Op-Ed: Using Music to Combat Test Anxiety and Stress

Most students get a bit nervous or stressed before a test or exam, causing them to take longer to complete it, while other students with more severe anxiety find their ability to succeed on the test to be heavily impeded. Test anxiety on all levels—mild, moderate, and severe—causes test grades to be an inaccurate reflection of the students’ actual effort and knowledge. What can teachers do to help reduce test anxiety, and therefore improve the test performance of all the students in their class?

One simple but effective method is to use music. When you experience stress, your body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. While normal levels of these hormones are good, high levels will impair memory and concentration, both of which are crucial for succeeding in tests! Listening to music sends a signal to the brain to release dopamine, the hormone that gives the feeling of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. Dopamine also reduces adrenaline and cortisol levels, and therefore improves test performances.

So, how exactly would teachers be able to use music in the classroom? Firstly, it is important to understand that different students find different music pleasing. Teachers should make a Google Doc, where every student lists their favorite music. Then, a few days before the test, the teacher should put all the song names on a randomizer and the winner is the song that gets played on the test. Depending on the song and test length, teachers can choose to play multiple songs during one test.

Music is such an easy way to calm students during tests, as it takes minimal effort on the teacher’s part to make Google Docs and find randomizers. With such little effort, it has the potential to make test day significantly less stressful. It can improve test performances, therefore raising individual and class grade averages. Tests have operated in the same format for hundreds of years, but it doesn’t always have to be this way. Things can change, for the better! All that needs to be done is to incorporate music, a worldwide tool, into tests. And who knows? Students may even look forward to test day, if only to listen to classical music . . .