How to Avoid Test Anxiety During an Exam

Test anxiety can be a major problem for an individual that is attempting to take an exam because it interferes with the individual's ability to think clearly. This not only makes it difficult for the individual to remember important concepts, but it also makes it more difficult for the individual to understand directions or questions included on the exam. As a result, it is essential for an individual to make sure that he or she does not allow excessive nervousness to prevent that individual from performing well on the exam. However, it can often be difficult for an individual to control his or her anxiety during an exam, especially when that anxiety has already begun to spiral out of control.

Fortunately, there are techniques that an individual can use to make sure that he or she is more likely to remain calm, focused, and ultimately less anxious during an exam. First, if an individual realizes that he or she is unsure of the answer to a particular question and he or she begins to get extremely nervous about the exam, that individual should simply take a deep breath, try to relax, and try to accept the fact that it is only one question. This is especially true if it is a question near the beginning of the exam as it is important for the individual to retain a positive attitude throughout the test, which can be difficult if the individual has trouble from the start. Secondly, if the individual starts to panic because he or she is taking too long trying to answer a difficult question, the individual should just skip the question and move on. This is extremely important, as an individual that feels as if he or she is running out of time will usually rush through the rest of the exam. Rushing will only make the individual feel more nervous and ultimately perform more poorly than someone that took his or her time. Finally, it is important for an individual to try to approach an exam that he or she is nervous about in a strategic way. A good strategy that an individual could use would be to first read the directions for each section, then read each question carefully, read each answer, and then finally try to choose the best answer for each question. This allows the individual to make the process of answering each question a routine, which will make each question appear less stressful.