By Sakuni Weerasinghe
Exams can be stressful. And pandemics are indeed stressful. Put two and two together, and you got yourself a recipe for sleepless nights, late night ruminations, upset stomachs, headaches from cramming, and mind blanks when you see exam questions.
After thoroughly preparing for your upcoming exams, having them postponed due to the pandemic or having to sit for timed online tests can be a new and challenging experience. It is the new normal that we are expected to adapt to.
With an ongoing pandemic, while examinations might not be the number one priority right now, since in most countries examinations happen to be the preferred mode of determining if a student gets to move ahead with their career or not, we have to find ways to face it.
It is no wonder that we may feel overwhelmed with anxiety at the mere thought of exams. In the present times, not only are we required to find ways to cope with anxiety stemming from facing the exams, but also the circumstances under which we have to face them.
To gain a more thorough understanding, let’s take a closer look at what “exam anxiety” is. Exam anxiety has long been defined by researchers as a subjective experience of intense physiological, cognitive, and/or behavioural symptoms of anxiety. In a sense, this is similar to performance anxiety where a person undergoes an evaluation. The symptoms of anxiety can be experienced before or during test-taking situations.
Does this mean that to be completely free of anxiety is a healthy response towards test-taking? We now know that this is not the case. In fact, research has found that we need to experience a little anxiety for better performance. These feelings of anxiety are what propel us to go through the test material and motivate us to actually study. However, exam anxiety can sometimes cross a threshold whereby it starts to significantly interfere with your performance; while you may be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to answer the test material, exam anxiety interferes with you performing at your best.
What does exam anxiety look like?
Physiologically, exam anxiety presents in a mild sense “butterflies in your stomach”, or in a moderate to severe sense it presents a rapid heart rate, nausea, muscle tension, perspiration, upset stomach, and frequent headaches. You may even struggle with your sleep schedule, by either not being able to fall asleep and/or not being able to remain asleep. Your appetite may also be, affected in that you may not have an appetite or you may engage in overeating. The link between the mind and body provides evidence on how your immunity would be affected while under stress, which means you may even experience frequent physical illness due to persistent anxiety.
Some of the emotional responses to exam anxiety include nervousness, worry, feeling of being overwhelmed, anger (including self-directed anger), shame, and even guilt. These stem from a feeling of helplessness and self-criticism regarding assumed poor performance. Owing to the worry and nervousness, you would often catch yourself saying things like, “I’m going to fail”, “I might as well quit”, or “I’m stupid”. This negative self-talk further exacerbates exam anxiety. Other cognitive responses you may notice include forgetfulness, memory lapses or “mind going blank”, difficulty making decisions, confusion, disorientation, and an inability to concentrate. As a result, you may even contemplate not facing the exam at all or even dropping out of school or university.
While for some, these cognitions, emotions, physiological sensations, and behaviours may present in a mild manner, for others, this may be severe, with some experiencing panic attacks before or during exams, for example.
The good news, though, is that exam anxiety is manageable.
First things first
Take care of yourself physically. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated, have nutritious meals on time, and get adequate rest and sleep (after all, memory consolidation occurs in sleep)
Change your self-talk
If you tell yourself, “what if I get to the test and can’t answer any of the questions?”, “what if I flunk the exam?”, “what if my mind draws a blank?”, ask yourself how likely it is for these events to actually occur and rate it out of 100%. Try to find evidence to the contrary. For example, recall when you have successfully faced and passed an examination and moments when you recovered during an exam after drawing mind blanks, and then see if your anxiety eases. Switching to more realistic self-talk such as, “I have studied this material to the best of my ability and will answer the questions as best I can”, will help you keep the negative thoughts at bay.
Engage in adequate preplanning
When it comes to studying effectively, try using a variety of techniques such as paced studying, using flashcards, drawing mind maps, and taking practise test questions. Recognise your study needs such as the environment and establish a study routine that works for you. Keeping in mind that several limitations imposed due to the ongoing pandemic might not allow you to study with large groups of friends, you can alternatively study with a small group or study using video conferencing tools such as Zoom. It also helps to devise a strategy for facing the exam (for example, to answer MCQ [multiple choice] questions first or to answer the easiest questions first).
Focus on what you can control
When things are uncertain, we can’t help but worry about the “what ifs” and what might happen in the future. This further grows the worry in our minds. Hence, it is wise to focus on what can be controlled. Even if the dates by when the exams will be held or the mode of exams may vary, you can focus on learning and remembering the test material. If you notice yourself getting distracted often, try a few mindfulness practices which can further help in keeping your focus on the here and now.
Talk to someone
While physical distancing might still be in place, you can always reach out to someone and discuss how you feel through a call, a message, or via online communication platforms. Sharing your experiences can help you feel better, especially as it permits you to see that it’s normal to feel nervous when you have to face evaluations that play a significant role in your lives. It helps normalise the experience. Furthermore, through the discussion, you could gain valuable insight as to what actions are required in order to help you manage the anxiety. You can reach out to your family or friends, or if you think you might benefit from speaking to a professional, you can always consult a psychotherapist.
Tips for managing anxiety during the exam:
- Take a few slow, deep breaths before the test is administered, and take deep breaths if you notice yourself becoming flustered during the exam
- Take things one step at a time; make it a point to focus on one test question at a time
- Read each question slowly and more than once, and make sure you completely understand it
- Do the relatively easier-to-answer questions first to help build confidence in answering the more difficult questions