Step 7: Overcome Test Anxiety

Everyone feels anxious before the MBLEx. So, if you feel like your stress levels are at an all-time high, you’re not alone. Symptoms of test anxiety include:

• Physical symptoms: Headaches, dry mouth, nausea, diarrhea, increases in body temperature, sweating, shortness of breath, light-headedness, and a rapid heart rate.
• Emotional symptoms: Feelings of fear or dread, disappointment, depression, anger, tearfulness, or feelings of helplessness.
• Cognitive symptoms: Racing thoughts, going blank, difficulty concentrating, negative self-talk, or difficulty organizing your thoughts.

It is common for these types of pretesting situations to increase feelings of anxiety:

• Poor study habits, lack of study organization, and cramming, versus following a structured preparation plan.
• Prior negative test-taking experiences, such as failing an exam or getting a grade lower than anticipated.  
• Fear of failure or a sense of external pressure to perform well. A sense of competition with particular classmates.
• Negative thought processes or focusing on the negative consequences of failure rather than preparing to succeed.

The fact is that most text anxiety is due to preparation level. Students who are prepared experience less anxiety than those who are inadequately prepared. Use some of the tips in earlier newsletters to get your exam preparation on track, or use a program like ABMP Exam Coach, which will help you structure study sessions effectively.

You can also practice these anxiety-reducing strategies in the weeks and days leading up to your MBLEx examination date:

• Over-prepare. Visit earlier Student Life newsletters to identify useful study methods and create an exam preparation plan. Use active learning methods in every study session; reading the text and looking over lecture notes is not sufficient. Instead, make flash cards, recite term definitions out loud, and write practice quizzes to predict what type of information you might see on the MBLEx. If you haven’t developed good study habits during school, you may want to use a program like ABMP Exam Coach to prepare. This interactive web-based test prep program has carefully organized and prepared study materials to save you time.
• Prepare every day. Quiz yourself on previously learned material and strive to learn new material every day. This daily effort allows you to absorb information at a slow and regular pace, leading to better recall. Avoid situations where you have to cram for the test, as this leads to increased test anxiety.
• Stay positive: Negative self-talk can contribute to test anxiety and disrupt study sessions. If you spend all your mental energy worrying about a test, it will be difficult to input and recall information. Instead, review this Student Life newsletter and write yourself positive affirmations about test preparation and test taking. Recite the affirmations any time you feel anxious. You can also use the affirmations provided in the Picked Fresh section of this newsletter.
• Breathe. When you feel the first threads of anxiety, stop yourself from entering the anxiety cycle by breathing deeply. Sit with your legs shoulder-width apart and your spine straight. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Feel yourself take deep breaths in and out. Notice your muscles and try a progressive relaxation. Start by tensing your face muscles and then letting them relax. Next, tense your shoulders and then let them relax. Tense your gluteal muscles and legs and let them relax. Tense your arms and hands and let them relax. Finally, tense your feet and toes and then let them relax. Go back to your breath and focus on your breath. Repeat a positive affirmation on each exhalation. Remember, you don’t have to eliminate anxiety altogether, you just have to control it enough to take the test successfully.
• Stay healthy: When you are physically and emotionally exhausted, undernourished, or when your body is overwhelmed by sugar or other unhealthy foods, it is more difficult to tolerate stress and anxiety. Make sure to get enough sleep, eat properly, and take walks outside to move your body in the weeks leading up to the MBLEx.

Action Item: Determine your level of anxiety as you approach the test. List three strategies you will use to reduce your anxiety before and during the exam.

If you need help getting connected to resources that can help you prepare for the MBLEx, ABMP is here to help. Call 800-458-2267 and ask to speak to anyone in the Education Department. We’re behind you all the way! In our next Student Life newsletter, we will look at the final 24 hours before the exam and what you need to know about the day of your test.