Test anxiety
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Explanation
Anxiety A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning. (The American Heritage® Dictionary, 2000)
The feeling of anxiety is something that almost everyone feels at some point in their life. Some people feel anxious more often and to a stronger degree than others. The anxiousness most people feel before an athletic event, a dramatic performance, a test at school, etc., is a normal feeling. The extent in which the anxiousness is allowed to interfere with your ability to perform is individual to each person. Some people are able to use the feelings of anxiety to motivate them to perform better, while others feel the anxiety inhibits their performance.
Test anxiety is the feeling of "nervousness or apprehension before, during or after an exam."(CampusBlues.com). Most people experience anxiety before a test or exam, however it affects some people to the point that "it interferes with our ability to prepare for and perform on tests."(SUNY Potsdam).
The physical aspects of test anxiety are biological, consisting of hormonal, chemical, and muscular changes in the body. The by-product of this condition is interference with the thinking process. The physical symptoms can include muscle tension, "butterflies," nausea, shortness of breath, clammy hands, rapid heartbeat, and feeling faint. When these symptoms are present, basic thinking processes like remembering, analyzing, and problem solving are affected. That is the reason that students who experience test anxiety feel that their brain is just not working right.
The biological state of fear or anxiety occurs in response to a perceived threat. The purpose of this biological reaction is to keep the body vigilant, ready to run or fight if necessary. This is the so-called "fight or flight" response that was necessary for humans thousands of years ago. Unfortunately, this primitive biological response can cause problems in today's society. A person's natural reaction is to run away from, or avoid a perceived threat. This is not possible in a college classroom, and being required to remain in the presence of a perceived threat (the test) can only increase the symptoms. The physical symptoms and anxiety become a vicious cycle from which the person cannot escape. If the anxiety becomes too great, a person's brain will in effect shut down. This is the body's way of dealing with an intolerably high level of stress that cannot be removed.
Who is affected?
It is likely more people are affected by test anxiety than is known. Typically people are affected for the following reasons:
- Lack of preparation.
- A previous negative experience with test taking.
- Poor study skills and/or habits.
- Last minute studying (or cramming).
- Lack of confidence.
- Lack of proper rest.
- Fear of failure.
- None of the above.
Sometimes people may feel anxious about a test and are unable to pinpoint any reason why. Some may end up feeling anxious about their own anxiety prior to feeling it and everything ends up "snowballing". The key is not to try to eliminate the feelings of anxiety, but to control or reduce them. "...you don't have to eliminate it entirely. You just want to reduce the anxiety to an manageble level." (UFL Counseling Center).
How to help yourself?
When someone is able to find the reason for their test anxiety, they can take steps to reduce the cause of it. If unable to find a specific cause, there are still things that can be done to help reduce the anxious feelings.
Organize your study habits... Make sure you give yourself sufficient time to prepare for a test. Do not wait until the last minute and cram for a test. Look over previous work on the subject you are being tested on and re-read material that you covered. If available, take a practice test. If no practice test is available, consider making up your own questions that could be similar to what you may see on the test.
Know the material... Building on the suggestion above, try to know the material inside and out. This will not only be helpful in the future (many of your peers who don't have test anxiety will only study for the test and then forget everything they learned), but it will inspire your confidence as you sit down and look at the questions. If it helps, imagine how much more you know than the classmates around you as you look through the test and begin to work.
Know as much as possible about the test... If your professor or teacher is amenable, ask them about the length, format, and style of the test. If they give the same kind of test regularly, you can get used to multiple choice or prepare for an essay more carefully. The more you know when you sit down, the better you can talk yourself out of anxiety (it is only 20 questions, and I see I know six answers right away...).
Build up your self-confidence... Reassure yourself that you have taken the necessary steps for success on the test. Do not allow yourself to think negative thoughts which will tear down your confidence. Don't compare yourself to others in your class. Look at the test as just a part of the whole class. Try to encourage yourself with positive thoughts and/or write yourself notes of encouragement. "Repeating your positive statements to yourself will help reprogram your mind for success instead of failure."(UFL Counseling Center). Visit this website for a checklist of statements to refute...Test Anxiety UBuffalo.
Follow healthy habits... Make sure you don't spend your evening before a test eating junk food and cramming till late hours. Eat a quality healthy meal and get a reasonable amount of sleep. Don't miss breakfast, even if you normally skip it, but don't over do it. Try to avoid caffeine, it can cause you to feel jittery. Relax, breathe deep and find something you enjoy to read. This website has some great suggestions...Test Anxiety SUNY Potsdam Counseling Center.
Prepare yourself the night before... This is especially important if your test is in the morning. Certainly get a writing utensil, calculator, or other tools ready but also pick an outfit, set out breakfast items, etc. This may seem silly but the less you have to worry about on the day of the test, the better off you will be. That way, you can coast through, knowing that everything is prepared for your day.
Try the self-hypnosis... This is not an area for advice from me. Take a look at this web-site to see if it is for you...How To Overcome Test Anxiety.
Dress for Success... It may be just a myth, but it can have very rewarding results. When a person dresses up, it tends to make them more confident in themselves. If you look good you feel better about yourself. Use this when getting ready to take a test. Pick out a nice outfit, one that you know you look good in and walk in to that classroom with your head held high and a load of confidence and see how you preform!
To try and help students with text anxiety, I had a teacher that would give us mints before a test. Having something else to focus on eased our minds a bit. We got to the point where we were expecting the mint and when the teacher tried to tell us we would not need the mint by not giving us one towards our last test, most of us went into panic mode. There was a definite need for that small security blanket. Also see Math Anxiety
Helpful Web-Sites
How To Overcome Test Anxiety This one has self-hypnosis suggestions.
Test Anxiety SUNY Potsdam Counseling Center This is easy to read and has some unusual suggestions.
Test Anxiety UTDallas This one is short and to the point.
Test Anxiety UBuffalo This covers just about everything. It has interesting check lists of statements to refute at the end.
Test Anxiety What is test anxiety, and how do I know I have it?
Test Anxiety CampusBlues This one offers some extra explanation on causes. It also discusses performance anxiety.
Testimonials from sufferers
Please offer your experiences and/or suggestions.
I can’t pinpoint why I have developed test anxiety, but I always try to avoid studying for tests and act as if they will just go away. Obviously, this creates a serious problem for me, as tests are an essential part of college. I just can’t help but feel panicked before tests, I frequently understudy by studying the wrong parts for a class or trying to avoid the test altogether. I am getting help from the test anxiety center of the university, and it has helped a lot. I am gradually working through my test anxiety issues and I have already become noticeably more relaxed before and during tests. I can now relax enough to actually focus on a test. Matt Munley
I have had a tremendous amount of test anxiety over the years. I realized at a young age why teachers tested students on subject matter, so I have tried to find ways to help me retain the information better by participating actively in the classroom. (That's whether the teacher likes it or not!) I feel like I remember things better if I am actively participating and if the teacher asks me to form my own questions. Take-home test are also very helpful. Sometimes I discover more interesting information on the topics presented on the take-home mid-term or final. Some might argue, but I know that I retain more of what was learned this way. Memorizing things took the form of a melody or a rhythm in my brain. (This works well in English and History classes. I never had a use for it in math, but then again, I never had the desire to learn math.)
In undergrad, I remember cramming for exams an hour or two before and getting and "A". The information was forgotten by dinner time--But at least I learned it for that fifty-minute exam!...something to think about.
When I went down the list of things that cause test anxiety, I found that fear and lack of sleep were what get to me. (The fear causes the lack of sleep.) Tests give me anxiety mostly because I don't like being held back. The way a person tests determines a lot of things with regard to direction in a person's life. I feel restricted and controlled by the idea and it causes me to worry quite a bit. ("You mean, my ACT score determines which school lets me in? AAAAAAHHHHH!")
(Kathryn Milner)
I have always hated taking tests, especially when it was my first test from a new teacher. I never knew how it would be set up or how they would present the material. My goal as a teacher is to prevent my students from going through this. I always give a review sheet that is set up in the same format as the test. I truly believe that this should help my students get past part of their anxiety. Nichole Jessup
When I was in high school my little brother had a miserable time adjusting to his high school IEP. The teachers were not accomadating nor did they know exactly how to change the information to suit his needs. My parents were constantly helping him and getting more and more frustrated. Around this time I started getting very anxious when I took tests. I think that it was probably because I didn't want to cause my parents any further worry. It was so frustrating because even the teacher knew that I understood the material, I was just having problems performing on the tests- Jen Gentile
My oldest daughter had a terrible time with test anxiety. She would get violent ill before an exam, but would go ahead and take the exam. She would get herself so emotional about the test usually she didn't do as well as she could. This followed her all through her schooling even in college. In high school, the teachers were aware of her problem and would accommodate her (she only had 18 students in her senior class). When she went to college, it really effected her performance, yet she did get a double degree in chemistry and soil science (her grades weren't what she would have liked, but she did get through school).S.Morrisette
I have horrible test anxiety, especially on timed tests. As a teacher, I am always conscious about how many of each type of question there are on tests and how if I think that the student will be a able to finish the test with enough time. I believe that this is a effort to eliviate as much stress from the testing experience as possible for my students. - Chris Royer
As a high school teacher, it is important for me to be able to help students who may experience test anxiety. I really think that identifying and helping students with anxiety at an early stage can significantly increase their ability to perform well on exams. This has a snowball effect…higher ACT, better college, better job, more money, etc. I was a student who suffered through test anxiety unnoticed well in to college. I hope to help students through what I have learned along my journey as a student. --M. Waters
My youngest daughter has had problems with test anxiety since the second grade when she had to start taking those timed math tests. She would become so paralyzed that she would only finish a few problems and would end up getting sick and going to the nurse. This continued for several years finally culminating in becoming ill whenever she knew that one of those test were scheduled. She knew the answers, and if you quized her, she would almost always pass with flying colors. We finally saw a counselor about it and he gave us a number of relaxation techniques that really worked. Her teachers worked with us to help her stress and she started succeeding on tests. Once she found that she was in control, her anxiety started to drop. She starts high school this year and hopefully things will continue to get better. She still doesn't do her best work on tests, but with a bag a tricks to use, she is now more in control. A. Dorough
My brother had sort of test anxiety as well. He could be easily discouraged by the test scores, which meant that if he did poorly in one exam, it would affect his next exam. Unfortunately, in my country, we don't usually have any counselors to help us with this problem, so most of the times, it is the parents and the children that help themselves out. Last week, my brother attended the high school entrance exam. He seemed calmed, but I don't think test anxiety can be overcome easily. ---X. Z.
When I was a college undergrad, I tutored another student in chemistry because she was not doing well in the class. After about two tutoring sessions I realized that she probably knew the chemistry material better than I did. It turns out that she did know the information extremely well, but when she would get her test booklet in class, her vision would go blurry and she would completely forget everything. The thing that finally helped her was that she was able to take the tests in a room by herself with no time limit. B. Harnden
When I started grad school, I was required to stay on campus and take a semester course over a 10 day period. I spent all day in class and all evening writing papers and working on group projects. When it came time to take the final, I was exhausted and completely crashed during the final. I started to hyperventilate. I couldn't focus on my paper. I couldn't concentrate on writing. It was crazy. I had to turn my incomplete final in and leave the room because the ticking of the wall clock seemed to be getting louder and louder, and I started to panic. I think not eating and sleeping right and being out of my element threw me off. My resistance was so down from this experience that I ended up with a really bad cold that lasted for weeks. I can't imagine what it would be like if this happened every time I took a test. M.T.
Although I don't suffer from test anxiety myself, many of my students do. I teach high school math, and many students also have math anxiety. Pair that with test anxiety, and you've got a terrible mix. When my students don't do so well on a quiz or test, I always ask them, did you study? Did you look over your notes? Did you do any practice problems? They often say yes, and then proceed by telling me there's just no way to study for a math test. I tell them that studying for a math test and studying for a history test are completely different. Studying for a math test, in my opinion, simply means practicing a lot of problems like the ones on homework assignments. I try to quell the test anxiety my students have by providing them with a study guide with comparable problems that they will see on the test, but even this doesn't help some students. I've recently discovered that a few of my students depend on their notes too much. When they are faced with doing the problems on their own, they can't because they don't have the security of using their notes. I suggested to them that they use their notes on the first couple problems, but then to try the first without using their notes. Homework is a time for practice, not necessarily perfection, and the only way that they will be able to work a certain problem on a test is by practicing it over and over. Eventually they will be able to do it without really thinking about the process anymore. - A Clow
References
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Campusblues.com, Test Anxiety and Test and Performance Anxieties, downloaded on 10/29/2004 from www.campusblues.com/test.asp.
UFL Counseling Center, Test Anxiety, Barbara Probert, PhD. Published by University of Florida Counseling Center, 301 Peabody Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611. Downloaded on 10/29/2004 from www.counsel.ufl.edu/selfHelp/testAnxiety.asp.
SUNY Potsdam, Test Anxiety, Suny Potsdam Counseling Center, Dunn Hall, Room 392, Potsdam, NY 13676. Downloaded 11/27/2004 from www.potsdam.edu/COUN/brochures/test.html.
UIUC Self Help Brochure, Test Anxiety,http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/brochures/testanx.htm
