Whether you have experienced testing anxiety your whole life or this is a new form of emotional distress in your life, testing anxiety can be eased and combated. Anxiety around testing is common, but it can take a toll on you and your body. It is best to remember it’s just a test/grade, and you will be okay no matter the outcome. A grade does not define your intelligence, potential, or worth, and with effort and experience, confidence will grow. It is okay to take longer to understand concepts, and it is okay to need support. Growth, learning, and success are linear, and effort is the best way to get to where you want to be. Always remember, you are accepted into the university, and you deserve to be here.
Test Preparation
Thorough test preparation is the first step in combating testing anxiety, which starts with studying the material. It is easier to feel prepared when you genuinely are prepared. Along with proper studying, communicating with your teacher about any questions or concerns you have prior to can help promote ease on testing day. If you have any tools that help you ease anxiety, even if you doubt it is allowed, ask your professor if you could have that with you. Review the testing topics, class material, and testing information as soon as possible to have an idea of what to expect on testing day and how to best prepare. Try to space out studying over days/weeks to avoid cramming before your test. If possible, try a trial run in the same/similar conditions as the real test will be to practice coping strategies.
Night of Test
In the evening/night before, nerves can be high, and anxiety may peak. Once you have finished studying, try an anxiety-reducing activity to calm nerves before sleep. Some of my favorites are coloring, reading a fiction book, or watching a comfort show. Exercise can also calm nerves, such as yoga, running, walking, or going to the gym. Anxiety can affect appetite, but it is hard to fall asleep when you are hungry, so try to eat a well-balanced meal before bedtime. In my opinion, sleep is the most important night-before preparation. You should aim to get 8-10 hours of sleep, so avoid late-night studying on the night before the test.
Day of Test
On the day of the test, depending on the time the test starts, wake up with enough time to take your time getting prepared to take the test. Try to eat a balanced meal for breakfast or lunch and do a light exercise, such as a walk or stretching, before the test. Do not overdo your caffeine intake because it could worsen the effects of anxiety in the body. Stay hydrated and bring a waterbottle (if allowed) to avoid headaches and to promote brain function. I suggest wearing comfortable clothes, but some people feel they perform better when dressed nicely, so choose what’s best for you.
You most likely will have tests in person and online
For in-person tests
Arrive early for the exam and try to sit in a familiar spot. Once you find your spot, put down your materials to go use the bathroom, and fill your water bottle. Prepare your testing area with the needed materials and approved comfort items before the test starts. During the test, use time markers to pace you along, and focus on your own test to avoid becoming distracted or rushed. If you get stuck or don’t know an answer, don’t dwell. Just skip the problem and come back to it later. Once you finish, trust your work and hand it in without overthinking.
For online tests
You have much more freedom to use wanted comfort items and create a testing space that works best for you. Set up your testing environment and make sure all technology, including WiFi, is working beforehand. Log in to your test early and try to have a timer with you to self-pace timed tests. If you are taking the test at home and you have roommates, give your roommates a heads-up that you will be taking a test and need a calm environment for said test. Before you start the test, set up the charger if needed, go to the bathroom, prepare any food or drink wanted during the test, and prepare any calming tools/strategies needed during the test. During the test, pace yourself and skip unknown problems, returning to them at the end. Once you finish, check that all questions are answered, submit, and get off the computer immediately.
What Now?
The work is done, but the anxiety is still distressing. What now?
Do not spend your time worrying about what is already done. It can feel impossible, so I suggest healthy distractions to get your mind off the test.
Some Ideas are:
- Social interaction
- Self-Care Activities
- Exercise
- Relaxation Activities
General Tips
Now, let’s talk about specific techniques, tools, and products that have helped me combat testing anxiety. These are tips and tricks for tackling anxiety before, during, and after the test.
Breathing Techniques: When I was younger, I would roll my eyes at the idea that deep breathing could calm the storm of anxiety in my head, until I tried it. Spoiler alert, it truly does work.
Here are some easy breathing techniques you can try:
- Put your hand on your stomach, close your eyes, take a deep breath in as you feel your stomach expanding, then breathe out as much as you can as you feel your stomach deflating. Repeat 5 times or as many times as you need.
- Box Breathing: inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4. Repeat several times.
Visualizing with the purpose of reducing anxiety consists of closing your eyes, clearing your mind, and visualizing your intended or most favorable result of whatever future event is triggering anxiety.
- For example, you are so anxious about a midterm coming up. You visualize yourself receiving a 100% on that midterm in your head. This helps ease doubtful thinking by challenging it with the desired result.
Positive Affirmations are short, forward statements you say to yourself out loud, designed to enhance self-esteem, self-confidence, and counteract negative beliefs.
- Some examples are: “I am smart”, “I am prepared”, “I am calm and focused”, “I empty my head of racing thoughts”, “I am safe and at ease”, “I deserve to be here”, “I am separate from my anxiety and it does not control me”.
- There are many existing positive affirmations online, so a quick search can help you find positive affirmations that resonate with you.
Grounding yourself helps your mind and body come back to the present moment, which acts against the progression of anxious thoughts.
Here are some ideas:
- 5,4,3,2,1 Method: While looking around your environment, find 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
- Cold Compresses: holding an ice cube, splashing cold water on your face, or taking a cold shower.
- Object Hunt: a simplified version of the 5,4,3,2,1 method, where you find 5 objects that meet some requirement. For example, find 5 tall and skinny objects.
- Close your eyes and picture places, people, and things that you love.
Muscle relaxation techniques can release tension in the body caused by anxiety and stress. The easiest way to do this is by purposely tightening a muscle, like the fist or shoulder, and then releasing after 5 seconds. ,
Meditation is a common way of clearing the mind and releasing stress from the body. This can look like sitting on the ground, closing your eyes, clearing your mind, and breathing deeply continuously. YouTube and Spotify have tracks to help guide meditation. Headspace is a great app to guide meditation for different purposes, such as sleep or focus. Mediation may be uncomfortable or difficult as you start, but the more you do it, the easier it gets and the stronger the results.
Self-talk reappraisal is very similar to positive self-talk, but it is used to counteract and challenge negative or anxious thoughts. For example:
- Negative self-talk: “I’m going to fail this test.”
- Self-talk reappraisal: “I have studied the material, so I will do well on the test.”
Helpful Tools
These are all tools and products I use or have used in the past that help with heightened anxiety, overstimulation, panic, and overthinking spirals. They are all available on Amazon, and you should be able to access Amazon Prime benefits as a student.
- Fidget Toys: There are a variety of different kinds of toys, and they help distract the brain from over-mental stimulation. I would suggest small, silent fidgets for testing to avoid distracting others/yourself. My favorite kinds are small rubber fidgets with designs because they are quiet, easy, and satisfying to pick at.
- Noise-canceling earbuds/headphones: These help avoid overstimulation and can aid in focus by canceling out distracting noises. The common options are headphones and earplugs (disposable, electronic, or rubber).
- Essential oils: Calming essential oil scents help refresh the body, reduce stress in the body, and are best paired with breathing techniques. My personal favorite scents to release anxiety are lavender, eucalyptus, mint, and sage. I currently use the Moxi essential oil nasal sticks, but oils, candles, shower melts, diffusers, and balms are available.
- Weighted Items: Comfortable but weighted products stimulate “feel good” chemicals in the brain to reduce anxiety and stress. In my opinion, the best weighted products for testing are a weighted lap blanket, a weighted stuffed animal, a weighted shoulder pad, or a weighted hoodie.
- Heated Items: Warmth is very soothing and relaxing, which can help reduce anxiety and promote calm. I use these during online tests to discourage getting up for distractions and keep me regulated during the test. The easiest forms of heated items for testing at home are a heating pad or a heatable stuffed animal.
- Blue Light Glasses: These glasses help reduce eye strain and migraines from screens. I struggle the most with tension headaches and migraines, and blue light glasses have eased the amount of pain I feel. Being in pain is a huge distraction and can heighten anxiety, so easing pain as you test can limit anxiety.
- Warm Tea: Warm tea can soothe the body and promote relaxation, which is beneficial in combating anxiety. There are teas specifically for stress, but a tea you enjoy should be the goal. My personal favorite is the Yogi Honey Lavender stress relief tea.
- Mouth Fidget: Best for those who have habits of grinding their teeth, biting their cheeks/lips, biting their fingernails, or who need a sensory distraction from anxiety. Easy, non-attention-forming options are gum and mouth mints/candies. Fidget toys for the mouth are available as well, such as rubber necklaces and rubber toys.
- Stickers: Stickers that provide breathing technique visual aids, positive affirmations, inspiring quotes, and feel-good images that can provide comfort and encouragement during the test. You can put these on water bottles, notebooks, or other testing materials to promote deep breathing or positive self-talk during testing.
Resources/ARC
Accessing and implementing accommodations can help support you by offering access to tools, resources, social support, and sensory-friendly environments. UWM Accessibility Resource Center, also known as ARC, can provide accommodations for UW-Milwaukee students. The generalized accommodations available with approval are flexibility with due dates, avoidance of fluorescent light/ glare, earplugs/headphones, extra time for testing, memory aids, and access to a minimally distracting environment.
You can gain information on the UWM Accessibility Resource Center and what is available to all students, even without accommodations in place.
You can access the application for accommodations with more information on how to gain access to accommodations.
If you have accommodations, you can access your accommodations.
Written by Gwen Ulfig (She/Her)