
important event.
Be healthy
Eat food with lots of protein (in general) but the night
before and the day of the test.
Get the amount of sleep that your body requires. (8
hours may be unrealistic for some people, but sleep
what makes your body feel rested.)
It is tempting to drink caffeine drinks like energy
drinks in the morning, but those drinks often just
make you crash later. Remember, the test is long with
no real significant break.
Do not eat a breakfast heavy in empty carbs, as you
will just crash later.
Self-care
(Emotional)
PREPARE PREPARE PREPARE
Control negative thoughts
Watch your attitude
PREPARE PREPARE
PREPARE
All you can do to battle anxiety is to
prepare for the test as best as you can.
The knowledge you have and your
preparation you have done should
comfort you in that you have done all
you have done.
Be confident in that knowledge and
preparation.
Control Negative
Thoughts
There are lots of things happening on that test day
that you cannot control, but you can control your
thoughts.
Negative thinking and self-defeating states can
become self-defeating prophecies.
Develop positive self statements to battle negative
thoughts. You can do well on this test. You are smart.
One test does not define you.
Also, remember this test is not the end all be all to
your future. There are lots of different ways to
success.
Watch your attitude
Negative attitude is contagious so stay away
from people who have or developing negative
attitudes, or self-defeating statements.
Don’t talk to others about the test. What is
done is done.
Anxiety is also contagious.
On your breaks, enjoy them and talk about
other things.
So test anxiety can be an issue for many students. When dealing
with test anxiety find a way to overcome and help yourself with
test anxiety. When feeling like you have test anxiety coming on
find a strategy to help yourself overcome this. Prepare yourself
while to help lessen your anxiety. If you do these things to first off
try and avoid test anxiety and then do some of these things while
having test anxiety, you should be successful in overcoming your
anxiety. Remember always stay positive and try your hardest and
you will be successful.