What Causes Test Anxiety (And How Can You Get Over It)?
Test anxiety is a very real fear among kids, teens, and adults. Whether it’s your 3rd grade standardized tests, the SATs, college exams, or professional certifications, testing can be a huge source of fear and stress for many people.
Why is this? Why do we freeze up and forget everything we knew so well the night before? Or why are test days filled with tears, stress, and fear instead of motivation and a can-do attitude?
While many different factors related to personal history and emotional makeup can cause test anxiety, some of the biggest leading causes of stress surrounding testing include cognitive skill weaknesses.
Confident Test-Taking Requires Strong Brain Skills
Taking a test isn’t simply an assessment of knowledge. While memory and effective learning is the goal, there are also pressures of time, focus, and strategy that are essential pieces of test taking. Some of the core skills that can cause test-related anxiety include:
Slow processing speed.
If you feel the pressure of testing time constraints and your brain goes into “freeze” or panic mode, it could be because weak processing speed skills are overpowering your ability to remember efficiently.
Processing speed is your ability to take in and retrieve information. If you or your child constantly feel rushed, finish last, or need longer time periods than what’s allotted, it could be because this skill is weak.
Poor logic & reasoning.
So much of test-taking is problem-solving and reasoning through possible answers. If this skill is weak, you will continue to feel overwhelmed on test day and struggle to communicate correct answers even if you know the concepts.
Low working memory.
Test-taking requires you to hold onto small bits of information and apply it immediately, so weaker working memory can make testing harder and more stressful for some people.
For example, you read the question, start through your multiple choice options, and then have to re-read the question because you forgot what it was asking. This definitely leads to more fear, anxiety, and disinterest when it comes to testing.
Long term memory struggles.
Of course, the purpose of testing is assessing knowledge. If long-term memory is weak, you may continue to feel unprepared no matter how much studying you do.
There Are 2 Parts to Smart
Learning is not just about high-quality instruction and information; it also requires your brain to have the capacity to use, remember, and apply it. These 2 keys work together to foster growth and learning at any age.
However, if you or your child feels like tests are really not showing true knowledge or are not accurate representations of your abilities, it could be pointing to cognitive skill weaknesses.
Brain Training for Test-Taking Help
These cognitive skills are vital not only for the classroom but also for all other areas of life. Many of our clients walk away with greater confidence and academic success—but also real-life changes like better test-taking, easier communication, more self-advocacy, and more!
Strengthening cognitive skills addresses test anxiety by:
- Making you or your child a more confident learner in the first place
- Giving you or your child the mental tools to succeed in test-like environments
LearningRx offers cognitive skill training for all ages, including for test-prep in high school, college, and beyond.
If test days are filled with anxiety and fear despite your efforts to prepare, give us a call today to learn more about how brain training can help set you up for long term confidence and success.
