Some anxiety when it comes to testing is normal and even helpful in performance on the test, much like butterflies before a stage performance can heighten the quality of that performance. When the anxiety, however, becomes so predominate that the testing performance is diminished  alternative steps to reduce the anxiety to a healthy level must be taken.  For each individual this level is different.  And if the anxiety is severe you may need to consider professional counseling.  But for most people who suffer from test taking anxiety the fix is much easier than psychotherapy.  How do you know if your child has test taking anxiety that is reducing the outcome of the tests?

1. Are your child’s test scores lower than the daily work scores?
2. If you quiz your child in prep for the test do they seem to really know the material and yet perform poorly on the test the next day in school?
3. Does you child feel overly nervous, nauseous, or fearful on test days?
4. Do you have reports from teachers that your child’s test performance is not matching their classroom performance?
5. Is you child refusing to study for tests?  

Let’s look at some of the ways you can reduce test taking anxiety. 

• Do you  have the skills?  Many times we will see students who have test taking anxiety and we find that they are lacking in basic reading and comprehension skills.   In this case the road to improving test taking is two-fold.  First bring the reading proficiency to the appropriate level for the student and then develop testing confidence by studying the testing structure.
• Other students come to us with the core skills in reading, writing and math but still underachieve on tests.  We then will need to look at the study habits to assure that the study habits are appropriate for their desired outcome.  Systems like SQ3R can be helpful if the study habits need to be improve.  SQ3R is a study system that allows a student to review their text book and classroom notes in an organized manner.  Most studies indicate that a student who uses the SQ3R method will spend 30% less time studying to achieve an A or a B.  However the time savings is assuming that the student is actually studying for the test.
  
• Other students have the basic skills and have studied adequately yet still have enough testing anxiety that their performance doesn’t match their knowledge.  For these students a Test Taking Anxiety Reduction Course can be most helpful.  To study the format of the test and understand the different types of questions that might be asked.  For example there are 4 primary types of questions on most tests.
  • Multiple Choice - is a question that will have 3-5 possible answers and requires specific strategies to approach.  Many of the normed assessments are multiple choice.  And many of the college entrance exams such as the ACT and SAT are largely multiple choice.
  • Fill in the blank - is a question type that requires a good understanding of the information and the thinking of the author of the text or lecture.  It can  tough if you haven’t reviewed the text and the lecture notes to be sure you know the information from the authors point of view
  • Essay - these questions require you to quickly organize your thoughts to answer a broad based question.  This type of question requires knowledge of basic facts as well as understanding the concepts of the subject being assessed.  The best approach is to read the possible essay questions, choose the one you feel best answering, and create a quick outline of what you would want to say.  This should take only 2-4 minutes.  From the outline begin answering the essay question.  As you begin you will have more information pop in to your mind keep a separate page to jot it down so you can include it at the appropriate place.  Watch your time, be concise and be sure you are fully answering the essay question.  Keep in mind the test author’s reason for asking the question.  If it is to assess your writing skills then your sentence structure, grammar and word usage will need to be at its best.  If it is to measure you knowledge of history or science it may not be as important to cover all the grammar and structural issues as long as you are clearly communicating the answer to the essay question.
  • Short Answer - these questions are similar to Essay questions except they are usually asking for an answer that is a paragraph or less in length.  If you fully understand the question and have studied the information you should be able to answer quickly and move on.
    
• Reading Comprehension tests where you read a passage and answer the questions.
  • Prep your students before they begin the test by having them read, or at least skim, all the questions for each reading passage before they read the actual passage.  Most students do the opposite.  However, by reading each passage’s questions before reading the passage, you will become aware of the information you are needing for the test before you even read the passage and can focus more heavily on those areas of the passage when you see them.
  • You can also underline those parts of the passage that sound like they have something in common with one of the questions you have already read.
  • By reading or skimming material that you have already read the questions for, you will be able to go back and quickly find the areas you have highlighted or marked in the passage where the information was discussed.

Summary:  This is a general discussion of test taking anxiety and some strategies on reducing testing fears.  The type of help for your child will vary based on the source(s) of the anxiety and the needs of the child.  You can help your child if you understand what they may need.  We have some material such as “Guide to Good Studying”, “Reducing Math Anxiety” and  “Light the Motivational Fire” that can be helpful.   You can get a free copy of these materials by going to educate.com and requesting information and noting that you would like this information.  If you have tried to help your child reduce the testing anxiety and they are still having difficulty performing in a testing situation you may consider seeking outside help from sources such as a Sylvan Learning Center, counselor, or educational psychologist.  Contact us at the Columbia or Jefferson City Sylvan Learning if you would like a free consultation with you and your child.

For more information:
Jack Stanley
Sylvan Learning Center
800-EDUCATE
3005 Chinaberry Dr.
Columbia, Mo  65201
573-875-8631
866-237-1939
educate@stanleylearning.com
www.stanleylearning.com