How to Cope

Goal

To learn how to cope effectively with test anxiety.

Causes of Test Anxiety & How to Overcome Them (Educational Testing Service, pp. 4-7, 10-11)

You can tame test anxiety by dealing with the causes. Being unfamiliar with the test is a common cause of test anxiety and can be overcome by simply learning about the test. It’s easy to want to avoid confronting the thing that is worrying you in the hope that it will go away, but a more helpful approach is to proactively seek out information about the test. Here are some questions that it may be beneficial to find out the answer to:

• How many questions are on the test?
• What format are the questions in?
• How much time will you have to take the test?
• How will your answers be scored?
• What topics are covered on the test?
• What will some of the questions look like?

Another cause of test anxiety is feeling as though you haven’t mastered the subject being tested. By making an organized study schedule and sticking to it, you can boost your confidence in your abilities. Create a study plan that outlines what you’re going to work on, where you’re going to find helpful resources, and when you’re going to undertake each step. As you review the topics and improve your mastery of them, you should use the various resources that are available to you (e.g., textbooks, notes, knowledgeable people, etc.). Make sure your study schedule sets out manageable tasks for you to accomplish within a reasonable period of time. You’ll know you’ve gained mastery of a subject when you’re able to define concepts and terms in your own words and be able to explain why they are important.

Additionally, believing certain myths instead of learning the truth about tests can cause test anxiety. Studying with friends, while it can be very helpful, can be the source of a lot of false information about the test. Don’t pay attention to wild rumors about the test. Instead, seek out the truth. Allowing the test environment to get on your nerves can also cause test anxiety. Another test taker may have a cough or the sniffles, the room may be crowded, and the temperature may be warmer or cooler than you like. Focus on minimizing the distractions by making sure you know how to get to where the test will be held and how long it will take you to get there; choosing a seat away from doors, aisles, and other high-traffic areas; and sitting by yourself and refraining from chatting with others.

Many people get so nervous when they first begin their test that their minds “go blank” or start to race with unrelated thoughts. To avoid this, arrive at the test with a plan for how you will start the test. Instead of racing to answer the first question, for example, take a minute or so to browse through the test, page by page. This will help emphasize that there are no surprises awaiting you-just the test you’ve been preparing for. A final cause of test anxiety is negative thoughts. Negative thoughts can throw you off your study schedule and distract you or make you freeze up during tests. Do you ever find yourself troubled with thoughts like these?

One way to recognize that thoughts are negative is when they’re extreme (“I’m so dumb”) or in all-or-nothing terms (“If I don’t pass, I’m finished”). Perfectionism can also contribute to negative thoughts. Do you find yourself procrastinating when you should be studying? It may be because you’ve set an unrealistic goal for yourself. It may be that you are waiting until the last minute to study so that you can give yourself an excuse for not doing well. Here are some examples of perfectionistic thoughts and the realistic thoughts that argue against them:

Perfectionistic Thought	Realistic Thought
There’s an impossible amount of things to learn!	I don’t need to know the answer to every question; I just need to pass.
My knowledge of one of the topics is really shaky.	I don’t need to know everything about every topic. Also, if I start now, I can learn more about the topics in which I know I’m weak.

Improving Thoughts Exercise (Educational Testing Service, p. 6)

Instructions: The time to deal with negative thoughts is now, before the test. Using the table below, which includes a few examples, write down your negative thoughts. Then, for each one, write a positive thought that argues against it.

Negative Thought	Positive Thought
I always do poorly on tests.	I’ve got a better study plan for this test than I ever had before.
If I don’t pass this test, I’m a failure.	I’m going to pass, but if I don’t, I can bounce back.
The test is going to have trick questions.	The test is designed to let me show what I know, and I know all the formats of the questions.

Next Step (Educational Testing Service, p. 6)

Save this list (and add to it when necessary). Whenever you find those negative thoughts coming back, remind yourself of all the positive things you have going for you.