The Test Anxiety Battle Guide

When I was a teen, I struggled with debilitating test anxiety. I had trouble sleeping because I kept worrying about the test. I'd worry about getting into my dream college, and that I wouldn't get a good score, no matter how hard I studied.

I assure you, you're not alone! 

Thankfully, there are some simple things you can do to battle your anxiety and prepare for the test. Many of these tips helped me overcome my own test anxiety as a student!

In this blog post, we partnered with Test Innovators to provide some helpful tips to combat test anxiety.

• What is test anxiety?
• How do I reduce test anxiety?
• More Test Anxiety Reducers
• Self-Care Ideas to Help with Test Anxiety
• Additional Next Steps

(P.S.: We have a PDF version of this test anxiety blog post so you can print it out for easy reference.)

What is test anxiety?

Test anxiety can feel like worry or nervousness before a test, which may interfere with your ability to focus before or during test day.

Some symptoms of test anxiety include:

• Cold sweats
• Racing thoughts
• Shaking
• Tension
• Trouble sleeping
• Irritability

Some reasons for test anxiety are:

• External pressure to perform well
• Perfectionism
• Worry about getting into college
• Concern about people’s impression of you and your score
• Self-doubt

You're not alone; test anxiety is super common. 10-40% of high school students experience test anxiety.

How do I reduce test anxiety?

The best way to reduce test anxiety is to study and take practice tests!

Here is Test Innovators’ three-step process for test prep:

1. Take a full-length practice test

You’ll want to mimic testing conditions as closely as possible, so the practice test should be full-length and timed and in the same format as the real test.

2. Review your results

Pull up your results and ask yourself the following questions:

• What went well?
• What could have gone better?
• In what subject areas was I strongest?
• Where did I miss the most questions?
• How was my timing?
• Was I able to finish each section, or did I run out of time?
• How was my focus?
• Was I able to stay engaged for the entire test, or did I lose focus towards the end?

3. Do targeted practice (and repeat!)

Focus on the areas you identified in the previous step.

• Review any concepts or content areas that need work
• Learn some strategies to help you tackle the question types that give you the most trouble
• Do some targeted practice, focusing on the areas you want to improve

Remember to take breaks and be kind to yourself. There is such a thing as over-studying!

For the latest information on the ACT and SAT, check out this blog post/podcast episode: ACT and SAT Must-Knows for High Schoolers

More Test Anxiety Reducers

In addition to preparing for the test itself, try out these test anxiety reducers.

• Rest!
• Hang out with friends
• Reframe your thoughts (Your test scores do not equal your worth)
• Remind yourself of the facts (Ex: I took 2 practice tests and got good scores. I am as prepared as I can be right now)
• Exercise (Even a walk around the block the morning of the test can help)
• Plan something fun before and after the test
• Practice self-care (whatever that looks like for you)
• Make a test day battle plan
  • When will you go to bed the night before the test?
  • When will you wake up the morning of the test?
  • What will you eat for breakfast?
  • What will you wear?
  • What will you bring to the test? (And what will you leave behind?)
  • When will you leave for the test?
  • Where will the test be taken?

Self-Care Ideas to Help with Test Anxiety

• Hike
• Meditate or do yoga
• Eat a snack
• Listen to music
• Do something nice for someone else
• Read
• Play with your pet
• Take a walk
• Call a friend
• Exercise
• Take a nap
• Create art

Additional Next Steps

Let us help you!

• Take an ACT/SAT practice test through Test Innovators so you can prepare for test day
• Create a Scoir account to make searching for and applying to colleges a breeze

You've got this! 💙 

This article was originally published on September 17, 2024. It was updated on October 17, 2025 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.