Are you "test anxious?"

 

Read the following statements and check the ones that are true for you:

I have trouble sleeping at night and spend those last few minutes before sleep worrying about upcoming exams or projects.
The day of an exam, I experience drastic appetite changes and either overeat or skip meals.
While studying for or taking an exam, I often feel a sense of hopelessness or dread.
While studying for or taking an exam, I have problems concentrating and I sometimes feel bored or tired.
I often yawn during an exam or while studying.
During an exam, I often feel confused or panicky.
While taking an exam, I sometimes experience sweaty palms, headaches, vomiting, or fainting.
After the exam, I pretend the exam meant nothing to me, and discard the result as meaningless.
When I am finished with an exam, I sometimes feel guilt and blame myself for not studying enough.
I sometimes get angry or depressed after an exam.
Just before or just after an exam I feel irritable and cry easily, or get frustrated quickly.
Sometimes while taking an exam I have trouble understanding the questions and have to reread them several times in order to comprehend them.
Sometimes while taking an exam I worry about my performance compared to other test takers, am easily distracted, and fantasize about ways to escape (like sneaking out or faking an illness).
As a general rule, I view test taking as a stressful situation and dread it.
While taking an exam I find my mind is racing, or is dull or "muddy," so that I can't think clearly.
During a test, I forget material I studied and learned, only to remember it again later after the test is over.
I "overanalyze" questions, see too many possibilities, choose the complex answer and overlook -- and miss -- the simpler correct one.
I make a lot of careless errors on a test.
My muscles feel tense while studying for and taking a test.
I have difficulty organizing my thoughts while taking an exam.
I have difficulty retrieving key words and concepts when answering essay questions.
I often do poorly on an exam even though I know the material.


All of these are symptoms of test anxiety. If any of these statements are true for you, you may suffer from test anxiety. The first thing to do is realize that it is not a lost cause, and, with some effort, you can manage the anxiety so that it works for you instead of against you.


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