How to Deal with Test Anxiety

What is Test Anxiety?

- At Jill Abrams Tutoring we know that school related anxiety is a very real and very serious problem for many students. While feeling nervous about a big test or exam is a completely normal experience for all students, some students experience crippling test anxiety. Test anxiety can present with psychological and physical symptoms. Students may experience the inability to concentrate, feelings of dread, dizziness, nausea, and headaches.

Tips for Managing School Anxiety

- Be Prepared: Being prepared in ways such as studying adequately, showing up to school early, eating a filling breakfast, and getting a good night’s sleep can drastically reduce your students test anxiety.

- Read the Instructions Carefully: Be sure to read all directions thoroughly to ensure you have a full understanding of the test questions or essay prompts.

- Don’t Pay Attention to What Others Are Doing: Many students feel the need to be one of the first to turn in a test or exam. This desire causes unnecessary stress and can result in a lower test grade. It’s important to remind your student to focus fully on themselves and the material at hand and to not get distracted by their peers.

- Focus on Deep Breathing and Positive Thoughts: To help combat oncoming anxiety focus on calm breathing and positive thoughts. At Jill Abrams Tutoring we know how serious these issues can be for students. Our team of trained tutors teach our students test taking strategies and study methods to help ease test anxiety.