Here is a document that Miss Sloan sent out about Testing Jitters. It has some really great tips for reducing anxiety and nerves before and during the test! :)
Help With Testing Jitters
A little nervousness before a test can be good. It motivates us to work hard and put forth our best effort on the examination. When we become too nervous, though, we might not be able to think straight or answer questions right. Some tips to reduce test stress are to:
Remember to take care of yourself first.
· Eat healthy foods and get enough sleep before a test. After all, sleepy, hungry people are not in the best frame of mind to perform well on tests!
· Do a little physical activity or exercise before taking the test to reduce body tension and wake up your brain.
Take practice exams.
· People are less likely to become nervous when doing something that they have done before.
· During a study period, take the practice exam under the same conditions that you would take the real exam.
Come prepared.
· Arrive on time to school on test days and bring extra pencils.
· By showing up prepared and on time, you will not lose energy worrying about small details and become distracted from the real goal: doing your best!
Keep relaxing during the test.
· Take several deep breaths, exhaling slowly after each one. Think of the stress and tension leaving your body as you breathe out.
· Tense your muscles and hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 3 times.
· Think of a peaceful, quiet setting (like the beach). Imagine yourself calm and relaxed in that setting.
Think positively!
· Whenever a negative thought pops in your head such as “I don’t have a chance of passing this exam!” Stop and say to yourself “I prepared carefully for this test. If I do my best, I will do well.”
Adapted from interventioncentral.org
Effective Test-Taking Strategies
Listen carefully to directions.
· Make a point to listen closely to any test directions that are read aloud.
· Read through written directions twice before starting on a test section to make sure that you understand them and won’t complete test items incorrectly.
Multiple-choice: Don’t rush.
· On multiple-choice items, force yourself to read each possible choice carefully before selecting an answer.
· Remember, some choices appear correct at first glance but turn out to be wrong when you take a closer look.
Skip difficult items until last.
· When you find yourself stumped on a tough test item, skip it and go on to other problems.
· After you have finished all of the easiest questions, you can return to any skipped questions and try to answer them.
Use leftover time to check answers.
· If you finish a test early, use the remaining time to check your answers.
· On multiple choice items, check to see that you answered all questions- even if you have to guess on some.
· Reread each written response to make sure that it makes sense, use correct grammar, and fully answers the question.
Adapted from interventioncentral.org