Hawley Center

Test Anxiety

How well you do on a test is oftentimes not only related to how much you study for it, but also to how nervous you are about the test. If you suffer from test anxiety, consider the following tips.

  • Try a technique called overlearning. Overlearning means reviewing the material for an exam even after you can recite it flawlessly. This technique increases retention of what you have learned and gives you confidence about taking an exam. One good way to overlearn material is to use notecards and drill yourself, or have a friend drill you. Using notecards makes it easy to review the same material repeatedly until you know it by heart.
  • As you start a test, take a few moments for the following breathing technique:  Breathe only through your nose. Take equal amounts of time to breathe in and out. Inhale and exhale continuously and leisurely. For example, count "one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three," and so on as you inhale and exhale.
  • Remind yourself that you have attended class, read your textbook, and reviewed your notes - you can do this!
  • If you are worried about forgetting a specific fact or statistic, briefly write down the information on the back of your test before you begin.
  • Start with what you know in order to build your confidence.
  • If you cannot quite answer a question completely, write down as much as you can. It may be possible to get partial credit. Also, having some information down on paper can trigger other ideas and answers.
  • If test anxiety is still a serious problem for you, consider asking your professor if he or she will allow you to take the exam at Hawley. At Hawley we provide a testing room which is free of the distractions that might add to your anxiety when you are taking exams.

Last Updated: 11/18/11