Hints and tips to help combat exam anxiety
09 May 2023
Rebecca Simcox, Health and Social Care and Child Development Subject Advisor
As a former teacher and Head of Year 11, I’ve supported many young people with anxiety caused by exams. I also have two teenage children, one who is currently studying GCSEs and another who sat them last year. These experiences, as a professional and as a parent, have helped me to better understand how to support young people dealing with exam anxiety. In this blog I’ll share some hints and tips for students preparing to sit their exams.
Why are young people more anxious around exam season?
Exams can be stressful for many people. When I was a teenager, I struggled to keep calm on exam day, whereas some of my friends were fine and laughing and joking. Why was this? What did they know that I didn’t? I now know they were just able to deal with stress in a different way, applying the appropriate coping mechanism, or perhaps they had learnt to mask their fears.
According to Mentally Healthy Schools, ‘exam stress describes the emotional, physiological, and behavioural responses caused by an imminent test or exam’. Some of the reasons they suggest this might cause a negative response are:
- past exam failure
- high expectations
- pressure to succeed
- fear of failure
- perceived importance
- poor preparation and organisation.
I can relate to this so much through my own experience of sitting exams (and stressful professional situations I have been in) but also from when my daughter was taking her GCSEs. She’d constantly reflect on previous exams that she felt she hadn’t done well in and would look backwards instead of forwards: a negative thought process that only leads to more anxiety. It was important she applied positive steps to overcome the negative thoughts surrounding past failures.
Who is most affected by exam anxiety?
It’s thought that around 80% of young people will feel exam stress at times. This is because they’re put into extremely stressful situations that they’re not used to, causing a ‘fight or flight’ response. Many young people are fortunate to have a support system that has provided them with coping mechanisms, and this means they’re able to apply the ‘fight’ response. However, others might not have the support systems in place or might have coping mechanisms but struggle to apply them effectively enough, leading to a ‘flight’ response.
Those most at risk of developing exam anxiety are individuals that already have an anxiety disorder or struggle to cope with anxiety. These people can feel worse during exams, as anxiety can interfere with their ability to concentrate, recall information and perform well. Anxiety can cause physical symptoms such as sweating, shaking and a rapid heartbeat, making it difficult to focus on the task at hand. These symptoms, on top of already anxious thoughts, can lead to an overwhelming feeling of not being able to cope and the student catastrophising.
According to Ofqual, 15% of GCSE students may fall into the category of being ‘highly test anxious’. For these students, their levels of stress and anxiety are high enough that their wellbeing and exam performance can be negatively affected.
How does anxiety affect exam performance?
Anxiety can lead to negative thinking patterns, such as catastrophising or predicting the worst-case scenario, which can increase feelings of stress and anxiety. Anxious people may experience racing thoughts, difficulty making decisions, and feeling overwhelmed, all of which can interfere with their performance during exams. If you want to learn more, listen to this interesting podcast from Psychology in the Classroom which is about exam stress and anxiety, the body’s response to it and strategies to help.
Hints and tips to help combat anxiety caused by exam stress
Through my experiences as a teacher and as a parent, I’ve found that there’s no quick fix for anxiety. Everybody responds differently, so it’s important to have a variety of support mechanisms. Here are some hints and tips for students that I’ve used, and in my experience have had a positive response.
- Try not to catastrophise. This occurs when people predict the worst-case scenario. A way to combat this is try and stop the flow of negative thoughts by verbally telling the brain to stop. Then start to change the course of energy and imagine a less negative outcome.
- Use positive self-talk and reinforcement. Linked to the first point, use positive phrases to reassure yourself that you’re capable and will do the best job you can. There are some really useful tips produced by Ofqual.
- Take it step by step. Don’t think about all of the possible outcomes of the exam, instead think about each little aspect, bit by bit. The first is to enter the examination room and sit in your seat. This is your first success. Each little step will then lead to the final outcome, but in your own time.
- Don’t compare yourself to others. You may be worried that you don’t know as much as your friends, or that you won’t do as well as everybody else in the room. Remember you’re there for you; your experience and success doesn’t compare to others.
- Focus on breathing. If you’re feeling the physical effects of anxiety, it’s important to focus on your breathing. One technique is the 1-5 method, advocated by the NHS.
- Make sure to eat and drink. Your body needs fuel and water to allow the brain to function effectively. Avoid sugary drinks or those with lots of caffeine as they can lead to peaks and drops in sugar levels, possibly causing more anxiety. BBC Good Food has some useful tips on brain-boosting foods .
- Sleep. The hardest thing to do before an exam is to get enough sleep, especially if you’re highly anxious. However, sleep is crucial as it allows the brain to rest and process all the information it’s learnt. Sleep also helps us with recall, problem solving and our mood.
- Ask school/college for support. Most schools and college will have their own support system for young people, which may include sitting exams in a smaller room, applying for special considerations, having an exam buddy, having a quiet space before the exam and mindfulness exercises. The key is to talk to your teacher about how you’re feeling so you can get the support you need.
- Be as prepared as possible. Many young people will initiate ‘flight mode’ and avoid exams and exam revision. Others will do so much to start with that they cannot face looking at revision again. Try to find the right balance, take small steps and do what you can to be a self-regulated learner. This Cambridge Assessment podcast from 2021 has more suggestions on ways to deal with anxiety. Do research to find ideas that help you. The student pages on our website have some useful tips on managing stress. Students could research the ideas that help them.
- Recognise the symptoms and use methods that help. It’s important to recognise your symptoms of anxiety and start to use techniques that help you, as quickly as possible. For example, some people feel dissociated and so they might use grounding techniques. Mind has some useful tips to help with this. Others might use breathing exercises to slow down their heart rate. Also, you could ask your teacher what the rules are for having time in an exam to apply these. In some cases, you’re entitled to short rest breaks to apply these methods, so make sure you take them.
Final thoughts
Exams are a stressful part of a life that we all go through at some point or another. The stress and anxiety that accompany them can be difficult to manage, but with the right support and coping mechanisms you may be able to combat negative aspects of exam stress and turn them into a positive. This is because exam stress can also provide us with motivation to enable us to do the best we can.
I hope you find this useful, and best of luck to all students who are taking currently preparing for exams.
If you have a moment, please take a look at our dedicated Mental Health Awareness Week webpage where we’re sharing anxiety and wellbeing lesson plans, blogs and podcasts for teachers and students.
Please let us know how you are marking Mental Health Awareness Week yourself and in your setting.
Stay connected
If you have any questions, you can email us at OCRHealthandSocialCare@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or tweet us @OCR_Health. You can also sign up to subject updates and receive information about resources and support.
About the author
Rebecca is the newest member of the Health and Social Care and Child Development subject advisor team Before joining OCR, she taught in an all-girls secondary school in Birmingham for 19 years. She taught a variety of subjects, including Health and Social Care, PSHE, PE, Sport and Dance and has a particular interest in health and wellbeing.
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