Embedded Files
by Alina Willis
published 6/1/19
It's natural to stress before the test, but there are ways to head that stress off at the pass.
As the weather starts to get warmer and the flowers start to bloom, a new season much less pleasant also springs into our lives... “testing season.” Whether it’s the June SAT or the AP exams, here are a few tips and tricks to make your life a whole lot less stressful.
Before the test:
It’s high school... I get that you’re going to procrastinate a little... but it has been proven through multiple scientific studies that cramming just doesn’t work... especially when it comes to national exams. The best thing that you can do is not cram and review the material frequently in small blocks before the test. I’m talking to you AP students. Just fifteen minutes a night could save you fifteen minutes of stress on exam day.
Not all preparation is going to be material or memorization based. Sometimes familiarizing yourself with the format of the test is just as important. Practice reading literally any material of your choice at a steady pace without skimming. It could be a magazine, book, or even the back of a shampoo bottle. This skill will help you pull out important material from lengthy passages on test day.
Use practice tests while studying! This is very cliché, but no marathon runner would run a marathon for the first time without preparing. No test taker should be taking the test for the first time on test day. Familiarize yourself with that route until it becomes second nature.
Think of the test like a game. It could be a sports game, a board game, a video game, it really doesn’t matter. Now I don’t know too much about sports, but what I do know is that your goal is to collect the most points in the time that you have available. The exam is practically the same thing... you’re the athlete, you have control of what happens. A little stress helps you run a little faster. Now go and take that “W”!
Before the test:
It’s high school... I get that you’re going to procrastinate a little... but it has been proven through multiple scientific studies that cramming just doesn’t work... especially when it comes to national exams. The best thing that you can do is not cram and review the material frequently in small blocks before the test. I’m talking to you AP students. Just fifteen minutes a night could save you fifteen minutes of stress on exam day.
Not all preparation is going to be material or memorization based. Sometimes familiarizing yourself with the format of the test is just as important. Practice reading literally any material of your choice at a steady pace without skimming. It could be a magazine, book, or even the back of a shampoo bottle. This skill will help you pull out important material from lengthy passages on test day.
Use practice tests while studying! This is very cliché, but no marathon runner would run a marathon for the first time without preparing. No test taker should be taking the test for the first time on test day. Familiarize yourself with that route until it becomes second nature.
Think of the test like a game. It could be a sports game, a board game, a video game, it really doesn’t matter. Now I don’t know too much about sports, but what I do know is that your goal is to collect the most points in the time that you have available. The exam is practically the same thing... you’re the athlete, you have control of what happens. A little stress helps you run a little faster. Now go and take that “W”!
Test day:
Seriously, don’t stay up late the night before. Get a good night’s sleep the night before, don’t cram. ’Nuff Said.
Leave your bad attitude at home. The negative self talk isn’t beneficial. Have a little confidence in yourself. Positive self talk before a test is not cocky or jinxing yourself.
Arrive early on exam day, or at the least please arrive on time. This will give you some time to choose a seat with minimal distractions and to take in your surroundings. This will also give you some time to have a snack and go to the bathroom without the time constraints of the short breaks that the exam provides.
Bring water on test day if rules permit. Feeling hydrated is.. You know... mandatory to your survival. Also, having some gum to chew is a known stress reducer.
Test day:
Seriously, don’t stay up late the night before. Get a good night’s sleep the night before, don’t cram. ’Nuff Said.
Leave your bad attitude at home. The negative self talk isn’t beneficial. Have a little confidence in yourself. Positive self talk before a test is not cocky or jinxing yourself.
Arrive early on exam day, or at the least please arrive on time. This will give you some time to choose a seat with minimal distractions and to take in your surroundings. This will also give you some time to have a snack and go to the bathroom without the time constraints of the short breaks that the exam provides.
Bring water on test day if rules permit. Feeling hydrated is.. You know... mandatory to your survival. Also, having some gum to chew is a known stress reducer.
During the test:
Don’t panic or pause if you don’t know something on the test. Circle an answer and mark the question so that you can come back to it later if you have the time. It’s okay not to know everything on the test.
Stop looking at the clock, every second that you look up will just cause you to feel even more stressed and may lead you to fumble. Pay attention to your pace... but don’t let it dictate your mind.
Don’t focus on everyone else’s pace, pay attention to yourself and to your own test. The person next to you could simply be bubbling in random answers. You have no idea what is going through their mind. Focus on your own pace. If the timer hasn’t gone off, you’re still in the game.
If you feel overwhelmed, take a minute to focus on your breathing. Obviously don’t take an extended break, exams are usually timed, but think of it this way. If you don’t take a break, you risk the extra stress causing you to fill out multiple wrong answers. If you do take a break, it gives you a chance to fill out some of these incorrect answers correctly.
During the test:
Don’t panic or pause if you don’t know something on the test. Circle an answer and mark the question so that you can come back to it later if you have the time. It’s okay not to know everything on the test.
Stop looking at the clock, every second that you look up will just cause you to feel even more stressed and may lead you to fumble. Pay attention to your pace... but don’t let it dictate your mind.
Don’t focus on everyone else’s pace, pay attention to yourself and to your own test. The person next to you could simply be bubbling in random answers. You have no idea what is going through their mind. Focus on your own pace. If the timer hasn’t gone off, you’re still in the game.
If you feel overwhelmed, take a minute to focus on your breathing. Obviously don’t take an extended break, exams are usually timed, but think of it this way. If you don’t take a break, you risk the extra stress causing you to fill out multiple wrong answers. If you do take a break, it gives you a chance to fill out some of these incorrect answers correctly.
Remember that a test doesn’t reflect your intelligence or who you are. Another cliché, but an incredibly important one at the least. As spoken by Diane Ravitch, an education historian, professor at NYU, and former assistant secretary of education once said, “Sometimes the most brilliant and intelligent minds do not shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds.”
If you don’t do too well, this isn't your last chance to shine. And no, I really do not mean taking the SAT again. I mean that if you are truly meant to do something good, then even a standardized test written in capital letters isn’t strong enough to stop you.
Thanks to the following websites for information. Feel free to check them out for more!
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