• Home
    • About Complete Test Preparation Inc.
    • Contact
    • FAQ
    • Charities we Support
    • Search our Site!
  • High School

    Test Help!

    Practice Test Questions – How to Prepare for a test – How to Answer Multiple Choice – How to Study – How to Study — What Students Say

    High School Equivalency

    CHSPE      Canadian GED     HiSET     TASC

    Study Practice APPs

    CHSPE — PERT — Canadian GED — Nelson Denny

    Catholic and Private School Entrance Tests

    HSPT      ISEE        SHSAT     COOP      TACHS

    More

    ACCUPLACER  — Canadian GED — Nelson Denny — PERT — SHSAT —  SSAT — TABE — TASC

    ACT — SAT

    The complete guide to multiple choice!

    Discover 15 secret strategies that will raise your score on any multiple choice exam regardless of the subject.

    Learn More >>>

  • College
    • ACCUPLACER
    • CUNY
    • Miller Analogies (MAT)
  • Math

    How to Take a Test

    Practice Test Questions          How to Prepare for a test          How to take a test      How to Answer Multiple Choice          Study Skills             How to Study for a Math Test

    Most Popular

    HESI   GED   CHSPE

    College Math – Practice and Workbooks

    ACCUPLACER      College Placement      COMPASS     CUNY

    High School Math Workbooks

    ACT — HiSET — HSPT  —   PERT —  SHSAT — TABE

    Nursing Math – Practice & Workbooks

    HESI     NLN PAX      PSB HOAE      TEAS

    More

    ASVAB      CBEST      CSET      NYSTCE       PRAXIS

    The complete guide to multiple choice!

    Discover 15 secret strategies that will raise your score on any multiple choice exam regardless of the subject.

    Learn More >>>
  • Practice
    • Algebra
      • Algebraic Equations and Word Problems
      • How to Solve Inequalities
      • Linear Equations with 1 variable
      • Quadratic
      • Polynomials
    • Anatomy & Physiology
    • Basic Math
    • Geometry
    • College Level
      • Congruence
      • Geometric Transformations
      • Graphs of Polynomials
      • Inverse Functions
      • Linear Equations with 2 Variables
      • Logarithms
      • Number Sequence
      • Prime Factors
      • Trigonometry
    • Listening Comprehension
    • Logic & IQ
    • Mechanical Comprehension
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Science
    • Vocabulary
  • Canadian
    • Alberta Provincial Achievement
    • BC Provincial Exam
    • Canadian Border Service Officer
    • CAAT
    • CAEL
    • Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test – CCAT
    • CELPIP
    • CFAT
    • Citizenship
    • Canadian Firefighter
    • Canadian GED
    • Canadian Police
      • BC Police
      • Canadian Police Test Strategy
      • Ontario Police Constable
      • RCMP
    • Public Service Tests
      • GATB
      • GCT
      • WCPT
    • Ontario Security Guard
    • Réussir le TAFC
  • Occupations
    • EIAT
    • Firefighter (USA)
    • GATB
    • IBEW
    • Ironworkers
    • Laws Enforcement
      • Correctional Officer
      • Deputy Sheriff (USA)
      • Police Officer Test
    • Mechanical Aptitude
    • Wonderlic
      • Wonderlic Cognitive Abilities Test
  • Test Prep
    • How to Answer Multiple Choice
    • How to Prepare for a Test
    • How to Study – The Complete Guide
    • How to Study Math
    • How to Study Science
    • Test Anxiety Tips!
    • Flash Cards
  • Medical
    • CMA
    • CNA
    • DET
    • HESI A2
    • NET
    • NNAAP
    • NLN PAX
    • PSB HOAE
    • RMA
    • TEAS
  • Armed Services
    • ASVAB
      • ASVAB Online Course
    • AFQT
      • AFQT Online Course
    • CFAT
      • CFAT Online Course
    • TAFC
      • TAFC Online Course
Complete Test Preparation Inc.Complete Test Preparation Inc.
  • Home
    • About Complete Test Preparation Inc.
    • Contact
    • FAQ
    • Charities we Support
    • Search our Site!
  • High School

    Test Help!

    Practice Test Questions – How to Prepare for a test – How to Answer Multiple Choice – How to Study – How to Study — What Students Say

    High School Equivalency

    CHSPE      Canadian GED     HiSET     TASC

    Study Practice APPs

    CHSPE — PERT — Canadian GED — Nelson Denny

    Catholic and Private School Entrance Tests

    HSPT      ISEE        SHSAT     COOP      TACHS

    More

    ACCUPLACER  — Canadian GED — Nelson Denny — PERT — SHSAT —  SSAT — TABE — TASC

    ACT — SAT

    The complete guide to multiple choice!

    Discover 15 secret strategies that will raise your score on any multiple choice exam regardless of the subject.

    Learn More >>>

  • College
    • ACCUPLACER
    • CUNY
    • Miller Analogies (MAT)
  • Math

    How to Take a Test

    Practice Test Questions          How to Prepare for a test          How to take a test      How to Answer Multiple Choice          Study Skills             How to Study for a Math Test

    Most Popular

    HESI   GED   CHSPE

    College Math – Practice and Workbooks

    ACCUPLACER      College Placement      COMPASS     CUNY

    High School Math Workbooks

    ACT — HiSET — HSPT  —   PERT —  SHSAT — TABE

    Nursing Math – Practice & Workbooks

    HESI     NLN PAX      PSB HOAE      TEAS

    More

    ASVAB      CBEST      CSET      NYSTCE       PRAXIS

    The complete guide to multiple choice!

    Discover 15 secret strategies that will raise your score on any multiple choice exam regardless of the subject.

    Learn More >>>
  • Practice
    • Algebra
      • Algebraic Equations and Word Problems
      • How to Solve Inequalities
      • Linear Equations with 1 variable
      • Quadratic
      • Polynomials
    • Anatomy & Physiology
    • Basic Math
    • Geometry
    • College Level
      • Congruence
      • Geometric Transformations
      • Graphs of Polynomials
      • Inverse Functions
      • Linear Equations with 2 Variables
      • Logarithms
      • Number Sequence
      • Prime Factors
      • Trigonometry
    • Listening Comprehension
    • Logic & IQ
    • Mechanical Comprehension
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Science
    • Vocabulary
  • Canadian
    • Alberta Provincial Achievement
    • BC Provincial Exam
    • Canadian Border Service Officer
    • CAAT
    • CAEL
    • Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test – CCAT
    • CELPIP
    • CFAT
    • Citizenship
    • Canadian Firefighter
    • Canadian GED
    • Canadian Police
      • BC Police
      • Canadian Police Test Strategy
      • Ontario Police Constable
      • RCMP
    • Public Service Tests
      • GATB
      • GCT
      • WCPT
    • Ontario Security Guard
    • Réussir le TAFC
  • Occupations
    • EIAT
    • Firefighter (USA)
    • GATB
    • IBEW
    • Ironworkers
    • Laws Enforcement
      • Correctional Officer
      • Deputy Sheriff (USA)
      • Police Officer Test
    • Mechanical Aptitude
    • Wonderlic
      • Wonderlic Cognitive Abilities Test
  • Test Prep
    • How to Answer Multiple Choice
    • How to Prepare for a Test
    • How to Study – The Complete Guide
    • How to Study Math
    • How to Study Science
    • Test Anxiety Tips!
    • Flash Cards
  • Medical
    • CMA
    • CNA
    • DET
    • HESI A2
    • NET
    • NNAAP
    • NLN PAX
    • PSB HOAE
    • RMA
    • TEAS
  • Armed Services
    • ASVAB
      • ASVAB Online Course
    • AFQT
      • AFQT Online Course
    • CFAT
      • CFAT Online Course
    • TAFC
      • TAFC Online Course

How to take a test

  • Home
  • How to take a test
  • How to Prepare Mentally for a Test

How to Prepare Mentally for a Test

  • Posted by Brian Stocker MA
  • Date January 23, 2007
  • Comments 5 comments

Test Tactics: Mental Preparation

Because tests tend to have a high degree of importance in how well you score in a class, it is understandable that taking tests can create a great deal of anxiety for many students. Even students who know they have learned all of the required material for the test find their minds going blank as they stare at the test. One of the easiest ways to overcome that anxiety is to prepare mentally for the test.

Audio Version of this Post

https://www.test-preparation.ca/Podcast/Mental-Prep-Test.mp3

Mental Preparation Techniques

Mentally preparing for an exam is not as difficult as it may sound. There are simple techniques that any student can use to ensure they are ready for the test when it is time to take it.

Do not procrastinate.

Study the material for the test when it becomes available, and continue to review the material up until the test day. By waiting until the last minute and trying to cram for the test the night before, you actually increase the amount of anxiety you feel. This leads to an increase in negative self-talk, such as I can’t learn this. I’m going to fail, which decreases your performance on the test. How to handle Procrastination

Stay Positive

The use of positive self-talk serves both to drown out negative self-talk and to increase your confidence in your abilities. Whenever you begin feeling overwhelmed or anxious about the test, tell yourself that you know the material and that you can pass the test. Use only positive words. Examples: I am smart. I will do well on this test. I have studied. I know the material. The thing to remember about negative self talk is, 1) we all have it, and 2) Why listen? It’s your fantasy, so if you can’t be a winner and positive in your own fantasy, what are you doing?

Don’t Compare

Do not compare yourself to other students, or compare your performance to theirs. Rather than worrying about how others will do or whether they think it is difficult, focus on your worries and your abilities. Regardless of how others perform, your performance is the only one that matters for your grade. Comparing yourself to others increase your anxiety and your level of negative self-talk before the test.

Visualize.

 Picture yourself taking the test and knowing the answers. Visualize yourself doing well on the test and having no problems with the material. Visualizations of you succeeding will increase your confidence in your abilities, which decreases the anxiety you feel before the test. Instead of thinking of this as a test, think of it as an opportunity to show what you know and what you have learned.

Avoid negative classmates.

Worry is contagious. Even if you are relaxed and confident, being around anxious, worried classmates will cause you to start feeling anxious. Before the test, avoid listening to the fears of friends and classmates.

Feeling anxious and worried before an exam is normal, and every student experiences those feelings at some point. The problem with anxiety arises when it interferes with your ability to take the exam and perform well. Practicing mental preparation techniques and remembering that the test is not the only measure of your academic performance will ease your anxiety and ensure that you perform at your best.

Test Prep – The Complete Guide

How to Prepare for a Test – The Complete Guide

Written by: Brian Stocker MA, Complete Test Preparation Inc.
Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Tag:featured, Mental Preparation, test preparation

author avatar
Brian Stocker MA

Previous post

How to Memorize for a Test - The Complete Guide
January 23, 2007

Next post

How to take Computer Based and Computer Adaptive Exams
March 7, 2007

You may also like

Worst Way to Prepare for a Test
23 October, 2020

Teenagers get a bad rap. They’re thought to be rebellious and strictly against rules. As a teenager, I’m here to tell you it’s true! With the first taste of freedom, many teenagers what to go out and enjoy life without …

Map Reading Practice
29 September, 2020

McCann Entry-Level Firefighter Exam PSI Firefighter Selection Test (FST) Ontario Police RCMP Each square labeled A to Z and A1 to A20, represent the corner of an intersection. The lines between the squares represent a city block. The intersections and …

Independent School Entrance Exam Practice
15 September, 2020

The ISEE® exam is composed of five sections, verbal reasoning, quantitative skills, reading, mathematics and language skills.   Admission to an independent or magnet school for 7th or 8th grade requires the ISEE Middle Level Test. Make sure your child …

    5 Comments

  1. Daisy
    June 9, 2011
    Reply

    A lot of students approach exams with fear because their classmates have already pronounced the exam to be too hard. The fear can distort preparations

  2. Frank
    July 8, 2011
    Reply

    self motivation works for me. i do a lot of self confidence talks to boost my confidence.

  3. Chicka
    July 9, 2011
    Reply

    I have an exam coming and my palms are already sweating. i will try using your visualization and positive self talk recommendations

  4. Bonaroo
    October 3, 2018
    Reply

    Thanks for this info. I have heard many things, but this article really put in into perspective on what to do.

  5. Raashwin Singh
    November 12, 2018
    Reply

    THANKS! I got many As for my IGCSE’s. Without this article, I wouldn’t of achieved such great marks

Leave A Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Register for free practice questions and test tips!

If you are a volunteer or non-profit organization, we are happy to provide test prep materials at reduced or no cost.  Please contact us with details of your organization.

About
Contact Us
Charities we Support
FAQ
License our Content
Online Practice Courses
Scholarship
Add Your Course
Video Contest

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Visit our Test Prep Learning Center

Learning Center
Copyright -- Privacy -- Returns -- Sitemap