Test Anxiety/Test Taking Strategies

Workshop

Hill Middle SchoolJanuary 26, 2012

Anxiety is the feeling of agitation and distress you experience when you are faced with a challenge such as performing on stage, competing in an athletic event or taking an exam.

WHAT IS ANXIETY?

Can be difficulties with concentration, mental blocks, or distractibility.

oLack of preparation!oAnticipation: past experiences of blanking out or performing badly on exams.oFocusing too much on the outcome.oFocusing too much on how other classmates and friends are doing.oIssues outside of school distracting you from studying for or concentrating on exam.

What causes test anxiety?

Physical reactions include:oincreased heartbeat

otensed muscles

operspiration

odry mouth

Behavior reactions include:oInability to make decisions, act, or express yourself.

oDifficulty reading and understanding questions on an exam.

o Difficulty organizing your thoughts.

oDifficulty recalling or retrieving oterms and concepts.

Emotional reactions include:

oFeeling apprehensive or uneasy.

oFeeling upset.

oHaving self-doubt or negative self-talk.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO DEAL WITH TEST

ANXIETY BEFORE THE EXAM?Relax!

Prepare To Succeed!

Relax!

Following are Quick Relaxation Techniques you

can use in or out of the classroom:

TENSE AND RELAX when sitting in a chair:o Place your feet flat on the floor in front of you.o With both hands, grab the underside of your chair.o Push your feet into the ground and pull on your chair upward. Tense your muscles, holding for 5 seconds.o Release your pull and relax your feet, letting your body go limp.o Repeat as necessary.

BREATHEDeep Breaths:oInhale through your nose, taking in air as if filling your abdomen.oHold for 1 second.oExhale through your mouth or nose, slowly (make sure you exhale completely – push out every last bit of air).oRepeat two more times.

HOW CAN YOU CHECK YOUR ATTITUDE BEFORE THE EXAM?

Change negative self-talk into positive self-talk. For example, if the voice in your head says: o“I’ve never been good at Math. I’m going to fail this exam!” Change it to:o“Math is not my best subject but if I practice and ask questions, I’ll be okay.”Keep in mind that one exam is unlikely to make or break your whole future.

If issues outside of school distract you, jot them down on a piece of paper so you can come back to deal with them later.

For chronic anxiety or depression, talk to a professional.

How can you prepare to succeed?Before the test:

oGet a good night’s sleep prior to the testing date. Be rested!oHave a healthy breakfast.oSharpen several #2 pencils with erasers.oGather your other supplies: calculators, erasers, water bottle.

Gather information from your teachers about the

exam:oWhat kind of test am I going to take? (multiple choice, short answer, matching, and essay)oHow much time will I have?oWhat material will be covered?oHow will the test be graded? oWill guessing count against you?

What strategies can you use to relieve anxiety during the

exam? oTake a break. Stop for a minute, role your shoulders or close your eyes.oGet a drink of water. See if you can leave the room for a drink of water so you can briefly leave the exam environment. oAsk a question. Break the uncomfortable silence by asking the instructor a question.oMove on to an easier question. If being stuck on a question is frustrating you, move on and come back to the challenging one later.oUse positive self-talk. Talk to yourself and guide yourself oout of the anxiety.oUse your quick relaxation exercises. Allow yourself a time out – take a few breaths, tense and relax, or do a quick stretch.

oListen carefully to the test directions. oBecome familiar with how the test is organized and the layout of the answer sheet so you do not put answers in the wrong section.oDo not write in the test booklet. oDon’t rush, but don’t work too slow. Pace yourself. Check your watch from time to time to make sure you’re pacing yourself appropriately.•Do not be disturbed about other students finishing before you do. Take your time, don't panic, and you will do much better on the test.

During the test:

oErase thoroughly if you change an answer.oMark only one answer to each multiple-choice question.o Check often during the test to make sure that you are marking the answer number to the question number.oKnow how the tests are scored. If, on the test you are taking, answers left blank will be marked wrong, you should try to answer all the questions.

During the test:

ANSWERING QUESTIONS

Anticipate the correct answer before you look at the options. Then read all the options. If you find what you were thinking, you may have the correct answer

Ex. When reading a story, predicting means

A) to answer questionsB) to write an essayC) to guess what the story is about before readingD) to summarize what the story is about after reading

The option “all of the above” is usually correct.

o Ex. Early people were nourished byo A) huntingo B) gatheringo C) farmingo D) all of the above

Answering Difficult ?’s

oBe cautious of words like “always,” “never,” “only,” “must,” “best,” “worst,” “none,” and “completely.” These are often the wrong answers since there are many exceptions to rules. These are extreme words which are more than likely to be the wrong choice. Take them into consideration when you choose your answer.

oEx. True or False. When spelling words, “i” always comes before “e”.

Answering Difficult ?’s

ANSWERING DIFFICULT ?’S

First-eliminate known incorrect answersThen-pick the most correct answer from

the rest of the answers.If you hit a really hard question-go on to

other questions and return to the difficult one later.

If difficult questions still cannot be answered, guess.

GUESSINGEliminate the highly unlikely answer(s) first. Narrow the possibilities. You do know more than you “think” you know! “Guess” smart! If you can rule out one or more answer choices for a multiple-choice question as definitely wrong, your chances of “guessing” correctly among the remaining choices improve.

Ex. In science, a beaker is used for

A) measuring distanceB) calculating numbersC) weighing large animalsD) measuring liquids

A TEST TAKING STRATEGY S = Schedule your time C = Use clue words O = Omit difficult questions R = Read carefully E = Estimate your time R = Review your work

AFTER THE EXAM:

Reward yourself! Keep practicing positive self-talk.

Analyze your exam. • What went well and what didn’t? • What type of questions did you find most challenge? Why?

Make and implement a plan to do better next time.

For further information

http://www.testtakingtips.com/

ISAT Practice tests: http://metacat2.com/iltestlinks.html

Hill Middle School Guidance CounselorsScott Pedersen: 630-428-6208 or Ginny sharp: 630-428-6209