What is Exam Anxiety? What are its causes and How to deal with it?

Well before we go deep into how to cope with exam anxiety we should make sure we know what actually exam anxiety is, it is in simple words a psychological condition that could happen when someone experiences extreme distress and anxiety in exam or testing situations. And sometimes it’s normal if it’s not at the extreme level because everyone normally has that anxiety before exams or while attempting the exam but if it’s at the extreme level it could simply impair learning and understanding and this could eventually result in your bad performance while attempting your exams.

Exams are stressful but definitely not the worst thing that could happen to you. Parents with their expectations of you make it tough for you and you are thinking about it all the time and are doing nothing but stressing yourself.

Possible reasons for the exam anxiety

There could be plenty of reasons for the exam anxiety but the few that are worth talking about are at least 3 reasons for the exam anxiety those are given as under

1. Failed or not being good enough in many tests before the actual exam

If one has attempted many tests already before the exam and has failed multiple times in it or done poorly in those tests, maybe because of them not being fully prepared to attempt those tests and not understanding the concepts or facing difficulties in answering the questions, or just being anxious can be a reason for more anxiety.

2. Fear of failure

Sometimes a person could be afraid of failing an exam and this could bring immense pressure as he will not be able to perform at his best, due to the fear of failure in the examinations.

3. Not being well prepared for the exam

Before attempting an exam one should be fully prepared for it and in case one is not fully prepared for the exam could be a solid reason for exam anxiety because of the unpreparedness one could face exam anxiety.

How to deal with the exam anxiety

1. Study efficiently

What it basically means is that you prepare yourself well enough to feel comfortable with the curriculum or whatever the material of the test is. Because one of the main reasons that causes exam anxiety is unpreparedness and if a person who studies well and efficiently this anxiety could be reduced as now the person is prepared enough to take the exam.

2. Get rid of all the negative thoughts going in your mind

You have to banish all the negativity about yourself you might get some thoughts in your mind like (I can’t do this), (I am not good enough) or (I will fail because I did not study) these are all examples of thought you might get in your head but if you try getting rid of these thoughts and only concentrate on your studies and syllabus you will do good.

3. Try solving past papers and test yourself before the actual exam

This is another way of getting confidence. If you try making those exam conditions for yourself and try solving the past papers before the actual exam this could boost your confidence and mitigate the fear of attempting the exam.

4. Don’t think about your past failures

If you had attempted a test or an exam earlier and did poor and failed miserably. This could bring bad vibes to your mind. Therefore, it could hinder your way of progress. So make sure you are not thinking about the past failures. Because the past is past and it’s gone. Nothing can be done about it now. It’s all about what you do in the present time. So give your best and leave all the past failures behind.

5. Get enough sleep

Getting proper sleep can make you feel charged while studying and preparing for the exam and this could also help your brain work more effectively and you will be able to focus and concentrate and prepare well for the exam and even before the night before the exam a good enough sleep is something that cannot be avoided as it is necessary to be charged for an exam you have prepared for so many days.

What is exam anxiety & its causes? how to deal with it?

Possible reasons for the exam anxiety