Henry Lloyd-Roberts, 11 November 2004

A certain amount of nervous tension is not only inevitable before a big exam, but it probably helps us to perform at our best. The condition produces a rush of adrenaline that helps you feel alert and focussed.

Too much anxiety, however, can block thoughts, create a negative frame of mind, and lead to a bad exam performance. When stress affects your ability to concentrate during exams it has become a problem. Milkround Online offers some tips on how to stay relaxed and focused throughout the exam period, therefore giving yourself the best possible chance of success.

Causes of exam stress

All sorts of things can contribute to feeling stressed out at exam time. If you can get to the root cause though, you can eliminate them before they become anything more than a mild irritant!

The main cause of stress is something we have all been guilty of at some stage, and that is lack of preparation. Whether this is down to cramming, poor time management, poor study habits it is almost always self inflicted, thus correctable.

A further cause of stress is worrying about issues that are completely irrelevant to your current situation. Factors such as past performances in exams, how friends are doing and thinking about the consequences of failure are all counterproductive, and therefore pointless.

Revision tips

Clearly, you will have built up confidence by studying steadily throughout the academic year, thus avoiding the necessity of a fortnight of pro plus and two hours sleep a night. Organised, and structured revision is a key element in your battle against exam stress:

• Your immediate environment: to work effectively you need to avoid clutter, minimise noise and avoid distractions such as phone conversations with friends (use your answer phone.) Don’t get too comfortable; remember your bed is for sleeping, not working.


• Use a timetable to structure your revision effectively.


• Don’t work for longer than a period of two hours (you will loose concentration) and don’t be afraid to give yourself a decent break once you’ve earned it.


• Try experimenting with different revision techniques to keep things fresh.


• Look after your health. Don’t drink too much caffeine; a healthy diet is much better for the brain. Try to take regular exercise as this will help to boost energy levels.


• Though many swear by it, all the evidence says last minute revision leaves people muddled and anxious. Therefore best avoided!

Before the exam

The final few days leading up to exams is when the nerves will really start to kick in. So long as your have prepared thoroughly there is no reason they should be giving you sleepless nights. If tension is proving a factor however, there are steps you can take to alleviate them.

• Keep yourself busy when not revising; it doesn’t help to dwell on impending (doom) exam.


• Remember to relax – in whatever way bests suits you – but probably best not to do this through excessive boozing during exam week!


• Don’t aim for perfection. This simply puts unnecessary pressure on you.


• Believe in yourself. Remember, you need a certain amount of intelligence and competence to be on the course in the first place!

Exam tips

Though easier said than done, studying and knowing the material well enough so that you can recall them even under pressure is the easiest way to avoid exam anxiety. If you don’t know the material as well as you’d like to, there are other things you can do to remain calm in the exam.

• Be as prepared as possible. Pay attention to the practical aspects of the exam such as the location. You don’t need anything adding to your stress levels such as being late.


• If your mind goes blank, don’t panic! This will only make it harder for you to recall information. It will also stop you reading carefully and it is essential to understand exactly what the questions are asking, so you can select the questions that will show off your knowledge.


• If you find yourself starting to panic, concentrate on slow deep breathing….it’s what the experts recommend!


• Think about how to plan your time. Tearing straight into the question you like the look off may seem like a good idea, but it could result in you having some serious time issues.


• After the big event don’t spend time criticising yourself on things you may have got wrong. More often than not self-assessment is too severe when you should be concentrating on what went right.

On feeling the onset of anxiety in an exam situation, many people use distraction techniques to refocus their thoughts on what’s important. Methods such as focusing on inanimate objects (a picture on the wall) or ‘self pep talks’ (it works for sportsmen) can prove very effective. Different techniques work for different people, but all aim to refocus thoughts on the job in hand, rather than expending energy on negative thoughts.

Ultimately, you will do well to focus on the bigger picture. Although at the time exams may seem like the be-all-and-end-all when this is in fact this is far from the case. Remember, failure is not the end!

For further ways of dealing with exam stress please visit support4learning