Taking tests can be stressful—no wonder 76% of students report anxiety before taking an exam. This stress can impact test scores and even damage physical health. So, if you’re working with or caring for young people, what are some of the best proven strategies to manage test anxiety that you can help them implement?
In the following guide, we explain some of the top techniques, backed up by evidence. With a little planning, you can help the young people in your life tackle tests with more confidence and less stress.
As students prepare for test season, encouraging healthy habits can be crucial. For example, we know that engaging in aerobic exercise can lower student stress. Eating a nutritious breakfast on the morning of the test can also make a difference.
Of course, getting young people to ditch their phones and the sugary cereals might be an uphill struggle, so linking the benefits of healthy habits to better test performance can be key. You could try using concrete examples, such as comparing their brain fuel to their phone’s battery charge. Or how about testing out some different breakfast combinations together to see how they feel during the day? A couple of carefully chosen TikTok links could be persuasive, too.
You can also work with them to construct a sensible schedule that combines studying with time for breaks, exercise, meals, and socializing. I found that my students responded well to a study schedule that mimicked the school day, with slots equal to lesson lengths, and breaks at the same time they’d have them normally.
You can also help students find healthy habits they enjoy, whether that’s trying a new dance class or testing recipes for slow-release energy.
Research suggests that students who are more self-critical are more likely to be anxious about tests. A 2012 study by Cunha and Paiva found that low levels of self-reassurance and mindfulness were associated with higher levels of anxiety, along with feelings of self-hatred and inadequacy—factors that can interfere with performance.
Cognitive reframing is one way to address negative self-criticism. This technique directly confronts the negative belief, challenges it, and then replaces it with a new one.
For example:
“I’ll never be able to do math.”
The reframing might look something like, “I can improve my math over time,” “I will give math my best shot,” or “It’s okay to find math difficult, but I can get support to improve.”
It might also involve students taking time to acknowledge the things they are good at: “I may not fully understand geometry yet, but I’m great at mental math,” or “I need more practice at solving equations, but in my last test, I scored well on percentages.”
Addressing negative self-talk can take time, so consider building cognitive reframing into your lessons or doing some reflective journaling time at home in the weeks leading up to the test.
In the lead-up to bigger exams and assessments, students can build resilience through regular, low-stakes testing. Studies suggest that students who take tests and quizzes in class feel less nervous about their main exams.
If you’re working with young people in the classroom or at home, creating space for regular classroom assessment can help them get used to close focus, recall, and receiving feedback. These quizzes don’t have to look like the traditional pop test on a slip of paper. In my role as an educator, I used a range of formative assessment techniques in my classroom, like think-pair-share, peer review, or games.
Digital testing can also be an easy way to introduce formative assessment. With a platform like TAO that supports computer-adaptive testing, each test can adjust to a student’s level by selecting questions based on their prior responses. This ensures students face questions they can tackle, reducing feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. The instant feedback also gives them the tools to improve their performance next time.
Whether your students are taking a test in person or online, helping them create and rehearse a structured start can build confidence and help avoid last-minute panic.
Studies suggest that mock tests can support better performance. You can use mocks to reduce student anxiety by setting up your classroom or home environment as it will be on the day of the real exam.
On the day itself, simple techniques like arriving early (or logging on in plenty of time), laying out equipment, and doing some deep breathing can promote a sense of calm and well-being. So, help your young people by running through a checklist of what to do as the test begins.
I found it useful with my students to explicitly set out what they should do for a successful start to the exam. This included rehearsing ways to read through the paper at the start of the test, identifying the types and length of questions, and allotting time for answering.
Mindfulness is a deliberate practice of making yourself more aware of your surroundings, feelings, and sensations in the present moment. It can be a significant way to bring your thoughts back to the here and now, rather than spiralling off into worries and anxieties. Studies suggest that mindfulness techniques can have a moderate to large impact on test anxiety, reducing it to more manageable levels.
A very simple mindfulness technique is “body scanning,” which means thinking about each body part in turn from the head downwards, focusing on feelings and sensations. Other methods include controlled breathing, mindful walking (paying attention to what you experience through your senses as you do so), or simply noticing 5 things in the room at the moment.
If you’re working with a young person preparing for a test, running through some of these exercises in advance can help. You could do them together bas they are about to go into the exam, or you can also coach them to use the techniques independently in the exam room.
Regular journaling can be one way to release a buildup of thoughts and feelings over time. But did you know that writing down your fears just before a test can make a difference to your final score? Experiments by Ramirez and Beilock in 2011 showed that students who wrote a brief statement describing their anxieties just before the exam achieved a higher performance than others.
This is an easy technique to deploy just before leaving for the test location, or at the start of the test itself (allocate just 1-2 minutes, of course, rather than taking up valuable time for answers). Students can jot their thoughts on a piece of paper before setting this aside.
It’s understandable that young people can feel anxiety when approaching a test. As educators, parents, and carers, we want to make sure they perform at their best, without taking on too much stress. We can help them prepare by training them in useful psychological techniques such as mindfulness, cognitive reframing, and quick journaling, as well as practical skills like how to approach the test paper.
Digital technology brings new opportunities to support young people, and it’s worth exploring some of the ways it can make test preparation less stressful. Computer-based testing also opens up new horizons of innovative assessment techniques that can feel more aligned to what students enjoy.
Digital testing can help students build resilience through quick and easy formative assessment, as well as helping them demonstrate a range of 21st-century skills such as creative thinking and collaborative working.
Where traditional, paper-based testing can sometimes feel intimidating or restrictive, digital assessment can help you meet students at their level through adaptive testing and question types that mimic the games they enjoy outside school.
Whether you’re a classroom-based educator or working with young people at home, TAO can help you deliver digital assessments with ease. Schedule a demo to find out more.