Conquer

Your Test
Anxiety
A helpful guide to managing your anxiety
 1 Introduction to the Session
Today's
Agenda 2 Understaning test anxiety

3 Symptoms and causes

4 How to manage it
Imagine..
You paid attention in class, took detailed notes, read
every chapter, and even attended extra study sessions
after class, so you should do great on that big exam,
right?

When the test is presented, however, you find yourself

so nervous that you blank out the answers to even the
easiest questions. If this experience sounds familiar,
then you might be experiencing test anxiety.
 Test anxiety is a type of performance
anxiety

Understanding test It is a condition in which people

experience extreme distress and anxiety

anxiety in testing situations. While many people

experience some degree of stress and
anxiety before and during exams, test
anxiety can actually impair learning and
hurt test performance.
WHAT CAUSES THIS?

Being under Fear of failure Low

pressure self-esteem
If you connect your sense of
self-worth to your test
Excessive pressure to Believing grades are an
achieve and/or Past experiences scores, the pressure you put
Lack of preparation estimation of your personal
on yourself to succeed can
perfectionism worth
cause severe test anxiety.
After experiencing anxiety
Trying to fit in during one exam, students If you didn't study or didn't
study well enough, this can add Doubting your intelligence
information till the very may become so fearful or ability to perform well.
last minute about it happening again to your feeling of anxiety.
that they actually become
even more anxious during
the next exam
Common signs..
Emotional Behavioral Physical Cognitive

• Comparing yourself to
• Depression others
• Avoiding situations that • Sweating
• Low self-esteem • Blanking out
involve testing. • Shaking
• Irritation or anger • Dread about the
• Skipping class or even • Rapid heartbeat
towards others consequences of failure
dropping out of school. • Dry mouth
orourselves • Pressured thoughts
• Use of drugs or alcohol to • Fainting
• A feeling of hopelessness related to “needing to
cope • Nausea
study more” or “study
harder”
 Difficult not impossible.
Your mind is a strong tool, which when used correctly can be your biggest asset. Take control !
 • IDENTIFY YOUR LIMITS
Understand what you can or cannot do.
If cramming information a few hours before your exam doesn't
work for you then actively start studying at least a day before
our exams

Instead of aiming for perfection, which isn't possible, be

proud of however close you get. Burdening yourself with
such unrealistic expectations is only setting yourself up for
failure.

Forcing yourself or pushing your boundaries will only cause you

an unreasonable amount of pressure and stress.
2. DO YOUR BEST
Understand that people like you and value your
presence in their lives for many reasons, none of which
is the grade you made on a test.
Decide whether living up to these expectations is
something you want to do for yourself. Set your own
goals and live up to your own expectations.

If you connect your sense of self-worth to your test

scores, the pressure you put on yourself can cause
severe test anxiety.
Don't expect to be perfect. We all make mistakes and
that's okay. Knowing you've done your best and worked
hard is really all that matters, not perfection.
 3. Set an agenda.
Plan ahead. If uncertainity and leaving things for the last minute stresses you out then don't create such
situations for yourself.

Prepare for your next test, starting NOW. Observe the connection between the amount and quality of your
studying and the grade you earn.
 There are many methods of
meditation to explore. They
can involve movement,
focus, spirituality, or a
combination of all three.

Meditation doesn’t have to

be complicated. It can be as
simple as sitting quietly with
your own thoughts for 5
minutes.

4. Meditate
SOME EXAMPLES OF MEDITATION

• Visualization

• Breathing exercize
 Prepare in
SLEEP!! advance Positive affirmation

Things to keep in mind

Avoid Avoid the perfectionist

Adequate
unnecessary trap
Preparation
stress