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Test Anxiety – How to Calm Your Nerves Before a Big Test

Written by:
Iman Homsi, MSW on June 27, 2025

Feeling anxious before a test is common, but some people suffer from test anxiety, which is a form of performance anxiety that can present more severely than regular anxiety.

What is Test Anxiety? 

Test anxiety is a psychological disorder where you experience intense stress, worry, or apprehension either before, after, or during a test. This can create barriers to performing well and disrupt your day or even your ability to take the test. For some people, it can manifest as cognitive, emotional, or physical symptoms that vary in severity [1].  

You might be thinking that test anxiety is normal, although pre-test nerves are common; however, clinical testing anxiety is a psychological condition. People who experience generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have a greater chance of developing testing anxiety. Within the population of the United States, about 2.7% have GAD [2].

Related: What is Anxiety?

What Causes Test Anxiety?

Test anxiety often stems from a combination of emotional reactions, negative thinking, and external pressure. While some nervousness is normal, clinical testing anxiety can feel overwhelming, especially when the next exam feels like everything is riding on it.

Common causes of test anxiety include:

  • Negative thinking – Doubting your abilities or expecting to fail
  • Excessive fear of poor performance – Worrying about grades or disappointing others
  • Lack of test-taking skills – Feeling unprepared or unsure how to approach the exam
  • Pressure from other students or adults – Comparing yourself or fearing judgment
  • Past bad experiences – One tough test can lead to a vicious cycle of anxiety
  • Strong physical reactions – Stress that shows up physically (sweating, nausea) or mentally (mind going blank)

Understanding what causes test anxiety can help you find the right tools to manage it and break the cycle.

Related: What Causes Mental Illness?

What are the Three Types of Test Anxiety? 

Cognitive Test Anxiety 

Test anxiety manifests cognitively with intrusive thoughts, difficulty concentrating, or severe mental blocks during the actual test-taking. You may also experience racing thoughts, with some issues trying to recall memories.  

Physical Test Anxiety 

When testing anxiety manifests physically, some symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, feeling restless, and impending doom can be overwhelming. Physical anxiety symptoms can also put you into a fight-or-flight response, which may make you feel like you need to move. Physical symptoms typically create cycles of increased anxiety since they can cause worrying thoughts. 

Behavioral Test Anxiety 

When test anxiety overwhelms your senses, you may react with abnormal behaviors. Usually, avoidance behaviors and procrastination are common behaviors when experiencing testing anxiety. It can impact study habits, decrease test performance, and cause social withdrawal.  

What are 4 Types of Symptoms of Test Anxiety? 

1. Physical Symptoms 

Physical symptoms of test anxiety can include a rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, excessive sweating, nausea or an upset stomach, headaches, sleep disturbances, muscle tension, and even panic attacks.

2. Emotional Symptoms 

Emotional symptoms of testing anxiety may include overwhelming fear, helplessness, low self-esteem, irritability, and mood swings.

3. Cognitive Symptoms 

As test anxiety sets in, it can impair cognitive function through racing thoughts, memory blanks, mental confusion, negative self-talk, and catastrophic thinking.

4. Behavioral Symptoms 

Testing anxiety can also lead to behavioral symptoms such as procrastination, perfectionist tendencies, social isolation, and changes in eating or sleeping patterns.

How to Cope with Severe Test Anxiety? 

There are several techniques you can use to best cope with severe testing anxiety. Whether in the moment or have an upcoming test, try these techniques to help overcome anxious feelings.

Related: Debilitating Anxiety: How Can I Get the Help I Need?

Immediate Grounding Techniques 

When test anxiety happens, take a deep breath and engage in some grounding techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding. Find 5 things around you, feel 4 things, hear 3 things, smell 2 things, and taste 1 thing. When you focus on each sense, it can help ground your nervous system. You can also work on deep breathing or some mindfulness practices.

Related: Staying Grounded: The 3-3-3 Rule for Anxiety 

Long-term Coping Strategies 

Some effective long-term coping strategies are time management, confidence building, and better study habits. Additionally, getting a good night’s sleep, nutrition, and consistent exercise routines can aid in long-term coping strategies. Keeping these routines can help alleviate stress and reduce testing anxiety.

Related: How to Deal with Anxiety Holistically 

Test Anxiety in Teenagers: Special Considerations 

As a teen, there is a lot of academic pressure, social comparison, and developmental brain changes happening. These can raise stress and anxiety levels in teens and can add to school avoidance, which could even make the connection to mental health concerns more difficult.

If your success in school is dependent on test scores, severe testing anxiety can make it more challenging to succeed and achieve your goals.

Related: Identifying the Signs of Anxiety in Teens – and When to Get Help 

Professional Treatment Options for Testing Anxiety 

As you learn more about your anxiety treatment options, you can try out different methods like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), where you can reframe your negative thoughts into more positive ones. You can also utilize exposure response prevention, which is when you are exposed to the things that give you anxiety slowly.

Over time, your testing anxiety may lessen with the situation and can be managed. EMDR therapy is a different treatment approach where you can go through your trauma while doing something like eye movements. This helps to reprocess how the brain reacts to traumatic events.  

Clear Behavioral Health’s Comprehensive Approach 

When you’re in the Clear Behavioral Health program, you will have access to licensed mental health professionals who host individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy sessions. In addition, our partner company, Neuro Wellness Spa, provides psychiatric services, which can include medication management if recommended.

Innovative and Holistic Treatment Modalities 

Therapeutic techniques are not the only ones used in the treatment program; incorporating holistic modalities is also part of it. Different methods, like mindful meditation, yoga therapy, breathwork techniques, and sound bath therapy, help regulate the nervous system. Exercise or other types of movement also work well to alleviate overall stress.  

Online Anxiety Treatment and Virtual IOP 

If going to a treatment program for your anxiety in person is not feasible, we do have online programs for adults. The accessible virtual intensive outpatient program offers flexible scheduling with technology-based coping tools. Maintaining continuity of care through virtual platforms is beneficial for people who may have accessibility issues.  

Clear Behavioral Health’s Teen Programs 

At Clear Behavioral Health, we have specialized teen anxiety treatment programs in Los Angeles. These are great options due to being in a treatment program with other teens who are struggling with similar issues. This helps with age-appropriate coping techniques while including the family in the treatment process.

When to Seek Professional Help 

When test anxiety starts to interfere with your daily functioning and worsens your daily anxiety, it’s a sign that you need professional help. Your test anxiety symptoms may progress into persistent physical symptoms, declining academic performance, and avoidance of testing situations. Testing anxiety can also worsen any co-occurring mental health issues, like depression.  

Overcome Test Anxiety at Clear Behavioral Health 

Test anxiety is a completely treatable condition that can be managed with evidence-based solutions. Clear Behavioral Health offers comprehensive, accessible care across multiple locations in Los Angeles, CA, including our convenient location in El Monte, CA. Our treatment programs offer therapeutic modalities and holistic methods for your overall healing journey. Begin your journey to manage your test anxiety today.

References: 

  1. Putwain, D. W., Stockinger, K., Von Der Embse, N. P., Suldo, S. M., & Daumiller, M. (2021). Test anxiety, anxiety disorders, and school-related wellbeing: Manifestations of the same or different constructs? Journal of School Psychology, 88, 47–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2021.08.001 
  2. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/generalized-anxiety-disorder 
  3. MSEd, K. C. (2023, October 14). Signs and symptoms of test anxiety. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-symptoms-of-test-anxiety-2795367
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