Managing Ordinary Exam Stress
Practical, low-risk habits for dealing with normal nerves before and during an exam.
Some nervousness before an exam is normal, and a small amount of arousal can help focus. This article covers everyday habits that many people find helpful. It is not medical advice. If anxiety is severe, lasts for a long time or affects daily life, please speak with a doctor, counsellor or another qualified professional.
Before the exam
- Prepare what you can control: materials, route, schedule.
- Move your body. A walk or light exercise often helps people feel calmer.
- Eat regular meals and drink water.
- Limit comparison. Other people's study hours say little about how prepared you are.
A simple breathing exercise
Breathe in slowly through your nose for about four seconds, then breathe out slowly for about six seconds. Repeat for a minute or two. Slow breathing helps many people settle, though it affects people differently.
During the exam
- Read the whole paper first.
- Start with a question you can answer.
- If your mind goes blank, move on, then return. Often the answer comes back.
- Remind yourself that one hard question does not decide the exam.
After the exam
Avoid long post-mortems of every question, especially before another exam. Plan something restful, then turn to the next task.
Quick recap
Prepare what you can, keep basic routines, use slow breathing if it helps, move on from hard questions, and seek support if stress becomes overwhelming.