Are You Suffering From Test Anxiety?

Are you anxious about taking the IELTS exam? So much so that it’s keeping you from maximizing your IELTS package sessions? You might have test anxiety. Read on to find out more.

17 Signs You’re Suffering from Test Anxiety

Find out if you have exam anxiety. Keep an eye out for the following symptoms whenever you tackle stressful IELTS Academic review activities.

Physiological Symptoms

           1)    headache

           2)    dry mouth

           3)    light-headedness

           4)    rapid heartbeat

           5)    shortness of breath

           6)    excessive sweating

           7)    panic attacks

Psychological Symptoms

           8)    anger

           9)    restlessness

          10) nervousness

          11) low self-esteem

          12) incessant doubt

Behavioral Symptoms

          13) mental block

          14) lack of focus

          15) indecisiveness

          16) disorganized thoughts

          17) substance abuse

Are you suffering from test anxiety? If so, don’t worry. It doesn’t have to get in the way of your IELTS package training experience. You just need to learn how to manage it.

3 Ways to Manage Test Anxiety

There’s no definite remedy for test anxiety. But, there are ways to alleviate its symptoms and manage its effects. Here are some of them.

        1.    Be prepared. Not only for the test day, but also for your IELTS Academic review classes. Set an alarm so you won’t be late for your training session. Do all your assignments, study your notes, and review your past practice tests. Doing these will put you in the right mindset for IELTS review, boost your confidence, and stave off test anxiety.

        2.    Take deep breaths.

Yes, breathing exercises work well against test anxiety. Not only can they help you keep calm, but they can also keep your mind clear and stabilize your heart rate. So, practice taking deep breaths during stressful situations. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

        3.    Turn negative thoughts around. If thoughts like “I can’t do this” and “I’m not good enough” often plague you during bouts of anxiety, don’t ignore them. That seldom works. Instead, make it a point to transform them into something positive. Think “I can do this” and “I know I’m good enough because…” Don’t let them depreciate your hard work.

Take note: these are only some of the ways to overcome exam anxiety. So, don’t limit your anxiety countermeasures to these practices.

Determine what spikes your stress levels. Then, avoid those conditions or work on getting used to them. For instance, if you always get anxious when during IELTS package speaking exercises, practice your linguistic skills outside of the classroom. Get used to speaking in English in a stress-free situation. It might not make your anxiety disappear completely, but it’ll certainly lessen its crippling effects.

Manage your test anxiety to maximize your training period and score high in the IELTS exam!

References:

“10 Ways to Overcome Test Anxiety.” Princeton. Accessed January 10, 2019. https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/test-anxiety

Cherry, Kendra. “What Is Test Anxiety?” Very Well Mind. August 9, 2018. Accessed January 10, 2019. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-test-anxiety-2795368

“Do I Have Test Anxiety? (Self-Assessment)” Psycom. Accessed January 10, 2019. https://www.psycom.net/test-anxiety-quiz-assessment/

Gotter, Ana. "What Is Test Anxiety?" Healthline. April 14, 2017. Accessed January 10, 2019. http://www.healthline.com/health/test-anxiety#symptoms2.

Smith, Kathleen. “Managing Test Anxiety.” Psycom, Accessed January 10, 2019. https://www.psycom.net/managing-test-anxiety/

"Test Anxiety." Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Accessed January 10, 2019. https://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/children/test-anxiety.