Test Anxiety

1
Test Anxiety

• Created by
• Ida Hoelscher
• Title III Academic Skills Coordinator
• Academic Skills Center

2
What is Test Anxiety?

• Have you ever had any of the following symptoms
  before a test?
• Butterflies in the stomach
• Jittery
• Sweaty Palms
• Nausea
• Pounding Heart
• Racing Mind
• Short Temper
• Face Breaking Out

3
Is Test Anxiety Good or Bad?

• Is test anxiety destructive?
• Can I make it work for me?
• YES!!!!
• It can interfere with your performance, but if
  channeled correctly it can help you.
• Anxiety encourages you to study.
• It also encourages you to do your best.

4
Understanding Test Anxiety

• No one is born with it.
• Test Anxiety can affect you both Mentally and
  Physically.
• Its a natural reaction.
• Its a sign of stress.
• Your body feels threatened

• Coping skills.
• Deductive reasoning
• Guessing strategies
• Look at the tests design
• Cues and questions
• Study skills
• Work on self concept
• One success leads to another
• Break the cycle

5
Use what youve learned!

• In sports, you learn to focus on one thing and
  concentrate.
• Focus on the test.
• You dont notice what anyone else is doing.
• You dont notice your anxiety as much.
• Control your anxiety.

6
Confidence and Knowledge

• Confidence grows from knowledge
• Know the Material
• Repetition is the key
• Test yourself
• Pay attention to the instructors hints
• Use study groups
• Trust yourself

7
Test Anxiety - Management

• STOP!!!
• When your mind heart are racing or your
  thoughts are cluttered, yell STOP!
• Dont Be Too Hard on Yourself
• Dont keep telling yourself - Ive got to ace
  this exam or If I screw up, I ll flunk this
  class
• Dont assume you should know the answer to every
  question - no one can remember everything.

8
Visualization

• Visualize taking the test, succeeding, and
  celebrating.
• Keep telling yourself that you can only do the
  best that you can or Be the best I can be.
• Dont keep visualizing failure.

9
Focus

• Focus on the task at hand that you have control
  over, not on external pressures.
• Concentrate on details (ex. the feel of the chair
  or desk, sounds in the room, etc.).

10
Coping Skills

• Daydream
• When youre worried, think about pleasant things
  (ex. family, friends, spring break).
• Positive Self-Talk
• Talk to yourself in a positive way while taking
  the test (ex. I know this information, Im
  doing great with this test).

11
More Coping Skills

• Worst Case Scenario
• Imagine the worst that could happen
• Change your position during the test
• Get plenty of sleep
• Eat before the test

12
Testing Hints

• Dump
• Write down everything you might forget, then you
  can dump it.
• Dont do a last minute review.
• Budget your time.
• Read the instructions.
• Skip the question if you go blank.
• Dont panic when others start turning in their
  tests.

13
Dealing with Feelings

• Rule 1 - BREATHE
• Concentrate on your breathing to calm down.
• Body Scan
• Sit down, close your eyes, and,starting at your
  feet, tell your muscles to relax.
• Tension
• Tension found during the scan needs to be
  relaxed.

14
Stress Reducers

• Guided Imagery
• After you relax, close your eyes and imagine
  yourself in a peaceful setting (ex. meadow,
  mountains, beach).
• Physical Activity
• Exercise that gets your heart pumping helps (ex.
  walking,, running, basketball, volleyball).
• Create a plan
• Use your time management skills.

15
Awareness

• If these techniques dont work, ask for help.
• Know if the anxiety is just getting worse
• Suicide is the second leading cause of student
  deaths. Help is available.