Before the Test

Get a good night’s sleep and eat a high protein breakfast. Drink plenty of water.

Practice guided imagery, visualizations of succeeding on the test, mentally “going where the information is stored in your brain”, or breathing techniques.

Don’t study right before the test. Concentrate on being calm and mentally accessing the information you have already studied.

Get to the test a little early.

Don’t engage in negative talk with other students before the test, such as “I’m so nervous – I don’t know if I studied enough.”

Eliminate negative thoughts or self-talk by replacing them with a positive affirmation, like “I am prepared for the test and I will do well” or “I am smart – I can do this.”

Ask your professor if you can use a blank piece of paper during the test (be sure to ask or it may look like you are cheating). Use the paper for “brain dumping” or “mind mapping” during the exam.

Make a decision to ignore students who finish the test before you. Research shows that students who leave early usually don’t score as well as those who take more time.

Sit as close as possible to the area where you learned the information in class.