Physically, test anxiety produces various symptoms such as excessive perspiration, stomach discomfort, headaches, rapid heartbeat, or shortness of breath. Dealing with Psychological Aspects of Test Anxiety a. Anxiety most often arises from a fear that we are not prepared. Insure adequate preparation by faithful, systematic, regular, thorough study and review throughout the term. Anxiety arises because of a fear that we may not really understand what we have been learning. Always ask questions while studying, set learning goals for each study period, relate learning to course objectives, make outline answers to your questions and ask for clarification of things you don't understand.
Anxiety can arise because of a misunderstanding of the purpose of tests.
We consider test performance as reward or punishment, as reflection of self-worth, as judgment of our general intelligence and social reputation. Realize that the only purpose of tests is to measure performance on test questions. You make the judgments about personal worth, intelligence, and reputation yourself because you realize you have not accepted responsibility for your learning and have not done your duty. To avoid such self-accusation, you only have to acknowledge and accept your responsibilities. Anxiety arises because we don't know what to expect and we feel helpless and vulnerable, preparing for the unknown.