How to Beat Test Anxiety

It’s natural to feel nervous when you’re taking a test, especially if there’s a lot riding on it. Who doesn’t feel jittery at the start of a big exam? But if you feel too nervous to settle down and concentrate, you might have a case of test anxiety, and it's important to do something about it. 

“Anxiety has the potential to shut you down,” explains Ken Schuster, PsyD, a neuropsychologist at the Child Mind Institute. “When kids are having test anxiety they can’t think clearly, they can’t judge things the way they could if they weren’t anxious. All of your other abilities get clouded up by anxiety.” 

Luckily, there are many ways to minimize test anxiety. From effective preparation to simple techniques to use during the test itself, you can stack the cards in your favor, tackling tests with confidence and clarity. 

Before the test 

Test anxiety often stems from a lack of self-confidence. If you go into a test thinking you won’t do well, it can actually cause you to do worse. Finding ways to improve your confidence before a test is essential to performing at your best ability. 

“What I have seen when I work with kids who have test anxiety is they tend to say, ‘I’m so stupid,’” says Matt Cruger, PhD, a neuropsychologist at the Child Mind Institute. “That isn’t a helpful mindset to have when taking tests. In a more general way, I’m really trying to rehabilitate kids’ sense of themselves as competent learners.” 

The best methods to increase your confidence revolve around your study habits. Dr. Cruger says that 90 percent of the students he works with don’t have an effective model for studying. “What they end up doing most often is rely on their memory of what they heard in class or review their notes by reading them over,” he says.  

Instead, try more active study strategies: 

Know the test format 

Is the test multiple choice? True/False? Essay or short response? Having an idea of what the test will look like before you take it can help you feel more prepared and remove the shock when you’re handed the actual test.  

If you have an opportunity to take a practice test — especially for standardized tests like the SATs — do it! 

Reorganize the material 

Sometimes the way you learn something can feel a bit confusing. Try thinking about it differently. What are the main ideas? Outline the big concepts and think about the themes that connect them. 

Being able to think about something in different ways can lead to a richer understanding of it — making it harder to stump you when it’s testing time. 

Think about possible questions 

Try to imagine what kinds of questions you’ll be asked on the test and answer them ahead of time. Looking at past problems from homework assignments can help you get an idea. If you know there will be essays, try to predict what the topics might be and practice writing your answers. 

But be sure to think flexibly. “We like our tests to require people to solve the problem, but often not in the way we taught them the problem,” warns Dr. Cruger. 

During the test 

Though it’s great to be prepared, having ways to deal with anxiety in the moment can also be extremely helpful. Here are some strategies you can use while you’re taking a test: 

Have a plan 

Kids who use basic test-taking strategies tend to feel more confident. A few good ones to keep in mind: 

• Don’t spend too much time on any one question. 

• If it’s multiple choice, use process of elimination to narrow down answers. 

• Pick an answer and stick with it — second-guessing can lead to wasted time and wrong answers. 

Break things up 

If you get stuck and start to panic, shift your focus. Try turning to the last page and answering the last question first. “Somehow breaking up the routine seems to be helpful for getting things done,” Dr. Cruger says. 

Practice calming techniques 

Breathing exercises or other mindfulness techniques can be effective in reducing anxious feelings during a test. 

Accept when you don’t know something 

If you just can’t figure out an answer, don’t panic! It’s okay to accept that you don’t know it and move forward. More often than not, one question won’t be a huge factor in your overall score. If you feel like the test was unfair and didn’t allow you to present your knowledge, you can bring it up with your teacher afterwards. 

Accommodations 

If test anxiety still proves too debilitating, you might be able to get accommodations that can help. Whether it’s being allowed to take a break to calm your mind during a test, having extra time, or even taking a different version of the test, you can talk to your teacher to find what might work best for you. 

It’s all about finding ways to build confidence — and actually believe that you can do well, says Dr. Cruger. “I think the best test-taking mindset is something along the lines of ‘I’m a monster. I’m going to kill this test. There’s no way I can be fooled or do badly.’”