Signs and Symptoms of Test Anxiety

Test anxiety is a form of performance anxiety characterized by fear, worry, tension, and even feelings of physical illness when faced with an exam. Experiencing stress or anxiety before an exam is perfectly normal, in fact, a little nervousness can actually help you perform your best. However, when this distress becomes so excessive that it tangibly interferes with performance on an exam, it is known as test anxiety.

Symptoms of Test Anxiety

Symptoms of test anxiety vary considerably from person to person and can range from mild to severe. Some students experience only mild symptoms of test anxiety and are still able to do fairly well on exams. Other students are nearly incapacitated by their anxiety, which may lead to poor test performance or even panic attacks before or during exams.​

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of test anxiety include, but are not limited to:

• Sweating
• Shaking
• Rapid heartbeat
• Dry mouth
• Fainting
• Nausea

Milder cases of test anxiety can cause a sense of "butterflies" in the stomach, while more severe cases can cause students to become physically ill. People may even vomit or experience diarrhea before a test.

Emotional symptoms

Emotional symptoms of test anxiety include, but are not limited to:

• Depression
• Low self-esteem
• Anger
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Distress
• Feelings of inadequacy

Students often feel helpless to change their situation. They may belittle and berate themselves for their symptoms and the resulting poor performance on exams.

Cognitive and behavioral symptoms

Cognitive and behavioral symptoms of test anxiety include, but are not limited to:

• Fidgeting
• Outright avoidance of testing situations
• Forgetfulness
• Self-doubt
• Negative self-talk

Test anxiety makes it very difficult to concentrate during an exam. Many people with test anxiety report blanking out on answers to the test even though they thoroughly studied the information and were sure they would know the answers to the questions. Negative self-talk, trouble concentrating on the test, and racing thoughts are also common cognitive symptoms of test anxiety.

In some cases, test anxiety can become so severe that students will drop out of school in order to avoid the source of their fear. Substance abuse can also occur since many students attempt to self-treat their anxiety by taking downers such as prescription medications and alcohol.

Causes of Test Anxiety

There are a number of different factors that may lead students to experience anxiety in the face of tests. Research has shown that parents who place a great deal of academic pressure on their children may contribute to test anxiety. Students who feel parental pressure are more likely to experience physical symptoms of anxiety during tests as well as greater worry before and during exams.

Other potential causes of test anxiety include:

• Poor performance on previous tests. Students who have done poorly on previous tests may be more likely to feel anxious in the future.
• Lack of preparation. Procrastination or failing to study for an exam can increase anxiety levels during a test.
• Fear of failure. Students who connect their sense of self-worth to their test scores experience a great deal of pressure to perform well. This high-pressure to perform well can then lead to greater anxiety.

Test anxiety can also feed upon itself. Once a student has experienced some level of test anxiety for whatever reason, whether it was due to poor preparation or high external pressure from teachers or parents, they are more likely to experience similar it again in the future. Students may become fearful of experiencing anxiety symptoms, so they then become even more fearful of testing situations.

Treatments

Treatment for test anxiety often involves therapeutic strategies for managing stress levels before and during an exam. Students are often assisted with study techniques and test-taking skills to ensure they have the ability to successfully prepare for and take tests. Helping students to build confidence in their test-taking ability can also be helpful.

Students who have severe anxiety or who experience panic attacks may also be prescribed anti-anxiety medications to help control these symptoms. Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) are psychotherapy approaches that may also be helpful in treating symptoms of test anxiety.

Ways to Help Overcome Test Anxiety

There are also steps students can take to alleviate the unpleasant and oftentimes harmful symptoms of test anxiety on their own.

Ways to help yourself manage and overcome test anxiety include, but are not limited to:

• Relaxation techniques like deep breathing can help you destress before and during a test.
• Make lifestyle modifications. Self-care habits such as getting enough sleep and eating healthy meals can be helpful for managing symptoms of anxiety.
• Establish good study habits. Work on developing a routine for exams to make sure you are well-prepared for tests can be helpful. One good way to do this is to set small goals for yourself with rewards after each one while you study. Rewards can be as small as a piece of candy after finishing a problem set or can be larger like treating yourself to a new pair of shoes after a big exam.
• Minimize distractions. Eliminate distractions while studying by finding a quiet place to sit and setting your phone on do not disturb. Try not to give attention to interfering thoughts.
• Learn to accept mistakes. Try not to connect your self-worth to the outcome of a test. Remember you are not your grades.

Reminder

While many students are able to manage test anxiety on their own, remember there are resources available that can help. If you or your child need extra support, make an appointment with a school counselor, doctor, or mental health professional.