Test Anxiety: Symptoms, Causes, & How to Cope

What Is Test Anxiety?

Most people feel nervous before a crucial exam or performance. Test anxiety, however, often represents a more extreme response to nervousness. In some cases, this anticipatory anxiety may jeopardize your ability to focus, relax, and think critically during the test itself. Unfortunately, such interferences may result in a less-than-ideal performance. As a result, you may not do as well as you want, reinforcing a self-fulfilling prophecy of your own anxiety.

“Test anxiety occurs on a continuum, and it isn’t a psychological diagnosis. There is a sweet spot of moderate anxiety that facilitates doing well—a little bit of nerves put you in the zone for optimal performance,” says Morgan M. Grotewiel, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Webster University. “Too much anxiety, however, decreases performance due to its adverse effects.”

Test Anxiety Symptoms

Test anxiety symptoms include a mix of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms. They often coincide with other forms of anxiety, and these symptoms can affect people of all backgrounds and skill levels. In many ways, test anxiety mimics performance anxiety or stage fright. If you feel pressure to perform well, your anxiety may stunt your ability to succeed.

Common physical symptoms of testing anxiety include:

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Difficulty breathing
• Headaches or migraines
• Muscle tension
• Excessive sweating
• Feeling hot

Potential cognitive symptoms of testing anxiety could include:

• Persistently comparing yourself to others
• Blanking out (feeling as if you can’t remember any important information)
• Negative thoughts about yourself
• Flashbacks or ruminating thoughts about past performances
• Dread about the consequences of failure
• Pressured thoughts related to “needing to study more” or “study harder”

Potential emotional symptoms of testing anxiety may include:

• Irritation or anger towards oneself (or the test administrator)
• Excessive fear
• Shame
• Disappointment in oneself
• Sadness

What Causes Test Taking Anxiety?

Like with most anxiety conditions, there doesn’t appear to be a single cause for test anxiety. Instead, it’s more likely that this anxiety emerges from a combination of factors.

According to Grotewiel, “There are several causes of test anxiety. Students may experience anxiety about a specific test because they haven’t prepared or because the test is high-stakes. Many students get especially anxious about timed tests. Students with recurring, high levels of test anxiety, regardless of specific testing conditions, may have higher levels of general anxiety or perfectionistic tendencies. In fact, students with a history of test anxiety may even experience anxiety about test anxiety rather than the test itself.”

Test anxiety may be caused by one or multiple of these factors:

• Fear of failure: Many people measure their confidence and self-worth based on their performance. As a result, these individuals may internalize any perceived instances of failure as them being a failure.
• Lack of preparedness or awareness: In some cases, you may feel unprepared for the test. You may not have studied well enough, or you may not have studied the right material. Seeing those first few questions—and not knowing how to answer them correctly—may trigger anxiety.
• Struggling with testing in the past: A history of issues with testing and performance may trigger negative thoughts about yourself and your ability to succeed. These thought patterns can spiral into anxiety, reinforcing a vicious cycle of nervousness before future tests.
• External pressure: If a parent, coach, or teacher has overly high expectations for your behavior, you may feel even more responsible for impressing them. This pressure may exacerbate anxiety.
• Unrealistic fears: Having unfounded worries, such as believing loved ones won’t think you’re smart or that your entire career will be doomed if you fail an exam, can exacerbate test anxiety.²
• Other anxiety symptoms or an anxiety disorder: Anxiety can compound itself, meaning that if you struggle with anxiety in one area of your life, it can undoubtedly bleed into other areas.

11 Ways to Overcome Test Anxiety

Although test anxiety can feel frustrating, practicing different relaxation and cognitive strategies can help you feel less nervous. Commit to trying new ways to cope with your  test anxiety. Practicing them often will help them become more second-nature in your routine.

If you’re dealing with test anxiety, consider trying these 11 tips:

1. Study Efficiently and in Ways That Work Best for You

Everyone studies differently, but rather than focus on how your peers study, try to focus on doing more of what works for you. Try to prioritize active, rather than passive, engagement. This may mean creating study guides and flashcards. It also may include practicing “teaching” the information aloud to understand it better.³

Grotewiel recommends, “Most students would benefit from studying smarter: schedule in study time like you would homework, join a study group, and practice effective study habits, like the SQ3R method of reading.”

2. Start Studying Early & in the Same Place

Waiting until the last minute to study will only increase your test-related stress. The best way to manage test anxiety is by making sure you’re well prepared. Start by setting a realistic time frame for learning the required material, then find a place that’s conducive to learning. A spot that’s easily accessible, comfortable, has the tools/materials you need, good lighting, few distractions, etc. Also, setting up your space like the room where the test will be given could make you remember the information easier when you take the test. Having this plan in place will decrease the anxiety and give the self-confidence you need.

3. Ask Your Teacher About the Best Ways to Achieve Success

Teachers are very familiar with the nuances of test anxiety. They want to see their students do well and feel confident in their classes. If you are struggling, reach out. Let them know what’s going on—they might have specific suggestions for how and what to study or be able to make certain accommodations for you.

4. Get to the Testing Site Early

Arriving at the testing site early enough can reduce your anxiety. This can give you space to unwind, practice some relaxation exercises, locate the testing room, and find a seat where you’ll be able to focus. You can also use this extra time to mentally reassure yourself and reframe anxious thoughts into positive ones. Taking these steps can put you at ease and enhance your performance.

5. Challenge Perfectionistic Thoughts

The goal isn’t about achieving perfection, and having that goal will only lead to burnout and frustration. It’s okay to make mistakes. Remind yourself that perfectionism isn’t everything before, during, and after the test.

6. Visualize Success

Positively visualizing yourself succeeding can improve how you think and feel in the moments before a test.⁴ Outcome visualization refers to visualizing the end goal (getting an excellent grade on the test). Process visualization refers to imaging yourself actually taking the test and getting to your end goal.

People prefer different types of visualization, but it can be helpful to spend a few minutes before your exam imagining yourself feeling relaxed and succeeding.

7. Don’t Sacrifice Sleep

Many people spend the night before a test cramming in information. But poor sleep can wreak havoc on your physical and emotional well-being. Furthermore, good sleep can help solidify memory and concentration, both of which are essential for a key performance.⁵

8. Read the Testing Directions Carefully

Read the test’s instructions thoroughly and if you have any questions ask for clarification before you get started. As you go through the test ensure that you are carefully reading all choices provided before marking your answer or proceeding to the next section. You are also more likely to catch careless mistakes when you take your time reading and fully comprehending the content and what is being asked in each section.

9. Keep Track of Time During the Exam

Wear a watch and check the time when you start the test. Monitor the time regularly but avoid constantly checking it as this can distract you and further increase your test anxiety. Moreover, if you are uncertain about a tough question, do not dwell on it—make your best guess, and move on. Keep in mind that you can get several answers wrong and still do well.

10. Don’t Pay Attention to What Others Are Doing

Getting to the testing site early enough is best practice but arriving too early can be counterproductive. You’ll likely be around other anxious test takers, which will further increase your stress-levels. If for some reason you get there too early, then either wait in your car or outside of the testing room in an area where there’s no one around. Once it’s time to go in, avoid talking to other students or looking at what they’re doing, just focus on your own test and pace.

11. Practice Stress Management Techniques

It’s important to manage your anxiety before it escalates. If you don’t, test anxiety will likely continue to affect you. Try to make sure that you practice self-care and relaxation regularly—get enough sleep, eat a nutritious diet, connect with social support, and take frequent breaks as you study.

Grotewiel says, “In-the-moment anxiety may be reduced with cognitive-behavioral strategies, including de-catastrophizing, self-soothing, positive self-talk, grounding, and visualizing success.”

Test Anxiety Treatment

Practicing various self-help strategies and implementing various distress tolerance skills can significantly decrease your anxiety. But if your anxiety continues to feel debilitating, or if you notice certain symptoms worsening, you may benefit from therapy for anxiety, and potentially medication.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is an evidence-based therapeutic modality designed to help people understand and reduce their anxiety symptoms. A CBT therapist can support you in identifying specific triggers. They can also teach you new ways to reframe automatic thoughts into more realistic, constructive ones. Finally, CBT often integrates themes of mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion, all of which can help you feel more empowered when working through your anxiety.

Medication

SSRIs and other anti-anxiety medications can help you feel less anxious before tests. These medications can also help with co-occurring anxiety or depression symptoms. It’s worth consulting with your primary care physician or psychiatrist for an evaluation.

Keep in mind that medication alone won’t “cure” anxiety. In fact, most healthcare providers will only consider medication for test anxiety after an individual has been engaged in regular therapy.

Don’t Ignore a Potential Learning Disability

Students with ADHD or a learning disability are typically prone to suffering from test anxiety and often experience struggles with inattention, ability to focus, and other learning-related tasks.⁶ Thus, do not disregard the possibility of having a learning deficit if you struggle with academics and test-taking.

If you think this is your case, talk with school staff, a doctor, or other professionals who can order a comprehensive assessment to determine if you have a learning disorder. With a formal diagnosis, you’ll be granted special accommodations (additional time, taking the test in a room without distractions, etc.) which is a right protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).⁷

How to Get Help

Getting help for test anxiety starts with first recognizing the need for help. Remember that you don’t need to suffer in silence! If this is a new issue, it may be worthwhile to first address the problem by speaking with your instructor or school.

But if this is a more persistent, global concern (or if you’ve had test anxiety for many years), you might benefit from speaking with a therapist first. To begin your search, look for an anxiety therapist through a qualified, professional directory.

Then, when meeting with potential candidates, it can be helpful to ask the following:

• What kind of experience do you have in treating test or performance anxiety?
• What kind of results should I expect from our work?
• How often will we meet?

Final Thoughts on Test Anxiety

Test anxiety can be frustrating, but it can be manageable and treatable. In addition, learning new skills and implementing them into your routine can make a tremendous difference in how you feel.

Furthermore, if you always feel nervous before an important exam or performance, reaching out for professional guidance can help. A qualified therapist can provide you with support and practical resources for coping with this anxiety.