- If you're able to use the actual exam room, take a practice exam there. If not, try taking your practice exams in different locations, so that you get used to being able to tackle problems anywhere.
- When you come across a practice exam problem you can't do, don't give in to the temptation to immediately turn to the solution. You won't be able to do that during the real exam, and you should use the practice exams to practice how you deal with unfamiliar problems.
- Consider making an appointment with an academic coach, who can suggest individualized strategies for you to manage your exam anxiety.
- Don't cram at the last minute. You're more likely to stress yourself out than to learn anything useful in the last hour before the exam.
- Tell yourself to get excited about the exam! This has been shown to work better than telling yourself to calm down.
- This fascinating study found that "students who were prone to test anxiety improved their high–stakes test scores by nearly one grade point after they were given 10 minutes to write about what was causing them fear". So, take 10 minutes shortly before the exam to write about your feelings about the exam.
- Another study found that students who wrote about their values and why those values were important to them also improved their performance. It's thought that this exercise helps remind you of your self-worth and protect you from stress.
- Don't spend too much time on a problem, especially if it isn't worth very many points. Try to understand what the problem is asking, and then move on. Once you've worked all the way through the exam, you can come back to questions you skipped.
- Even if you can't solve a problem, write down what you know about it. We want to give you partial credit!
- If you get stuck in one part of a problem and need the answer for later parts, just tell us how you'd use your answer from the first part; you can even make up an answer to the first part and use that for later parts. We're more interested in your strategy than the specific numbers you get, so don't panic if your numbers don't seem right.
- Try to focus on solving problems, not on other students or on how you're doing on the exam. If you find that you can't focus or think clearly, try taking a break to get a drink of water, and remember that the exam is not so important in the grand scheme.