1. Test Anxiety/Test Taking Strategies Workshop
Hill Middle School
January 26, 2012

2. What Is Anxiety?
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.
Can be difficulties with concentration, mental blocks, or distractibility.

3. What causes test anxiety?
Lack of preparation!
Anticipation: past experiences of blanking out or performing badly on exams.
Focusing too much on the outcome.
Focusing too much on how other classmates and friends are doing.
Issues outside of school distracting you from studying for or concentrating on exam.

4. Physical reactions include:
increased heartbeat
tensed muscles
perspiration
dry mouth

5. Inability to make decisions, act, or express yourself.
Behavior reactions include:
Inability to make decisions, act, or express yourself.
Difficulty reading and understanding questions on an exam.
Difficulty organizing your thoughts.
Difficulty recalling or retrieving
terms and concepts.

6. Emotional reactions include:
Feeling apprehensive or uneasy.
Feeling upset.
Having self-doubt or negative self-talk.

7. What are some ways to deal with test anxiety before the exam?
Relax!
Check your attitude!
Prepare To Succeed!

8. Relax! Exercise Listen to music that soothes or motivates you
Stretch-use cross lateral movements
Practice stress releasing exercises

9. Following are Quick Relaxation Techniques you can use in or out of the classroom:
TENSE AND RELAX when sitting in a chair:
Place your feet flat on the floor in front of you.
With both hands, grab the underside of your chair.
Push your feet into the ground and pull on your chair upward. Tense your muscles, holding for 5 seconds.
Release your pull and relax your feet, letting your body go limp.
Repeat as necessary.

10. BREATHE
Deep Breaths:
Inhale through your nose, taking in air as if filling your abdomen.
Hold for 1 second.
Exhale through your mouth or nose, slowly (make sure you exhale completely – push out every last bit of air).
Repeat two more times.

11. 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:
“I’ve never been good at Math. I’m going to fail this exam!”
Change it to:
“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.

12. How can you prepare to succeed?
Before the test:
Get a good night’s sleep prior to the testing date. Be rested!
Have a healthy breakfast.
Sharpen several #2 pencils with erasers.
Gather your other supplies: calculators, erasers, water bottle.

13. Gather information from your teachers about the exam:
What kind of test am I going to take? (multiple choice, short answer, matching, and essay)
How much time will I have?
What material will be covered?
How will the test be graded?
Will guessing count against you?

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

15. During the test: Listen carefully to the test directions.
Become familiar with how the test is organized and the layout of the answer sheet so you do not put answers in the wrong section.
Do not write in the test booklet.
Don’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.

16. During the test: Erase thoroughly if you change an answer.
Mark only one answer to each multiple-choice question.
Check often during the test to make sure that you are marking the answer number to the question number.
Know 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.

17. Answering Questions Ex. When reading a story, predicting means
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 questions
B) to write an essay
C) to guess what the story is about before reading
D) to summarize what the story is about after reading

18. Answering Difficult ?’s
The option “all of the above” is usually correct.
Ex. Early people were nourished by
A) hunting
B) gathering
C) farming
D) all of the above

19. Answering Difficult ?’s
Be 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.
Ex. True or False. When spelling words, “i” always comes before “e”.

20. Answering Difficult ?’s
First-eliminate known incorrect answers
Then-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.

21. Guessing
Eliminate 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 distance
B) calculating numbers
C) weighing large animals
D) measuring liquids

22. 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

23. After the exam: Analyze your 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.

24. For further information http://www.testtakingtips.com/
ISAT Practice tests: Hill Middle School Guidance Counselors Scott Pedersen: or Ginny sharp: