{"id":1005,"date":"2018-04-10T23:50:15","date_gmt":"2018-04-10T23:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/academic-success-centers\/?page_id=1005"},"modified":"2023-09-27T13:53:21","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T20:53:21","slug":"overcoming-test-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/academic-success-centers\/overcoming-test-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming Test Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Overcoming test anxiety<\/h1>\n<p>Most students experience some level of anxiety during an exam. However, when anxiety affects begins to impact exam performance it has become a problem.<\/p>\n<h2>Primary causes of test anxiety<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Fear of failure<\/li>\n<li>Lack of preparation<\/li>\n<li>Poor test history.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Cognitive symptoms of test anxiety<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Mental \u201cblank-out,\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty concentrating,<\/li>\n<li>Preoccupation with failure<\/li>\n<li>Recalling answers after the test.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Prepare for the test<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid cramming: create a study schedule two weeks prior to the exam.<\/li>\n<li>Use study aids: convert lecture notes into flashcards or a study guide.<\/li>\n<li>Take timed practice exams: simulate exam conditions by taking timed practice exams. Create your own exam if necessary.<\/li>\n<li>Study on location: study in the classroom where the exam will be held.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Develop test-taking skills<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Read directions carefully.<\/li>\n<li>Multiple choice: incorrect answers can distract you. Cover the choices, read the question and then try to answer it without look at the options.<\/li>\n<li>Essay questions: create a quick outline before writing.<\/li>\n<li>Answer what you know: Save difficult items for last.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Physiological preparation<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Get 8-10 hours of sleep before the exam.<\/li>\n<li>Limit caffeine: caffeine can exacerbate the symptoms of test anxiety!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Relaxation techniques<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Practice deep breathing: if you feel anxious or begin to panic, slowly take deep breaths through your nose.<\/li>\n<li>Fidget item: small items like a stress ball or rubber band can help increase attention and promote relaxation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<!-- shortcode-right-column -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-right-column\" >\n    <div class=\"shortcode-right-column__container\"><br \/>\n<!-- shortcode-contact -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-contact\">\n    <div class=\"contact-header\">\n        <h3>Contact North ASC<\/h3>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"contact-body\">\n                <a href=\"mailto:tutoring@nau.edu\" aria-label=\"Contact North ASC: Email Address\" title=\"Email Address\">\n            <div class=\"contact-icon-container\">\n                <i class=\"fas fa-envelope\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                <span class=\"sr-only\">Email:<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"contact-email\">tutoring&#8203;@nau.edu<\/div>\n        <\/a>\n                        <a href=\"tel:928-523-5524\" aria-label=\"Contact North ASC: Telephone Number\" title=\"Telephone Number\">\n            <div class=\"contact-icon-container\">\n                <i class=\"fas fa-phone\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                <span class=\"sr-only\">Call:<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"contact-phone\">928-523-5524<\/div>\n        <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- shortcode-contact -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-contact\">\n    <div class=\"contact-header\">\n        <h3>Contact South ASC<\/h3>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"contact-body\">\n                <a href=\"mailto:tutoring@nau.edu\" aria-label=\"Contact South ASC: Email Address\" title=\"Email Address\">\n            <div class=\"contact-icon-container\">\n                <i class=\"fas fa-envelope\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                <span class=\"sr-only\">Email:<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"contact-email\">tutoring&#8203;@nau.edu<\/div>\n        <\/a>\n                        <a href=\"tel:928-523-7391\" aria-label=\"Contact South ASC: Telephone Number\" title=\"Telephone Number\">\n            <div class=\"contact-icon-container\">\n                <i class=\"fas fa-phone\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                <span class=\"sr-only\">Call:<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"contact-phone\">928-523-7391<\/div>\n        <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><!-- shortcode-button -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-button shortcode-button--center\">\n      <a class=\"main-button\" href=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/gateway-student-success-center\/gpa-calculator\/\">Estimate your GPA<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>Addition resources<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/199\/2018\/03\/accessible_Test-Anxiety-BTC.pdf\">Print overcoming test anxiety<\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overcoming test anxiety Most students experience some level of anxiety during an exam. However, when anxiety affects begins to impact exam performance it has become a problem. Primary causes of test anxiety Fear of failure Lack of preparation Poor test history. Cognitive symptoms of test anxiety Mental \u201cblank-out,\u201d Difficulty concentrating, Preoccupation with failure Recalling answers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","ring_central_script_selection":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1005","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/academic-success-centers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/academic-success-centers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/academic-success-centers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/academic-success-centers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/academic-success-centers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1005"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/academic-success-centers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3390,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/academic-success-centers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1005\/revisions\/3390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/academic-success-centers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}