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Updated April 10, 2022
By Sam Katerji, MA, RP
Accept the facts of this particular situation: you didn’t study and the test is soon. Breathe. Accept that this exam will not likely be your best. Breathe. This happens to everyone sometimes. If this is a common occurance for you, consider booking a counselling appointment with counselling after you write your test. For now, instead of focusing on the outcome, work to gather information about the exam and what will be covered. This can reduce some uncertainty. Then focus on what you don’t understand in the material, strategize or prioritize the material, then skim and don’t try to memorize.
Be kind to yourself: you still deserve that. Shaming or criticizing yourself right now will not motivate you. These thoughts will only distract and upset you more. Write them down to think about later if that helps you let them go. This is one of the few times to be unmindful of your thoughts! As the time of the test approaches, finish preparing on a positive note by reviewing something that you already know and practicing some realistic self-talk. For example:
Use deep breathing to keep your anxiety levels manageable throughout the day and as you walk to your exam (or log in). Use this video to learn how: How to do Deep Breathing
Well, well, well. Good job studying! This is the time to implement your action plan of ways to decrease test anxiety
Some students feel more anxious after a test because they negatively judge their performance or they over-focus on guessing what marks were missed. If this is you, catch yourself doing this and redirect your thoughts back to the present: the test is over, move on. Don’t punish yourself for what you didn’t know and don’t compare with others. Make a note of what helped you cope with test anxiety this time, so you can try it again next time.
If the test actually didn’t go well (i.e. your anxiety was so bad that you missed more than half of the questions), consider this an opportunity to learn what you need to do for a different outcome on the next exam. Reward yourself for facing your fears (i.e. you stayed until the end or you tried your best in the moment). Remember that you can ask for help now, and you can learn to get better at managing test anxiety.