What is Test Anxiety?

While it’s completely normal to feel a bit nervous before a test, some students find test anxiety debilitating. Racing thoughts, inability to concentrate, or feelings of dread can combine with physical symptoms like a fast heartbeat, headache, or nausea. Whether it’s the ACT , an AP exam , or an important history final, test anxiety has the power to derail weeks and months of hard work.

Test Anxiety Tips

According to the ADAA, causes of test anxiety may include a fear of failure, lack of adequate prep time, or bad experiences taking tests in the past. You’re not alone! Here’s what you can do to stay calm in the days leading up to and during your test.

1. Be prepared

Yes, this seems obvious, but it bears repeating. If you feel confident that you’ve prepped thoroughly, you’ll feel more confident walking into the test. Need help reviewing tough concepts or question types? The test prep experts at The Princeton Review can provide that extra boost you need to feel cool and collected.

2. Get a good night’s sleep.

Cramming is never the answer, and pulling an all-nighter can exacerbate your nerves. Having adequate rest (9–10 hours per night) is likely to be more beneficial than rereading a text until dawn

3. Fuel Up

Eat a nutritious breakfast before the test and pack smart snacks for ongoing energy. Look for foods that offer a steady stream of nutrients, rather than a sugar high followed by a crash.

4. Get to class—or the testing site—early

Feeling rushed will only amp up the anxiety. Pack everything you need for the exam the night before and set the alarm, so you can get out the door on time

5. Have a positive mental attitude

Bring a picture of your happy place or come up with a morale-boosting mantra like “I can do this” or “I worked hard and deserve this.” Peek at your picture or recite your mantra, right before the test begins.

6. Read carefully

Read the directions thoroughly and read all answers before making a choice or starting the essay. There is nothing worse than putting time into a question and realizing you are not solving for x, or the essay is off target. Slowing down can help you stay focused.

7. Just Start

The blank page can maximize your anxiety. After you’ve read the directions, dive right in by making an outline for an essay answer. Or, find some questions you can ace to build up your confidence and momentum. You can always go back and change things later if needed, but a few quick answers can get the ball rolling.

8. Don’t pay attention to what other people are doing

Everyone else is scribbling away? Ack! What do they know that you don’t? It doesn’t matter. Pay attention to your own test and pace, and forget about the other students in the room.

9. Watch the clock

Realizing that time is almost up and there are lots of test questions left can make it hard to do anything useful in those final minutes. Stay on pace by scoping out the whole test before getting started. Mentally allocate how much time you’ll spend on each section. If there’s time to recheck, even better.

10. Focus on calm breathing and positive thoughts

Deep breathing can slow down a beating heart or a racing mind, so practice these techniques at home. The very act of concentrating on breathing and thinking can biometrically alter those anxious feelings.

Sometimes just remembering that some test-taking anxiety is a normal part of school can help make it easier to handle.

Tips courtesy Disability Services, San Juan College

Tips for Online Testing

Test taking, whether traditional paper and pen or online test taking, can cause you to be anxious, even when you know you have studied well and know the material. But, if you have little or no experience with online testing, the tips below can help you work more effectively in the online environment.

If you are a little more anxious than usual because of unfamiliarity with testing online, many of these suggestions will reduce test anxiety. If you are having active testing anxiety, try the breathing exercise listed below.

Make sure you press the “SAVE” button after answering each question (selecting an answer). This is very important because if you answer several questions and your computer freezes, you may lose all the short answers you just typed, etc. Pressing save frequently will save frustration and time.
Some students find it very helpful to read questions out loud to ensure understanding. This will minimize misunderstanding about what the question is asking. If you have the accommodation for a screen reader (or questions read aloud), be sure to ask your instructor for
If you have an accommodation for extra time, be sure to contact your instructor ahead of time to ensure that the testing time is set accurately for you (plus 50 or 100% extra time). If you email the instructor, also copy the disability services advisor you have worked with, on the request or reminder.
If you have an accommodation for clarification, be sure to ask your instructor how to contact him or her if you have a question about an item on the test.
Plan ahead and find a quiet place with no distractions to test, so you can fully concentrate on the questions and not be interrupted.
Hydration is important for your body and brain to work well. Have a water bottle close by if you need it.
Get a good night’s sleep before testing. By the way, testing late at night is not an optimal time unless you have time to rest beforehand.
Make sure you are eating properly. Your brain will not function adequately if your blood sugar is low (from not eating).
If possible, take small breaks to stand and stretch and move around. This helps the blood to flow (especially if you are zoning out a bit).
Along with breathing, you can try progressive muscle relaxation while you are taking the test. Tighten and release one muscle at a time, or use a squeeze ball.Breathing exercises will bring down your blood pressure and help you calm yourself. Try this:

- Breathe in for a count of 4.
- Hold the breath for a count of 4.
- Breathe out (release) for a count of 4.
- Repeat this several times. You should feel your body responding positively.

Tips courtesy Lake Sumter State College, South Lake Campus, Student Accommodations Services

A Quick-start Guide to Learning in an Online Environment

If your campus closes and moves to offering classes only online, do you know how to keep in contact with your instructors? Before you get started, here are a few things to think about as you prepare to be an online student:

A Quick-start Guide to Learning in an Online Environment

No matter how far into the semester classes are required to move online, your instructors are committed to ensuring your academic progress. This may require some adjustments in the syllabus, but you can expect to continue to have learning materials and activities for the rest of the semester.

How will you communicate with your instructor?
How will you maintain internet access?
Do you have a device with appropriate video and audio capabilities?
Do you know how to use all of the essential features in Canvas?
Do you know how to attend a virtual Zoom meeting?
Do you know where to go to get help?

Communication

If your course moves online, the most important change is going to be the way that you communicate with your instructor. It is essential that you are familiar with the following modes of communication, as they are the most likely ways your instructor will contact you. Check your syllabus or ask your instructor to see what form of communication they would prefer you to use.

Email: be sure to check your school email multiple times a day
Online learning platform Announcements: check your platform (ex: Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard) settings to ensure you get email notifications for announcements
Platform Inbox: when sending emails to your instructor, it is recommended that you use the built-in inbox feature. The message you send will automatically contain information about what course and section you are in, which will help your instructor answer your email more efficiently.

In addition to the Quick-start guide above, the website, LDAdvisory.com, has posted tips that ALL students learning from home, may find useful. Visit, Crowdsourcing Learn-From-Home Strategies for College Students – Spring 2020