Test anxiety: 6 practical strategies for students (and how parents can help)
By the Tutor Tables team · Updated · 3 min read
Quick answer
Test anxiety can lower scores even when a student knows the material. Here are six practical strategies, the first two backed by published studies: 1. Write about your worries for about ten minutes right before the exam (Ramirez & Beilock, Science, 2011). 2. Reframe a racing heart as energy that helps you perform (Jamieson et al., 2010). 3. Practice under realistic timed conditions. 4. Use a short breathing routine. 5. Start with a question you can answer. 6. Protect sleep before test day. If anxiety is severe or affects daily life, talk to a doctor or school counselor.
Why anxiety lowers scores
Worry uses working memory, the same mental space students need to hold a math problem or a reading passage in mind. That's why capable students can "blank" on material they knew the night before.
The goal isn't to feel no nerves. It's to keep worry from crowding out thinking.
Six strategies
1. Write it out (10 minutes before the test). In a 2011 study published in Science, students who spent about ten minutes writing openly about their worries just before an exam scored higher than students who didn't. The benefit was largest for habitually anxious students. It's a single line of research, so treat it as a strategy to try, not a guarantee.
2. Reframe the racing heart. In a 2010 study, GRE takers who were told that physical arousal can help performance scored higher on the math section, both in the lab and on the real exam months later. Encourage your student to say "this is energy," not "I'm panicking."
3. Practice under real conditions. Timed, full-length practice in a quiet room, at the time of day of the real test, makes test day feel familiar. For digital tests like the SAT and SHSAT, practice on the official app.
4. Use a 60-second breathing routine. Try a slow inhale for four counts and a longer exhale for six, repeated a few times. Use it at the start of the test and whenever a question feels stuck.
5. Start with a win. Answer a question you know first to build momentum. On adaptive tests where you can't go back, the equivalent is committing to an answer, flagging nothing, and moving on.
6. Protect sleep. A late-night cram session usually costs more than it gains.
How parents can help
- Talk about effort and strategy, not scores.
- Keep the night before calm and routine.
- Ask "what's one thing you'll do if you get stuck?" rather than "are you ready?"
- Watch for signs that anxiety is spreading beyond tests.
When to get more help
If anxiety causes panic, sleep problems, or school avoidance, or seems to be getting worse, talk with your pediatrician, a licensed mental health professional, or the school counselor. Tutors can teach study and test strategies, but they are not a substitute for clinical care.
How Tutor Tables helps
Pause–Regulate–Plan–Practice is our holistic tutoring technique. It builds focus and calm strategies into real academic work, so students practice staying steady while solving real problems, not in a separate "wellness" session.
It's part of our Whole-Learner Tutoring & Test Prep and Learning-Differences Support programs. Start with a free consult with Dr. Gail.
Frequently asked questions
Is test anxiety a real thing or just nerves?
Some nerves are normal and can even help. Test anxiety becomes a problem when worry takes up working memory and a student performs well below what they know.
Does the expressive writing strategy really work?
In a 2011 Science study, students who wrote about their worries for about ten minutes before an exam performed better, especially those who were habitually anxious. As with any single study, results can vary; it's low-cost and worth trying.
Should my child get extended time for anxiety?
Testing accommodations require documentation and approval through the school (IEP or 504 plan) or the testing organization. Talk with the school counselor about whether your child qualifies.
When is anxiety more than a study problem?
If anxiety causes panic, sleep or eating problems, or avoidance of school, talk with your pediatrician, a licensed mental health professional, or the school counselor.
Sources
- Ramirez & Beilock (2011), Writing about testing worries boosts exam performance in the classroom, Science 331(6014)
- Jamieson, Mendes, Blackstock & Schmader (2010), Reappraising arousal improves performance on the GRE
- Camerer et al. (2018), Social Sciences Replication Project, Nature Human Behaviour
This guide is general information for families, not legal, medical, or psychological advice. Rules and dates change; check the linked official sources.