Study Abroad: 13 Tips for Exam Day Anxiety

It isn’t entirely possible to be absolutely prepared for exam-day anxiety, especially if you are appearing for exams like IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT, GRE, SAT etc. as these are considered very different than Indian exams. You may be confident about your preparation but still, the thought of actually appearing for the exam might make you nervous. Here are some useful tips that can help you deal with exam-day stress and anxiety. If you follow these strategies, you can ace your tests without breaking a sweat!

1. Don't be a perfectionist

Being a perfectionist doesn’t always work well. You should have reasonable expectations, and not expect to work out each and every question on the test. It is not possible all the time to solve difficult questions when you don’t have much time on hand. Don’t stress yourself by the fact you couldn’t solve a hard problem.

2. One question at a time

If you are solving a question, no matter how easy or hard it is, focus on solving that question. Don’t bother about the questions to come. Sometimes students keep on thinking about some silly mistake that they made a few questions back. Since there is no point in worrying about it, concentrate on the present.

3. Get enough sleep

Sleep deprivation is one of the reasons why students are not able to give their 100% on test day. You should sleep for at least 7-8 hours every day, and never pull all-nighters. You should compulsorily sleep for at least 8-9 hours, starting from two nights before your exam. This way, you won’t feel tired during the test.

4. Eat properly

Eating proper food on the morning of your test really helps. Eating proteins and fresh fruits an hour or two before the exam will keep your mind alert and attentive. Eating fat-laden foods will make you feel sleepy, and drinking coffee can lead to more anxiety.

5. Don’t discuss the test before

Many students make the mistake of coming too early, and then out of anxiety, they start discussing the test with their accompanying family. This last-minute discussion leads to nowhere since it doesn’t help you. Instead, these discussions can affect you negatively. So, in order to avoid such a situation, you should arrive on time so you can avoid discussing the exam with anyone.

6. Check your breath

Rapid breathing leads to anxiety, so when you are taking the test, keep a check on your breathing and remain relaxed. Try to keep it regular and slow by taking a few deep breaths often.

7. Use the scratch/note paper provided

It is really important to use the notepaper during any test. Take down notes whenever you are faced with a tough question, especially the quant section. Make notes of data or words in the logical reasoning questions as well. Solving questions on paper and writing them down will help you grasp the question better. That way, you will have lots of clarity during the test.

8. Don’t spend too much time on any one question

Because if you do that, it will lead to anxiety because you are running out of time and there are still many questions yet to be solved.  In paper-based tests, for example, it would be better if you can skip the hard questions as you can revisit them later. Once you are done with the easier questions in a section, you can revisit the tough ones later.

9. Use calculators (if provided)

You will have an on-screen calculator for the quant section, so you must take full advantage of it. When you sit for a test, you have added the responsibility of managing time. It is recommended you reduce the burden of calculating numbers manually. Learn how to use the on-screen calculator well before the exam.

10. Double-check your answers

Always leave some time in the end to recheck your answers. Sometimes, because of anxiety, you might have made a silly mistake. So, it is always a good idea to spend a minute or two going through all the answers that you have chosen.

11. Proofread essays

Once you finish writing your essays, proofread them instead of trying to add more sentences to what you have already written. The thing to remember with essays is that a small but perfect essay will get better scores than an imperfect but long essay.

12. Don’t try to finish too early

If you do this, you will make the mistake of trying to get out of the test center as soon as possible, thereby allowing room for mistakes. You should stay at the test center the whole time it takes to finish the exam.

13. Leave immediately after the exam

When you finish the test, leave the test center and go straight home. Don’t discuss the test or compare answers with friends. Doing this might leave you disheartened because you will realize the mistakes you made in the test. Ideally, you should not do that right after the test.

If you have any other tips or have anything to add here, let us know in the comments section below.