Tips For Beating Test Anxiety

Study strategies and coping skills transform attitudes

- Rachel Ehmke

When athletes are called upon to perform in high-pressure situations many of them describe having peaked senses that they use to their advantage. They’re able to quiet their minds, zone out the audience, and make the catch. Kids with test anxiety have the opposite reaction.

“Anxiety also has the potential to shut you down,” explains neuropsychologist Ken Schuster. “When kids are having test anxiety they can’t think clearly, they can’t judge things the way they could if they weren’t anxious. All of your other abilities get clouded up by anxiety.”

Why some kids get test anxiety

There are a number of different reasons why some kids might be more susceptible to anxiety. Test anxiety often goes hand-in-hand with learning issues. Children who have ADHD or a learning disability are often already feeling anxious about school, and when it’s time to take a test that sense can be heightened. “If I have ADHD and I am prone to inattention, if I start feeling anxious on top of that I’m going to have a lot more difficulty,” notes Dr. Schuster.

Likewise, when a student has a limited amount of time to take a test and knows that he processes things slowly, he’s probably going to start feeling anxious.

Kids worried that they won’t do well, for whatever reason, are prone to more anxiety. Kids with an anxious temperament who worry about making mistakes or performing in general—from singing in music class to going up to bat at baseball—tend to feel more test anxiety. Kids who believe that they won’t do as well in a particular subject—like girls influenced by the stereotype that boys are better at math—may also be more prone to test anxiety in that subject.

Feeling more confident