Test. The word alone can cause student's palms to sweat, heart to race, and feelings of nervousness and fear to swell throughout their body. If you experience these or other scary feelings when presented with a test, then you are feeling test anxiety. This is a very common feeling and you are not alone. If you have problems completing tests then continue reading to gain some advice that will hopefully ease some of those worrisome feelings and fears.

Kids get nervous about tests because so much emphasis is placed on them. What you need to do is relax; the outcome of one test is not going to dictate the end of the world. The whole point of tests is to see how kids are doing with their math, reading, or other school skills. Teachers and parents want to make sure that you are learning and understand these important skills. So, instead of thinking of tests as a major exam, try to view them as a measuring tool, like a ruler or a scale. Did you know that most students' fear of tests also stem from one negative experience? Sometime during your school career you have actually learned to be afraid of tests! Think back through your life and try to find when your fear of tests started. This will help you realize that your test anxieties are emotional. Emotions can be scary but when you are able to figure out what they are and why they are happening, they are a lot easier to handle. Once you understand that tests are a measuring tool and your fears are emotions, you are ready to learn ways to prepare for a test and tips to help you relax during each test.

Many kids are nervous for tests because they did not study or finish their homework. One of the best ways to fight your nerves is to study your skills after school. Make sure to finish your homework assignments. Believe it or not, your teachers do not assign worksheets and other assignments to be mean; they give them to you so you can fully learn the skills that are used in the school work. You can also prepare for a test by creating a practice quiz at home. You or your parents can take problems like those in your homework but change them around so they are new questions. If you can not answer one of the problems, then ask your parents to help you. Many websites online have also been designed to offer kids homework help. They are really great at giving advice and helping students learn the skills they don't understand. One very important thing to remember when studying for a test is not to over study. That's right, there is such a thing as studying too much (but this is not a good excuse to give parents when they want you to finish your homework)! If you concentrate too much on studying you probably are putting too much emphasis on the test; this makes you really nervous because it is all that you are thinking about. The important thing to remember is the better you understand the skills you are going to be tested on, the easier your test questions should be.

A lot of students panic when they are handed their test, even if they have studied their lessons and finished their homework. There are exercises you can do at the beginning of a test to help yourself calm down. First, remember to breathe. This sounds funny but a lot of people hold their breath when they are concentrating or nervous. Not breathing or breathing really fast will make you more nervous. Take a deep breath and count to ten before letting it out. This will help you calm down. You can also help your body relax by tensing up all of your muscles and slowing letting them down. This will burn off your nervous energy and help your body relax. When your body is relaxed then your brain can relax as well. Another great exercise is visualizing yourself doing really good on your test. This will put you in a more optimistic mindset and help you do well on the actual test.

When you start to take your test, it helps to read everything before starting. This means you should actually look through the problems before you start them. By doing this, you are able to locate the easier problems you remember how to do instead of wasting time staring at a problem that you can not figure out. If you can not answer a problem quickly, then skip it and come back to it later. Once you have answered all of the questions you know, you will begin to feel more confident about the test and will have more success with the hard questions.

Remember to congratulate yourself after finishing each test. Tests are hard on your brain and emotions, so each test you complete is another hurdle you have successfully jumped over. Even if you didn't do so great on a test make sure list all of the skills you successfully completed. Chances are you did better than you think you did! By keeping a positive attitude about each test the ones you have to face in the future will be a lot easier to take. Following the tips in this article and other test taking advice that your friends, parents, or teachers give to you, will help you feel at ease when taking school tests.

By: math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org