Test Anxiety

Image courtesy of www.flickr.com (Pete).

Test anxiety is a subset of performance anxiety. Many students suffer headaches, excessive sweating, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath or light-headedness leading unto and during a test or exam. Here a some quick tips that you can do in the exam to help yourself calm down:

1. take some slow, deep breaths
2. practise some positive self talk - "I am doing my best and that is good enough", "I am going to rock this exam"
3. tense and relax your muscles
4. visualise yourself passing the test
5. move your body - change positions during the exam.
6. focus on your senses for a moment - what can you hear, see, touch, and smell? Taste might be difficult unless you're allowed to take food into the exam.

​For more information check out the Prepscholar Blog.