Test anxiety is a tragic grade killer. It can wipe out weeks of preparation, threaten your academic confidence, and leave you generally confused about how college works.
If test anxiety has been frustrating your efforts and making you miserable, you don't have to take it. In this guide, we show you how to release the grip test anxiety has on your college experience. But first, we unpack what it is and why it happens.
What is test anxiety?
Being nervous for a test is normal and can even help sharpen your mind and focus your attention. But sometimes these “normal feelings” descend into bouts of worry and self-doubt so powerful, they interfere with your test performance. We call this downward spiral "test anxiety," and just like stage fright, it only comes at the worst time.
Test anxiety affects students of all academic levels and, believe it or not, is rooted in the body's natural “fight or flight” response. When the mind sees a test as a threat, it kicks into survival mode and, with a shot of adrenaline, literally prepares the body to fight or run away. To be clear: You want this to happen when you encounter real danger, not when you sit for a test.
What causes test anxiety?
Test anxiety can stem from many things, but here are the most common:
- Fear of failure. The pressure to do well on a test can motivate you. But it can crush you when your self-esteem, identity, or self-worth depends on the outcome.
- Fear of the unknown. The less you know about a test (what it covers, how many questions, what types of questions), the more anxious it can make you.
- Lack of preparation. Waiting until the last minute, not studying enough, or at not studying at all can leave you feeling anxious—even scared—about the test that awaits.
- Poor test history. A poor grade on your last test can make you anxious about the next one.
- High pressure. Knowing you need a certain test score to pass a class, maintain eligibility, or keep financial aid can set the stage for test anxiety. So can feeling like you have to meet the high expectations of important people in your life.
- Perfectionism. For students whose performance standards are so unreasonably high that they can't stomach anything less than perfection, a test is an anxiety minefield.
- Neurological conditions. Issues like ADHD, Dyslexia, Anxiety, and Depression can show up during tests and bring anxiety with them. Even knowing that can cause test anxiety.
- In-test surprises. I didn't know this was going to be on the test! We never covered this in class! This test is way harder than the practice test!
What can you do about it?
You can take simple steps before, during, and even after each test to reduce the intensity and frequency of test anxiety, if not totally eliminate it from your life.
Before the test
Before the test, don't give your anxious brain an excuse to act up.
- Learn about the test. When is it? What does it cover and what should you focus on? (See review sheet.) How many questions will it have and what type will they be? (25 multiple choice.) For online tests, how many attempts will you get? Knowing what you're up against settles nerves and sets the tone for the road ahead.
- Study earlier. Start a week out to give yourself enough runway to study, review, and take the test. Use a daily planner to fit everything in and stay on track. You’ll learn better, feel better, and ultimately give test anxiety less to feed off of.
- Bone up on your test skills. Learn how to approach tests and how to answer different types of test questions. You'll become a savvier, more anxiety-resistant test taker. While you’re at it, learn how to learn so you can stay up to speed throughout the semester and enjoy seamless transitions into test mode.
- Take timed practice tests. They check understanding and, as a bonus, train your nerves to be comfortable with test conditions.
- Get help with tough material. Nothing triggers anxiety more than being tested on material you don't understand. Do whatever it takes to clear up confusion beforehand, even if that means getting help from the instructor or a tutor.
- For those fearing failure: Recognize that a test score is nothing but academic feedback. Good or bad, it has nothing to do with who you are as a person. Try to do well because you should, but keep perspective.
- For perfectionists: Be kinder to yourself. Set healthier standards. Appreciate the work you’ve (hopefully) put in and accept mistakes as a part of progress.
- Practice positive self-talk. Get into the habit of telling yourself calming, positive things, like It'll be OK. I know I can do this! Good vibes will follow you into the test and surround you like a force field.
- Talk to someone about. The more you suppress (or avoid dealing with) test anxiety, the worse it gets. So, shine a light on it. Open up to someone who can help you root out the problem and move on with your life, like a UTSA counselor or Student Success Coach.
- Practice relaxation techniques, as they may come in handy during the test. If you start feeling anxious while studying, slow your breathing, relax tense muscles, practice positive-self talk, and imagine positive outcomes.
- Take care of yourself. Exercise. Sleep. All-nighters ruin retention and worsen nerves. Eat and drink well. Avoid anxiety-provoking foods and drinks, like processed meats, caffeine, and sugary products. Instead, try things high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, tuna, nuts, avocados) and vitamins A, B, C, and D (vegetables, fruits, nuts).
- Don't ignore a learning disability. Address test anxiety by addressing underlying issues that interfere with your ability to read, learn, and focus (like ADHD or Dyslexia). In most cases, students diagnosed with learning disabilities are entitled to test assistance, such as extra time, a less distracting room, or having questions read aloud. Check out UTSA’s Student Disability Services to learn more.
- Manage expectations. If in-test surprises trigger your anxiety, adjust your expectations. Expect hard questions. Expect "unfair" questions. Expect to get stumped. Setting realistic expectations helps you weather storms and press on.
During the test
You never want test anxiety to rear its ugly head, but think about how you will calm yourself down if it does.
- Use relaxation techniques. Remember that test anxiety means your body is in survival mode. Tell your body that everything is OK by closing your eyes, relaxing tense muscles (shoulders, jaw), and slowing down your breathing: inhale through your nose (focusing on the air flowing through your nasal passages), hold it at the top, slowly exhale through your mouth. Eventually your mind will shut off the alarm and get back to work.
- Have an unflappably optimistic mindset. No matter how the test is going, never stop believing that you will be successful. Every time you miss a question, think: That's OK. I'll get the next one.
- Visualize positive outcomes. If you encounter a tough question and start catastrophizing (It's over!), close your eyes and imagine being happy with the outcome. After a hard reset, go back to the test, but start with a new question to build confidence before retrying the last one.
- Use positive self-talk. Identify negative thoughts and combat them with positive affirmations: This test is just a test. The outcome does not define who I am. I've put in the work, I know the material, and I can do this!
After the test
This is the part where many students stress over how they did, compare answers, obsess over mistakes, and freak out about the future. Yikes!
Instead of stewing in post-test anxiety, try sifting it for lessons learned. Use this experience to make the next one better!
- Review your approach. If you're unhappy about the way you prepared for the test, figure out what went wrong and address it.
- Review your test. Look for strengths, but mainly look for questions missed and why. Run out of time, misread a question, or draw a blank? Any patterns across missed questions? The goal is to recognize your tendencies in time to plan for them.
- Review your mindset. How did your mindset before and during the test help or hurt you? How can you improve it?
Don't settle for test anxiety!
Test anxiety is a growing concern for today's students. If it's becoming an issue for you, now is the time to do something about it. This resource points the way, but if you'd like someone to walk with you, Student Success Coaches are on standby and ready to assist!