Test Anxiety
Dealing With Test Anxiety
By LeeAnn Bernier-Clarke MEd, NCC, NCCC
When the school year draws to a close, teenagers have much to look forward to: graduations, proms, parties, vacations, summer jobs, warm weather, water sports, resting and hanging out with friends. However, teenagers also have much to be anxious about: tests, projects and grades for starters.
It is estimated that eight out of 10 high school students suffer from test anxiety.
Finals time at the end of each grading period, and especially at the end of the school year when cumulative tests are often given, are periods of high stress in our secondary schools. They are also stressful times at home, where parents strive to encourage study within an environment where many distractions exist.
Many standardized tests are also given toward the end of the school year. Teens have grown up in an era of high-stakes standardized testing. College Board and standardized test scores have become important means of evaluating both school and teacher effectiveness. Schools are ranked according to their students' standardized test scores. Teachers and other school personnel are often provided monetary incentives for raising test scores. For students, a few points difference on a College Board exam can mean thousands of scholarship dollars.
Does this cause teachers to teach better and students to learn more? Or does it cause students to lose precious learning time preparing for and taking the standardized tests? It's hard to say. What we do know is that the stakes are higher than ever before, the heat is on and testing is here to stay. And with it comes test anxiety.
Test Anxiety
Testing provides a healthy challenge for students and helps them measure what they've learned. For many, test anxiety rouses them to action. It helps them gear up to face a difficult situation, compels them to study harder for the test and keeps them alert during the test. In short, it helps them to cope!
For others, it toys with the mind and plays havoc with self-esteem. Students suffering from test anxiety experience some or all of the following symptoms:
Fear of failing before arriving to take the exam
Feeling tension as the exam is being passed out
Physical symptoms, such as increased heart rate, shortness of breath, perspiring
Negative thinking that generalizes the situation to some or all other areas of life: "I am going to fail," "I am dumb," "I'll never get into college"
"Blanking out" on information that was studied
Recalling information, upon leaving the classroom or a short period later, that was forgotten during the exam
Frustration with the exam grades after spending extensive amounts of time on test preparation
Tips for Overcoming Test Anxiety
In an article on conquering test anxiety, Diane McDilda offers the following tips for parents to share with their teens:
Take time to prepare for a test -- don't try to cram everything into your head at the last minute
Read, then repeat. Go over material again and again
A memory recall trick is to close your eyes and visualize material such as statistics, dates and other facts. Then, during a test, you can close your eyes and visualize the same information
Do things that build confidence -- find something you're really good at and give it a try. That confidence can help charge up your self-esteem before an exam
Don't be afraid to ask a teacher for advice, or to go over any concerns you have about an upcoming test
Don't make too much out of a test -- teens pick up on parents' anxieties, too
Anxiety before a test will not be helped by drinking coffee or soda
Don't Give Up
If test anxiety has already taken a serious toll on your teen and the tips above don't seem to help, turn to a professional. Therapists use relaxation, visualization and positive affirmation to replace a student's negative feelings associated with taking tests with feelings of confidence.
Group therapy for math or language anxiety provides insight into what's causing the problem and strategies for overcoming it in a supportive peer group environment. Special test preparation workshops offered by schools, districts or private tutoring centers can also be very helpful for milder cases.
Parents also should be mindful of the messages we are sending our teens about testing. Sometimes our expectations and the way we convey them to our children lie at the root of the problem.
While testing is a necessary part of the educational process -- and one all students must learn to cope with to succeed in school -- the measure of a child's worth or potential should never rest solely on a test score. Teachers sometimes forget this, so parents must work extra hard to keep it in mind and convey it to their teens through words and deeds.
Relaxation Exercise
By LeeAnn Bernier-Clarke MEd, NCC, NCCC
Time: 5 to 10 Minutes
What Will My Child Get From This?
A method of calming anxiety, which can be used in a variety of situations
Before you sit down with your child:
Go over the relaxation process several times and tape yourself
Listen to your tape and follow the relaxation directives
You may change or modify your tape to achieve a more peaceful or personally relevant relaxation journey
Step by Step
Tell your teen that you've noticed they really seem to be stressed, invite them to talk about it and ask how you can help
Suggest trying something different that might help them to relax and ask them to sit or lie down in a comfortable position and follow the instructions you are about to give
In a calm, slow voice begin the following relaxation exercise:
Close your eyes and breathe in slowly as I count 1...2...3. Now breathe out 1...2...3. Breathe in 1...2...3 and out 1...2...3. In 1...2...3 and out 1...2...3
Now squeeze your eyes and mouth, and tighten all of your facial muscles
Pull your chin into your chest and draw your shoulders close in together
Now pull your arms in close to your body, tighten your arm muscles and draw your hands into fists
Tighten the muscles, first in your stomach, then your bottom, thighs and calves
Keeping your legs straight and tight while you point your toes up towards your face and hold to the count of 1...2...3, breathing in slowly 1...2...3 and out 1...2...3
Take another deep breath and, as you exhale, relax your muscles in your toes first, then your calves, thighs, bottom, stomach, shoulders, neck and face
Now imagine yourself in a quiet, peaceful place, like by a beach or a mountain stream. (If you've been to such a place together, ask your teen to recall that place)
Imagine and enjoy all of the sights, sounds, smells and feelings you associate with this peaceful place. (Here you may describe some of the sensations)
Continue breathing deeply, keep your eyes closed and enjoy the quiet moment
This is your place of peace. Stay as long as you like and come back whenever you want
Follow-Up Activities
Offer your teen the tape you made so they can practice the relaxation exercise whenever they would like to escape and calm down
Suggest they make their own tape
Eventually they will be able to take themselves through this exercise spontaneously whenever they're feeling anxious, like right before a test