Research on Reducing Test Anxiety through Mindfulness Training

A study published in the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth examined the effects of mindfulness-based training on test anxiety among sixth-graders.

The mindfulness training, which incorporated elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), significantly decreased test anxiety in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects. Many students noted that the meditation sessions helped them relax, lower academic stress, and boost their self-esteem.

Before the program, the average anxiety score was higher (M=29.46), which dropped (M=26.23) after the training. Interestingly, more girls than boys felt the meditation sessions helped reduce their stress and anxiety. While 55% of girls felt it helped, only 45% of boys reported the same benefit.

These findings are important given that test anxiety is a common problem for many students. Test anxiety is the worry or fear about taking a test, and it can happen both before and during exams. This fear often comes from being afraid to fail or thinking about what could go wrong if they don’t do well.

Understanding the Research

In this pilot study, the researchers used a before-and-after test model in which students filled out surveys to measure their test anxiety levels before and after mindfulness training.

A total of 197 sixth graders (about 54% boys) from four public schools participated. The training sessions included five days of structured meditation exercises to help students manage their test stress. The mindfulness training itself used a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach to address both the mental and physical sides of test anxiety.

By the end of the five days, students took the same anxiety surveys, and the results showed a significant reduction in their test anxiety levels. When it came to their perception of the mindfulness training, these were the findings:

• 42.1% reported that the meditation training helped them calm down, relax, and reduce academic anxiety and stress.
• 8.6% of students felt their self-esteem increased as a result of participating in the program.
• However, 28.5% of students did not perceive any noticeable benefits.

These were the findings regarding the relationship between self-perception and test anxiety reduction:

• Students who felt that meditation helped them calm down and relax or improve their self-esteem saw a significant decrease in their test anxiety scores.
• Students who reported that meditation helped with self-esteem had a significant drop in test anxiety.
• Students who felt meditation helped reduce academic anxiety and stress had a similar reduction in anxiety.
• Those who did not notice any changes in their anxiety levels or self-esteem from the mindfulness training did not show significant reductions in their anxiety scores.

Practical Strategies for Parents and Caregivers

Based on what we’ve learned from the study, we can take advantage of mindfulness training and integrate it into classrooms to reduce students’ stress. But what if you’re a parent or caregiver looking to incorporate mindfulness into your child’s routine?

Model mindfulness yourself

Your child will likely feel more motivated to practice mindfulness when they see you doing it. Children naturally observe and imitate the behaviors of the adults they trust.

Try setting aside a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness in a simple, visible way, like deep breathing or a brief meditation. You can even do it together as a wonderful bonding experience that will also help your child feel supported as they learn!

Explore mindful activities

Give your child opportunities to develop focus and awareness of the present moment. Examples of mindful activities include coloring, building with blocks, or going on a walk where you both notice and share sounds around you.

A highly effective technique kids can learn is the “what” skill in mindfulness taught in DBT — which is all about observing, describing, and participating fully in the present moment. For example, while coloring, tell your child to simply notice the colors and how each stroke feels without worrying about how the picture “should” look.

After describing the “what” skill, you can also introduce the “how” skill in mindfulness, which teaches kids how to be mindful through being non-judgmental, one-mindful, and effective.

Remember that mindfulness does take time

Like any new habit, building mindfulness requires patience. Some kids might take to it quickly, while others might need more encouragement from parents. The key is to make mindfulness practices enjoyable rather than a chore.

Provide coping skills around test-taking

Kids can benefit from learning simple anxiety management strategies to help them calm down prior to and during a test. Test anxiety coping skills such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and positive affirmations are a good place to start. Encourage them to engage in healthy habits leading up to the test such as getting good sleep, eating a healthy breakfast, and light exercise. Finally, support them with helpful test-taking strategies so they feel better prepared.

The authors of the study also suggest that to truly understand the impact of mindfulness, we can also assess teachers’ attitudes toward mindfulness, including mental health resources available in schools.

Discover more tools to manage test anxiety in students with our CBT Worksheets, Stress Management Worksheets, and Anxiety Worksheets.