Strategies for Dealing with Test Anxiety

• Breathe. If at any point during a test you begin to feel nervous or you cannot think clearly, take a long, deep breath and slowly exhale to restore your breathing to a normal level.
• Stretch. Before you go into the test room, especially before a long final exam, stretch your muscles—legs, arms, shoulders, and neck—just as you would when preparing to exercise.
• Sit in a relaxed position. Pay attention to the way you are sitting. As you take the test, sit with your shoulders back and relaxed rather than hunched forward. Try not to clutch your pencil or pen tightly in your hand; take a break and stretch your fingers now and then.
• Create positive mental messages. Pay attention to the mental messages that you send yourself. If you are overly negative, turn those messages around. Give yourself encouraging, optimistic messages.
• Keep your confidence high. Do not allow others, including classmates, partners, children, parents, roommates, or friends, to reduce your confidence. If you belong to a study group, discuss strategies for relaxing and staying positive before and during tests.

Inhale … Exhale …

Before a test or exam, it is a good idea to take a few minutes for some positive self-talk and a few deep breaths.