No matter how well students prepare for the SAT or ACT, test anxiety is a factor that can rear its ugly head. How can students cope with this feeling if it arises, and perform to their true ability on their test?
There’s a lot riding on SAT and ACT scores, especially as many US colleges—including hyperselective ones like Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, and Yale—have reinstated testing requirements for admission. In students’ minds, test day can make or break their college dreams, and this can bring up a lot of anxiety. These uneasy feelings can be compounded by students’ worries that they haven’t prepared enough for the exam, or tiredness if they stayed up late the previous night trying to revise as much as possible.
It's normal to feel anxious about such an important aspect of the college application, but test anxiety is manageable with forward preparation and the right strategies. One major way students can reduce anxiety is by starting preparation early, so they feel confident, ready, and used to the test format and questions when test day comes round. It is a good idea for US applicants to start their test prep in September of year 12, and sit the SAT or ACT for the first time in December of the same year. This allows students to break down their prep into manageable chunks over months; practising little and often will consolidate their knowledge, and therefore their confidence.
Another key way for students to fend off test anxiety is to take mock tests. Just like a dress rehearsal for a play helps actors feel more relaxed and polished at the final performance, mock tests are a confidence-boosting trial run for test-takers. It’s much easier to feel calm in a situation that’s familiar, and mock tests also provide a timed experience, which students may not have encountered in their day-to-day prep. The timing can be stressful and increase anxiety if students aren’t used to it, so timed practice like this is important. We offer mock tests at UES, and you can find out more and book a test at www.ueseducation.com/mock-tests.
Anxious thoughts pop into everyone’s mind from time to time, but when this happens, it’s important for students to challenge the 'story' their anxiety is telling them. Reminding themselves that the tests are academic assessments, not measures of personal worth, can be reassuring. Beyond maths and reading comprehension, there are lots of other skills that are important for university, work, and life: loyalty, honesty, integrity, and emotional intelligence, to name a few! It’s good to be concerned about the tests and to be proactive about preparing, but students shouldn’t allow their test scores to define their worth.
Shifting from an anxious or negative mindset to a positive one is also helpful. Students can inspire confidence by visualising themselves doing well on the test and believing in their ability to do well if they work hard. Reframing negative thoughts is another way to shift into a positive, capable mindset. Instead of imagining worst case scenarios like ‘I’m going to mess up the SAT and ruin my chances of getting into university,’ students should be more positive and objective, telling themselves: ‘I’ve spent lots of time preparing, and am ready for the test.’ If students want help reframing their thoughts, there are various helpful online tools and apps. Tools like these can also coach them through recognising and challenging common thought delusions (like black-and-white thinking and catastrophising). The NHS has some good resources for this, linked here.
Building strong mental health and wellness habits into day-to-day life can also be a great way to combat test anxiety. Exercising, eating well, balancing school and relaxation, and spending time with friends and loved ones can reduce overall levels of anxiety and stress, which can help test-takers go into the exam with a calm frame of mind.
To make sure test day goes well, students should get a good night’s sleep (rather than cramming) the night before; the morning before the test, they should eat breakfast, drink water, and avoid too much caffeine, which can exacerbate physical symptoms of anxiety. Make sure to read the instructions for what to bring the day before the test carefully, and prepare everything necessary in advance to avoid forgetting anything. Plan to arrive early and make sure to work out the journey details to the test centre in advance, to avoid last-minute stress.
Once in the testing room, if students feel their anxiety levels rising, taking deep breaths or focusing for a moment on sensory details in the environment, or a positive statement like ‘I am ready for the test,’ can feel grounding. During the breaks, they should walk around and try to rest and clear their mind, rather than sitting in the test room or trying to sneak in a last-minute study session. Although it’s tempting, test-takers should also avoid comparing questions and answers with other students, as this can raise stress.
Although feeling anxious about taking the SAT or ACT is perfectly normal, there are a few simple steps students can take to alleviate their fears. Test-takers should focus on doing their best, staying confident, and taking proactive steps like preparing early, practising regularly, taking mocks, reframing anxious thoughts, and cultivating general well-being.
UES can help with test preparation and the overall US admissions process!
For mock tests, see www.ueseducation.com/mock-tests.
For a free test consultation: www.ueseducation.com/test-consultation.
For a free call with an expert counsellor to discuss US admissions and how our counselling service can help, go to www.ueseducation.com/free-call.