By American Counseling Association <\/a>for GuidanceChannel.com of the Guidance Group<\/a><\/p>\n Test anxiety can be a problem for even very good students. It\u2019s the name given the poor performance in testing situations that results from the student seeming to mentally freeze up, despite having really studied the subject matter.<\/p>\n It can happen from early elementary years through college. Most students suffering from severe test anxiety are very aware of it, and anxious to make it go away.<\/p>\n A starting point in overcoming test anxiety is accepting that some nervousness is natural. Blame it on our ancestors. In any a tension-filled situation\u2013whether it\u2019s a snarling bear at the cave entrance or test questions about polynomials\u2013our blood pressure goes up and other physiological and psychological reactions take place. That\u2019s good when the threat is a bear, but overkill when it\u2019s just a snarling math problem.<\/p>\n Try these tips to reduce that level of natural anxiety:<\/p>\n Prepare, but don\u2019t cram, trying to cover the whole subject the night before a test. Instead, take an organized, rational approach and focus on the key points of the subject being tested.<\/p>\n Anticipate test questions. There may be small surprises, but most tests focus on core concepts and materials. Concentrate your studying and preparation in those main areas and you\u2019ll feel more confident about handling the test.<\/p>\n Be physically prepared. Get a good night\u2019s sleep and eat smart. Don\u2019t skip breakfast or consume foods high in caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress.<\/p>\n Change your attitude. Tell yourself, repeatedly, that you\u2019ve studied well, that you\u2019re ready to do your best and that you\u2019re feeling confident. A positive attitude makes a big difference. Relax at test time, taking several deep breaths and thinking pleasant thoughts. Take that same relaxation break during the test if you feel yourself tensing up.<\/p>\n Remind yourself it\u2019s only a test, not an all or nothing situation. Don\u2019t worry about the whole test, just focus on the current question. Tell yourself you\u2019re doing your best.<\/p>\n Being nervous about a test is natural. Being so anxious that it affects performance is a problem that should be dealt with. If simple changes, such as those above, don\u2019t seem to help, talk to your school counselor, or considering meeting with a counseling professional outside your school. There are treatments and strategies that can effectively help manage test anxiety.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Counseling Corner\u201d is provided as a public service by the American Counseling Association, the nation\u2019s largest organization of counseling professionals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Is Test Anxiety Affecting Your Child? By American Counseling Association for GuidanceChannel.com of the Guidance Group Test anxiety can be a problem for even very good students. It\u2019s the name given the poor performance in testing situations that results from the student seeming to mentally freeze up, despite having really studied the subject matter. It […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5037","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"webmaster","author_link":"https:\/\/www.eastpennsd.org\/eyer\/article\/author\/webmaster\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Is Test Anxiety Affecting Your Child? By American Counseling Association for GuidanceChannel.com of the Guidance Group Test anxiety can be a problem for even very good students. It\u2019s the name given the poor performance in testing situations that results from the student seeming to mentally freeze up, despite having really studied the subject matter. 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