Getting over testing anxiety

[TheIronLurp]

Hello. I was looking to clep some credits and I cam across this site. Since I am here I thought I would post a question. How can you help prevent test anxiety. A large reason that I fail or struggle so much passing classes is because i sit down to take the test and my brain goes on holiday. I blank and can think of nothing in the least bit relevant to the test I am taking. A good example is back when I was in high school I sat down to take a calculus test and all I could think of is random facts about US history all of which were the answers to the American History test I took a week ago (on which I had the same problem.) I was wondering if anyone else had this problem and what they do about it. Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks.

[LaterBloomer]

I don't suffer from testing anxiety, but that might be because of something I used to do before tests when I was younger. When I believed, and even after I became an agnostic!, I used to say a little prayer. I'd also throw in, "St. Joseph Coopertino, pray for us." (Evidently, he wasn't the world's best student, either.) Was the prayer effective, or did it act as a calming action? I don't know, but tests didn't bother me as much, and they don't cause me to freeze up now even without the prayers.

Also, if it's serious, you might want to try anti-anxiety medications. If I have to have an MRI, they're what I use. You're still aware of what bothers you, but you seem to be cut off from the anxiety. It's weird, they don't make you happy, or anything, but they cut off the feeling. I know I'm being constrained, I know I'm going into a tube, I know I'm going to be in there for 10 minutes, but it's okay. Again, this is only if it's a serious problem.

You might also want to see if you can study where the test will be held. I've never tried it, but it might help to reduce your anxiety.

Anxiety can really mess with your life. I hope that you find an effective way to deal with it.

[burbuja0512]

Text anxiety is really tough and it truly can make your scores significantly lower. There are a few ways to deal with it and it's a matter of finding what works for you.

One technique that works for me when I'm worried about something is to imagine the worst-case scenario. If you can become comfortable with the absolute worst case, which is unlikely to happen, then the reality will be much better.

I would probably start off with a DSST because in a "worst-case" scenario, if you totally bomb the test, you can re-take within 90 days rather than the 6 months of a CLEP. Knowing that another chance is right around the corner might help ease your mind. I would also probably start off with an elective that doesn't make any difference to your degree one way or the other. I don't get testing anxiety, however, when I did a couple of the tough business tests, I was petrified because I knew that if I failed them, it would significantly delay my graduation. If the test doesn't really matter one way or the other, there's much less reason to get nervous: a fail does NOT affect your GPA. Basically, you're just out 100 bucks.

Also, over-prepare. Don't go in and take a test cold or nearly cold. When you see questions that you totally know the answers without a doubt, it will re-assure you. Can you pick a test that interests you or one that has familiar subject matter? That will also help.

I'm also a fan of visualization and relaxation like self-hypnosis. Nothing fancy, just lay down in a dark room and walk through the testing in your mind. Is there fear of the unknown? What is it that you're afraid of? Picture yourself conquering the fear. If you walk through the testing in your mind, you can also find unknown fears as well. For example, you may be nervous because you've never been to the testing center or feel weird taking a DSST/CLEP test. If this is the case, call around to different college testing centers in your city and go visit the one that seems the friendliest. Yes a nice proctor, working computer, and quiet test environment make a difference. Before you even attempt to test, make sure that this part is covered.

If all else fails, then I agree with LaterBloomer's anti-anxiety med comment. There is nothing wrong with going to your doctor and asking for something to help you calm your testing nerves because it's affecting your college career. Trust me, your doc will totally understand what it's like to be nervous on an exam. You will want to try out how the meds make you feel before you actually take a test. If they just don't work well with your body chemistry or make you feel too weird to think, then you'll just have to go with other relaxation methods.

Don't give up.. your fears may make this harder on you than other people, but you can conquer this even if it's not easy!

[beargins]

Text anxiety is really tough and it truly can make your scores significantly lower. There are a few ways to deal with it and it's a matter of finding what works for you.

One technique that works for me when I'm worried about something is to imagine the worst-case scenario. If you can become comfortable with the absolute worst case, which is unlikely to happen, then the reality will be much better.

I would probably start off with a DSST because in a "worst-case" scenario, if you totally bomb the test, you can re-take within 90 days rather than the 6 months of a CLEP. Knowing that another chance is right around the corner might help ease your mind. I would also probably start off with an elective that doesn't make any difference to your degree one way or the other. I don't get testing anxiety, however, when I did a couple of the tough business tests, I was petrified because I knew that if I failed them, it would significantly delay my graduation. If the test doesn't really matter one way or the other, there's much less reason to get nervous: a fail does NOT affect your GPA. Basically, you're just out 100 bucks.

Also, over-prepare. Don't go in and take a test cold or nearly cold. When you see questions that you totally know the answers without a doubt, it will re-assure you. Can you pick a test that interests you or one that has familiar subject matter? That will also help.

I'm also a fan of visualization and relaxation like self-hypnosis. Nothing fancy, just lay down in a dark room and walk through the testing in your mind. Is there fear of the unknown? What is it that you're afraid of? Picture yourself conquering the fear. If you walk through the testing in your mind, you can also find unknown fears as well. For example, you may be nervous because you've never been to the testing center or feel weird taking a DSST/CLEP test. If this is the case, call around to different college testing centers in your city and go visit the one that seems the friendliest. Yes a nice proctor, working computer, and quiet test environment make a difference. Before you even attempt to test, make sure that this part is covered.

If all else fails, then I agree with LaterBloomer's anti-anxiety med comment. There is nothing wrong with going to your doctor and asking for something to help you calm your testing nerves because it's affecting your college career. Trust me, your doc will totally understand what it's like to be nervous on an exam. You will want to try out how the meds make you feel before you actually take a test. If they just don't work well with your body chemistry or make you feel too weird to think, then you'll just have to go with other relaxation methods.

Don't give up.. your fears may make this harder on you than other people, but you can conquer this even if it's not easy!

I think you make a great point. So far I have taken 4 CLEPS and for each test I have been to the point of absolute anxiety (except for the first one because then I was still a bit clueless on the whole CLEP idea)! I passed all 4 but I really believe that the anxiety definitely affected my overall score (making it lower).

Another thing, I try to do to boost confidence is read all of the success stories for the particular CLEP, and only read one or two fail stories just to make sure I'm ready. For some folks (like me) anxiety is a problem in everyday life and taking tests simply amplifies the feeling :-).

GL to you TheIronLurp, I'd suggest starting with an easy CLEP, a subject that truly interests you. My first CLEP was American Govt, supposedly one of the hardests but because I was interested in the subject I managed to thoroughly study for about 1 week and then passed the exam.

Other exams that I struggled with were princ. of Mangement and marketing.... I thought it was extremely boring and scored low but still passed.
The reason I mention this is because for some people Management and Marketing are a cakewalk, but for others (who are less interested) its boring. Just prepare until your certain you have mastered the material and then take the test with confidence! (I'm going to employ this technique on my next tests too)

[ryoder]

Stuart Smalley's famous quote - YouTube

Try this exercise.

[dcan]

I have to clean coffee out of my laptop now! milelol:

[mrs.b]

I have problems with test anxiety also, and know how frustrating it can be. You know the information, even when your mind is blanking and you're staring at the page. You knew it minutes before the page appeared in front of you, but the information just will not come up. I can definitely relate.

A few things that work for me - at least in getting past that initial block - is to over-study, as burbuja0512 suggested. Also, study in different ways. Use InstantCert, write down notes from the cards, re-write the notes in a different format, type them up, rearrange them, compare them to a text, google key points, go back to InstantCert, study the written and typed notes, print the typed ones to read on paper instead of monitor, look at a different text, etc. When I do recall things, I recall images (the page of the text where the info appeared, etc) and by studying different ways and different formats, it significantly increases the likelihood that I'll be able to "see" something when a question is staring at me.

Familiarity is also a big issue, at least for me. If you're using a test center for the first time, maybe see if you can stop by and see the room where you will be testing. I do fine with course quizzes and similar things where I'm in my own, familiar surroundings, but proctored tests...forget it. The more a grade or pass/fail depends upon the test result, the more freaked I'll get, but if I'm familiar with the surroundings, it goes a very long way toward easing some of that tension. It takes an unknown out of the equation by at least knowing where you'll be and what your surroundings look like.

Lastly - and I'm not sure how it would work for someone else, but it helps me - on the way to the testing center, I don't let myself ponder and dwell on the upcoming test. Blast music, call someone...something/anything to take your mind off the exam. It's not 100% - thoughts still churn - but if I make an active effort to put it out of mind, it does help. (Though I always plan not to, I still use the walk from car to door as a last minute cram, though.)

Finally, if the first question causes a blank, mark it and move on. Keep moving on until you find ONE question that just clicks. This is why I prefer paper exams over the computerized CLEP/DSST (proctored midterms, etc). Flip through and read each question until one jumps out, "Oh, I know this one." Then go back to #1 and move forward. Sometimes, getting that one hurdle and boost of confidence going is all you need to get a rhythm started.

Good luck!

[TheIronLurp]

Thanks. I do plan on taking a few clep tests but it won't be for a few weeks maybe months but I will try to put some of this advice into practice. Meds are out just because I want to overcome this on my own and not rely on pills to do it for me. Thanks again for answering my question.