Can Brain Training Help with Test Anxiety? At LearningRx, we know that many situations can be a source of stress or anxiety, but they don’t always have to be. When it comes to learning challenges and test-taking, we offer brain training for all ages. Our brain training programs can be great for building practical skills to overcome test anxiety, difficulty with homework, and more. In particular, test anxiety is a common occurrence for all ages—not just kids and teens, but also adults. Broadly speaking, it’s the feeling of anxiety, dread, worry, or fear of failure that comes with a high-pressure testing situation. These experiences don’t just happen in school, where tests, quizzes, and exams are frequent. They also extend to the workplace and other contexts. It’s not unusual for someone to experience this type of anxiety before a work presentation, or in preparing for a meeting. Increasingly, test anxiety is on the rise. You may be wondering: why is that a cause for concern? And how can brain training make a difference? We’ll explore this in greater detail below. Understanding Test Anxiety and What Can Help 3 Reasons that Test-Related Stress is Worth Investigating You may think it’s reasonable to feel anxiety about high-pressure situations, like tests or exams. It’s tempting to hope that these kinds of concerns might help a student study harder or better. In reality, a small amount of worry isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But as these anxieties increase, they can frequently cause plenty of harm. Here are three reasons why test-taking stresses are worth addressing: They frequently affect test performances. Studies show that high levels of test-taking stress can harm a student’s performance. In fact, individuals with this kind of stress often score 12 percentile points lower than learners who aren’t as anxious. They inspire stress or anxiety around learning. When students grow to dread tests, it can make them dread learning, too. Unfortunately, it doesn’t just affect test performances. It can also lead to higher dropout rates. They’re distressing to experience. Test-taking stress doesn’t just impact test outcomes or interest in learning. Most obviously, they’re very taxing on the people who experience them and can result in both mental and physical health concerns. What to Know About Test Anxiety If your learner is dealing with test-related anxieties, they’re not alone. People of all ages experience this problem. It’s even something we work on at LearningRx, through one-on-one brain training. Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to these anxieties: It’s not related to intelligence. Test-taking stresses don’t say anything about a person’s intelligence or even abilities. It’s simply a response to what a student perceives to be a high-pressure, high-threat situation. It can build significantly. This kind of stress can have a snowball effect. The memory of stressing or struggling over one test can feed into greater feelings of fear, anxiety, and distress. It can be managed. If a student is highly anxious about taking tests, proper support can make a big difference. Sleep and diet can have an effect. Building effective study strategies can be especially impactful—and that’s where brain training can help. How Brain Training Can Make a Difference For students of all ages who are dealing with anxieties around test-taking, it’s worth thinking about test prep help from LearningRx! We understand the many complex skills involved in effective test-taking. Through personalized brain training programs, we help learners build strategies for strong study habits, note-taking, and more. Students also have the chance to practice and exert cognitive skills, like working memory, logic and reasoning, and sustained focus. These skills are crucial to learning and test-taking. Test anxiety doesn’t have to be a permanent state of mind. Instead, with one-on-one support from brain training, learners can develop the confidence they need for these high-stress situations! Explore our one-on-one brain training programs for test prep. If you’re interested in learning more, simply contact LearningRx at 866-BRAIN-01 or visit us online today.