Written/Edited by: Vanessa and Mana
March 23, 2024
What is testing anxiety?
Imagine yourself walking into your classroom and taking a seat at your desk. Your heart starts beating rapidly and your cheeks turn into fireballs. You pull out a pencil and eraser because you’re well aware of the test that you’re about to take; however, you feel faint and overwhelmed, unable to organize your thoughts. If you can relate to this story, then it’s highly likely that you and I often experience what is called, “testing anxiety”. As defined by The Learning Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “Testing anxiety is a combination of physical symptoms and emotional reactions that interfere with your ability to perform well on tests.”
Who suffers from testing anxiety? Why do people have testing anxiety?
Testing anxiety is commonly seen around students of all ages because it’s normal. According to CNLD Testing and Therapy, 10 million children in America are affected by it. There are multiple contributing factors to testing anxiety, but these factors can be categorized into two broader reasons: bad habits and a negative mindset. Basically, bad habits may give you testing anxiety because you take the test without having studied and you procrastinate, therefore you feel unprepared and worried about the final result. But on the other hand, you may be lacking confidence because you feel pressured and you’ve been putting yourself down. Although, it’s not limited to these and the reasons may go hand in hand with each other. [It’s important to acknowledge the physical signals in your body so they can calm the mental signals in your head.]
Why does testing anxiety matter?
In societies around the world, testing has been used for ages as a measure of one’s knowledge—the definition of a test is not only limited to “test-tests” in school on various subjects—in actuality, it ranges from auditions, interviews, qualifiers, and more. This acknowledgment is important because it gives the issue of testing anxiety the weight that it deserves. Testing anxiety, which holds individuals back from expressing their full potential and skills, can in turn hold them back from opportunities that they are a good fit for. Nobody deserves to be held back from their goals and dreams, and especially with a college education becoming more and more expected by employers in the workforce, it’s important now more than ever to work towards minimizing your testing anxiety. Most importantly, you deserve the peace of mind.
How can testing anxiety be minimized?
Testing anxiety can be minimized through a variety of strategies. Some are less specific to testing and more general, but are equally as helpful and will have a greater benefit to your life as a whole. These include sensible exercise, rational nutrition, ensuring that your vision and hearing are good, time management, and also managing distractions or other stressful aspects of your life. After all, it’s difficult to take a test when you’re focused on outside factors. Possibly the most neglected aspect of test preparation is proper sleep. Sleeping at least 7-8 hours can help you feel awake, refreshed, and much less anxious on test day. As for the other strategies, exercise has been proven to boost focus and mood, as well as eating healthy foods such as fish, berries, and nuts (for obvious reasons, refrain from caffeine or sugar before the test!). These include nutrients and compounds that will improve your brain power. (For more on pre-test foods, visit https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/brain-food-for-studying.) Positive self-talk will help you as well. You can be your own greatest enemy, or your greatest ally!
Test-specific skills include using productive study techniques (short sessions each day instead of cramming). The Pomodoro technique, which involves working in twenty-five minute intervals and taking five minute breaks, can be helpful if you have a low attention span, are a procrastinator, or a perfectionist who burns yourself out easily. Essentially, it’s a healthy, balanced study plan for everyone! Organizing your study material (or for non-traditional tests, preparing thoroughly) is crucial as well, as being prepared will significantly decrease your test anxiety. Remember that anxiety is a tool that can help you once you learn to control it. It’s a good thing and a step in the right direction that you care about your test results. Learning to tame your anxiety and use it as a tool in a way that benefits you the most may take practice and time, but it’s possible for anybody.
During a test, taking necessary brain breaks is okay. Reread questions carefully and slowly, and focus on the test itself and not the negative feelings that come from it. If you have difficulty focusing, practice strategies like searching for clues in questions or approaching each question as a separate test. Not only will these techniques help you improve your score and prevent burnout, but they can serve as a distraction from your anxiety. Never compare yourself to others, either. Test anxiety can grow on overblown feelings of stress, and during a test at school for example, panicking when other students finish before you will only make this worse, and there is no benefit to finishing quickly. Although you’ve probably heard it a million times before, “it isn’t life or death” is true. Failing a test isn’t the end of the world, and all that matters is that you tried your best. You can always learn from your mistakes and be proud of yourself for trying to overcome your anxiety. After a test, plan to reward yourself! This could work as motivation during it.
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