Test Taking Anxiety is typical to people and can be a motivator to study more dilegently or can be a big problem if it adversely affects your performance.
Many students find taking tests to be very stressful. It’s not unusual at all to feel worried during exam times and the more critical the exam, the bigger the stress. Actually a little test anxiety is natural and can help you prepare and do well on a test unless the anxiety becomes severe enough to weaken your performance.
Anxiety is a really a normal reaction to pressure that all people feel. The good part of anxiety is that it can prompt you to study more dilegently and be much better prepared than you would if you had no test anxiety. On the downside, too much Test Taking Anxiety is not only quite distressing, it can harm your ability to perform at your best. If you find your anxiety level is hurting your ability to perform on critical tests such as college entrance tests or driving tests, it may be time to search for help for your anxiety.
How can you know if your test taking anxiety level is average or severe enough to be considered an anxiety disorder?
Remember the last crucial test you took and ask yourself if you experienced any of the following ahead of or during the test.
-Physical Symptoms such as headaches, queasiness, or diarrhea, extreme body temperature changes, extreme sweating, shortness of breath, light-headed or fainting, rapid heart beat, muscle tension or a dry mouth
Emotional Symptoms – intense feelings of insecurity, disappointment, irritation, depression or nervous laughing, crying
-Body Tension – fidgeting, pacing, tempted to use something (drugs or alcohol) to calm you or wanted to avoid the test altogether
-Mental Symptoms – racing thoughts, mind goes blank, difficulty concentrating, negative self-talk, feelings of dread, negatively comparing yourself to others, difficulty organizing your thoughts.
If you suffered from many of these symptoms or a just a few but they were extremely severe, you could benefit from knowing how to overcome your test taking anxiety.
What causes Test Anxiety and why do some experience it while other people are able to stay calm?
Test Anxiety can be created by many things such as lack of sleep from all night cramming, poor time management and study skills, and feeling unprepared before the test. Other reasons for test anxiety can be related to other types of anxiety and stress. Is there great amount of stress in your life right now? Do you have other symptoms of anxiety disorders…panic attacks, insomnia, depression or changes in appetite?
You may experience more test anxiety than normal when you are experiencing a lot of stress in general. Some people are more nervous by nature and tend to be more susceptible to test taking anxiety as well as other anxiety disorder symptoms.
Despite whether you have continuously experienced severe anxiety around taking tests, or you are struggling through a stressful time in your life, there are things you can do now to get your anxiety under control and improve your performance on critical tests.
Discover how to conquer your test taking anxiety now and sign up for a Free Mini-Course Anxiety Answers for immediate relief.
