Test Anxiety in Teenager

I deal with test anxiety. I still have it and I'm in my 30s.

First off, make sure he's studying for tests. Sit with him and help him study. The day of the test, before the test is passed out, have him take a few deep breathes in through his nose and out through his mouth. This gets oxygen to his brain and helps calm him. After the test is passed out, tell him not to turn it over, just to look at the back of it and think about what he studied the day before. Once he's thought about it (just for a few minutes), turn the test over and begin. If he starts to feel stressed or anxiety, tell him to take a few more breathes through the nose and out of the mouth.

If he comes to a question he doesn't remember, then skip it. (I always circle the question number so I can quickly tell what I need to answer.) Once he answers all the ones he knows, then go back and answer the ones he couldn't remember. Tell him not to stress over the answers. If it's a multiple choice, he can eliminate the ones he knows definitely aren't right. Then he can make an educated guess.

Tell him it's ok. There are others out there who have test anxiety too. These are the tips and tricks that help me through it all.

Good luck!

Couple things here:
1. Preparation (he has to study, a lot)
2. Plan (he should have a plan for attacking tests, as someone else here mentioned)

Strategies are: read directions, underline/circle key points. Make sure you know what you are doing, ask teacher if you do not. Go through whole test and asnwer questions you are sure of. Circle ones you are not sure of, not ready to tackle. Get to the end of the test and go back to the beginning to continue the process through with the questions you left undone. Stuff like that. Do the process several times if you need to until you've completed as much as you can.

Also stress-reducing activities, most schools don't allow gum but something going in your mouth can help (I like the cough drop suggestion). Deep breathing and some sort of mantra he can repeat to himself as the tests are handed out.

If he's trying to tackle test anxiety the result you are going for is not "better grades on the test". What you will be looking to improve is how he FEELS during the test taking process. That is step one. So make sure the pressure is off for actually producing better grades on the tests. That's not going to be the desired outcome (at first).

I depends on the tests. Timed tests the stress can be reduced by doing the easy answers first. Psychologically it is a two for, you don't have to answer the questions the first go around so it gets rid of a lot of the pressure. The second part is your brain tends to know the correct answer but we second guess our brains. So when you are just answering by did the answer pop into your mind you just answer quickly which usually is the correct answer. Then you go back to the no pop ones and dwell on them. In the end you end up being the first person to finish the test. Awkward I tell ya.

It works on untimed tests so long as you don't start using the extra time to question your knowledge.

The breathing exercises as suggested are probably worth a try. Also, try talking to his teacher and to the school counselor. They may be able to make some accommodations for him. If it is really bad, ask the teacher about letting him bring the tests home and you will administer them.

my son sucks on the rescue remedy lozengers and they help him to calm down and focus. He says they work. you can get them at natural grocery stores like whole foods, sprouts, etc..

My oldest son is this way. I just talked to his teachers, and let them know and sometimes they help him out by giving him a little pre test or study sheets. And then I really get on him about studying so he will be really prepared, but that doesn't always work. Trial and error.

I didn't deal with my anxiety until I was an adult and done with college. But, I finally purchased a program by Lucinda Bassett on anxiety. It also has a relaxation tape to use at 15 minutes a time a couple times a day if needed. It really helped me to learn how to think through my anxious moments and to attack my anxiety situations head on even if I was still anxious. I'm not a fan of just using medication for something that is a mental game as anxiety is. I believe it is good for depression and the extreme anxiety, but it seems as though he has a normal case of anxiety. But, the longer it goes without him learning the ways to think through these situations, the more it will affect his confidence. Hope this helps. Lucinda does have a book out to read if you don't want to get the program yet. That's how I started - read the book, completely related to her and then got the program.