Unit 9: Be Ready For Tests and Test Anxiety
This unit will present you with strategies you can use to study for tests, reduce or eliminate stress related to test-taking, commonly called test anxiety, and increase your skills in taking tests.
The weeks and days before a test are a great time to remind yourself of an important point: being a college student is voluntary! Put another way, you are in college because it will help you achieve the goals you set out at the beginning of this course. If you approach tests as an opportunity to see how well you are doing, rather than as a punishment or trial, you will find it easier for you to have a positive attitude about the process. Nearly every student has experienced test anxiety at some point, so if it happens to you, do not see it as a sign of failure. Instead, learn the strategies presented in this unit so that when test anxiety appears, you will have the emotional tools to manage it.
One of the most effective strategies for avoiding excessive anxiety during an exam is being well-prepared for the exam itself. Feeling confident about the material comes from studying effectively and often, and from feeling healthy and well-rested on the exam day. This unit also covers strategies for actually taking a test, including understanding the different question types, which questions to answer first, and other useful tips.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 11 hours.
Unit 9 Assessment
One of the most important strategies for ensuring your college success is to develop a plan for how you will prepare for quizzes, tests, and exams. If you do not already have a basic plan, now is the time to create one. Pull out your planner or calendar, your course syllabus, and your course notes and other materials. Note all your upcoming quizzes, tests, and exams in your planner.
Also be sure to:
- Schedule time on your calendar for reviewing your course notes. Divide the notes into manageable chunks and schedule time every day between now and the next upcoming exam to review these notes.
- Attend extra study sessions. Make sure all your group study sessions, recitations, review sessions, and tutoring appointments are on your calendar. Don't wait too long to try to find a tutor if you need one. The closer to the exam you are, the harder it will be to find someone who has time to help you.
- Plan as if you have a critically important meeting the night before the exam. How can you have all your studying completed well beforehand?
- Eat, sleep, and exercise. Don't forget to eat properly, exercise, and get a good night's sleep before the exam. Make sure you have a good breakfast and/or snack before the test.
- Relax during the exam. What are three things you can do while taking the exam to help you relax and to calm your nerves? Share your answers on the "Try College 101 Discussion Board.”
- Review test-taking tips. Make note of effective test-taking strategies based on your readings in your College Success textbook. Share strategies that work for you on the "Try College 101 Discussion Board.”
- It's not over yet. Once you have completed your exam, read through it one last time to make sure you have not missed any questions before you turn it in.
When the graded exam is returned to you, be sure to review it. Focus on any parts of the exam in which you performed poorly, and use the test as a resource to prepare yourself for future exams. Receiving your first test grade is a good time to schedule an appointment with your instructor to discuss anything you do not understand.
Wash, Rinse, and Repeat
Effective test-taking is an important part of learning and is a skill that you will continue to develop over time. As you continue to improve the studying and test-taking skills that you have learned in this course, you will find that they will continue to pay dividends throughout your college career.