What is test anxiety? 

It is being so afraid or worried about a test that performance suffers. 

  

What can cause test anxiety? 

• Exterior environment
• Noise level
• Eating habits
• Physical pains or ailments
• Personal stressors
• Relationship problems
• Problems with parents
• Problems with children
• Fear of failure
• Anger or depression
• Nervousness
• Butterflies in the stomach can cause one to not think very clearly.  The butterflies are caused by activation of the sympathetic nervous system.
• Can appear: cognitively, emotional, behavioral and/or physiological
• The symptoms caused by the SNS can be mild or extreme.
• Some even use the nervousness to perform more efficiently on their easier tasks.
• Generalized anxiety (Anxiety Attacks)
• A severe form of nervousness.
• The SNS responding to a stressor, cumulative stress or an internal cue.

  

How to positively respond to test anxiety: 

• Be preventative-Take good care of yourself.
• Eating
• Sleeping
• Exercise
• Study properly
• Know your strengths and weaknesses with taking tests.
• What kind of tests are you good at taking?
• Focus on your strengths and remind yourself of your achievements
• Counter negative thoughts with positive ones like:
• "I can do this."
• "I can succeed."
• "I am a competent person and can do my best."
• Deal with emotional issues separately.
• During a test is not a good time to deal with your own emotions
• Emotions will interfere with the "thinking" mind.
• Keep your thoughts activated and your feelings deactivated.
• Learn to relax on cue.
• Methods of learning relaxation
• Relaxation tapes (i.e.: hypnosis tapes)
• Yoga
• Walking
• Tai Chi
• La Maze
• Relaxing self talk

  

Additional Information 

If you have any additional questions or would like to talk to a counselor, please contact: 

  

Kitty Cappellano 

Assistant to the Director of Student Success 

Email: cappellano@clarksoncollege.edu  

Phone: 402.552.2694