Question 1
Do you experience test anxiety? Which of these items do you struggle with the most? What can you do to address these?
From UT Arlington Counseling Services presentation by Ellen Myers on Stress Management, 2002.
I am so nervous on tests that I don’t do my best, even when I have studied well and am prepared.
My stomach gets tight and upset before or during a test
My hands get cold and sweaty during a test.
I get headaches before or during a test.
I have trouble sleeping the night before a test.
I find my mind racing or becoming dull and “muddy” so that I can’t think clearly while taking a test.
During a test, I forget material I have studied and learned, only to remember it again after the test is over.
I “over-analyze” questions, see too many possibilities, choose complex answers, and overlook the simpler, correct answers.
I make careless errors on a test.
Question 21 pts
RJ believes he is good at organization, and he usually is–for about the first two weeks of classes. He then becomes overwhelmed with all of the handouts and materials and tends to start slipping in the organization department. When it comes to tests, he worries that his notes might not cover all of the right topics and that he will not be able to remember all of the key terms and points–especially for his math class. During tests, he sometimes gets stuck on an item and tends to spend too much time there. He also sometimes changes answers but finds out later that his original selection was correct. He is also easily distracted by other students and noises which makes it hard for him to concentrate sometimes, and, unfortunately, he does admit to occasionally “cramming” the night before.
