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Testing Tips from Ms. Jasmine Camp, School Psychologist

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Posted Wednesday, April 17, 2024
From Ms. Jasmine Camp, School Psychologist:
Test Anxiety  
As the Georgia Milestones and other end-of-year tests quickly approach, some students may experience intense fear or worry about their performance. This fear is commonly known as test anxiety and may result in headaches, rapid breathing, difficulty concentrating, negative thoughts, and poor performance on assessments. Here are a few helpful tips for supporting students during testing time.  
  • Teach good test-taking strategies (e.g., skipping questions and coming back to them later, not spending too much time on a question, etc.) 
  • Practice test questions.  
  • Take 5 deep breaths.
  • Stretch. 
  • Take a breath and count to 10.   
  • Encourage positive self-talk (e.g., “I’ve studied hard, and I can do my best on this test.”) 
  • Use mnemonic devices to support recall of information.  
  • Use mindfulness strategies.
  • Replace negative thoughts (e.g., “It’s okay if I don’t know the answer. I can try the next one.”).  
  • As parents or teachers, listen to a child’s thoughts or feelings of anxiety. Acknowledge that mistakes are normal and praise their efforts.  
Support our students in doing their best, and happy testing!
Resources: 
  • Child Mind Institute. (2024, March 8). Tips for beating test anxiety. https://childmind.org/article/tips-for-beating-test-anxiety/ 
  • Huberty, T. J. (2009). Test and performance anxiety. Principal leadership, 10(1), 12-16.  
  • The Learning Center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (2024, April 7). Test anxiety. https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/tackling-test-anxiety/