Most, and probably all, people have had the experience of having to do something about which they are anxious. For many of us, public speaking is a very frightening thing. For others, getting on a plane is scary. For me, waiting to be picked for a team in gym class may have been the most terrifying repeated experience I have ever had to go through.  But what about sitting for exams? Are people afraid of that? The answer is a resounding yes. That familiar sweaty-palmed, heart-racing sensation and desire to run out of the room screaming can creep up on many of the most otherwise calm and collected students when faced with the prospect of sitting for an important exam. In small amounts, anxiety during study time and on test day may actually help students’ performance on tests. But if it gets to be too great, anxiety can really wreak havoc on a test-taker’s ability to concentrate and do his or her best. When it looks like it’s going to affect your test scores in a negative way, that’s when we need to take steps to alleviate it.

People who tend to be perfectionists tend to experience more test anxiety than others. So do students who go into a test unprepared, but care about doing well. If you are going to take the SAT and are afraid that you may be in the second group, then taking an SAT prep course may be a good idea for you. If you are prepared, you eliminate the cause of your anxiety. If you are in the perfectionist group, the SAT prep class can also help you on your struggle toward perfection, but you may need a little extra help to stay calm on test day. For that, you might like to try some breathing exercises (take a look at the video below this post).

Test anxiety is a very common occurrence, but you don’t have to let it get in the way of your doing your best on the SAT. Learn some deep breathing, study a lot, and get a good night’s sleep the night before and a good breakfast the day of the test. You will be fine. Good luck!