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5: Managing exam anxiety

Anxiety management techniques

You may find that exams provoke levels of anxiety which are highly uncomfortable, and that you do not produce your best work under such pressure. If you tend to be a perfectionist, an exam can be particularly stressful because it has a set time limit which limits lengthy planning, rewriting and checking. Even revision can be difficult if you are constantly worrying about whether you will remember and understand your material when you are in the exam room.

Anxiety management techniques will be more useful if you practise them early, since you can use them alongside your revision, in the final run up to the exam, and in the exam itself.

Technique 1: Self-talk—turning negative statements into positive ones

You can guide your thinking away from general worry and self-doubt by turning negative self-statements into positive ones. This strategy is useful in all aspects of life. Figure 5 relates to an unsuccessful job interview and illustrates the process.

Figure 5: Positive and negative self-talk

Adapted from the Exam Stress Pack, The Open University in the South

Activity 13

  • Now try to construct an example for yourself, in relation to a past exam or test experience, in order to identify your pattern of self-talk.

Now read the discussion

You may discover that you undermine yourself by negative self-talk. Keep re-wording negative statements into positives. Positive self-talk is a powerful tool.

Turning the negative into the positive

Here is a rewording of some of the negative student comments from Section 2, which we have re-worded into positive comments.

Negative Positive
I am no good at exams, I always let myself down. The past is irrelevant. I am now working well and have planned techniques which will really help.
I leave revision to the last minute and then get in a flap. I can get my work done in time if I plan a timetable and stick to it.
I might fail. I am determined to pass and I am working to make that happen.

Make a list of positive statements that create positive feelings, and repeat them regularly. In the exam room, you could quietly say to yourself, 'It is okay, I can handle this', or 'I can relax. I am in control', or 'Now is my chance to put into action the things I have learnt'.

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