How to Help Students with Test Anxiety

Recently, I’ve noticed that many kids in my therapy practice are feeling the “pressure” as their end-of-semester exams approach. Do students in your classroom seem stressed and worried? They might be experiencing test anxiety.

Test Anxiety Is More Than Just Nervousness About a Test

Test anxiety is described as an overwhelming feeling of worry and stress that affects some students during or before a test. This anxiety can affect their minds and bodies, and it makes it harder for them to do well.

Research shows that test anxiety can be divided into two parts: emotionality and worry.

Emotionality is their physical reaction to anxiety, like feeling their heart racing or getting a stomach ache, while worry is the mental part. Worry can include overwhelming thoughts like, “I’m going to fail this test,” or “I didn’t study enough.”

As you can imagine, these can hurt a student’s performance by drawing their attention away from the task at hand and leaving them with less mental energy.

How to Help Students Reduce Test Anxiety

Parents and teachers can help students combat test anxiety by teaching them to feel more confident. Here are some tips: 

1. Teach them relaxation skills

In our Test Anxiety Coping Skills handout, we explain how awareness of one’s thoughts and sensations can be helpful in reducing anxiety. Relaxation techniques are a healthy antidote to the stress that often accompanies test anxiety. Taking deep breaths (while imagining themselves as feeling calmer) and progressive muscle relaxation are powerful.

2. Discuss test preparation and test-taking strategies

Children may struggle with test anxiety because they aren't familiar with effective study techniques or strategies for handling tests. Show them how to create a quiet study area at home and break their study sessions into manageable chunks. Explore more techniques in this Test-Taking Strategies handout.

3. Introduce positive self-talk

Telling themselves certain phrases can boost their confidence in their abilities. Some coping statements also offer constructive advice on how to approach their problems. Examples are “I am going to be successful today” and “I’ll take it one question at a time.” See our Test Anxiety Coping Statements handout for more ideas.

It’s normal for students to feel the pressure to perform well, but remind them that these tests are just one part of their journey. Encourage them to do their best, but let them know that their worth is not defined by a single test.

For an additional resource, feel free to share our YouTube video on Test Anxiety here.

*This article was originally published in our email newsletter on December 3, 2024.