Library Services Blog

Managing exam nerves

Exams can often be nerve-wracking experiences, but it’s important to try to manage your nerves and prevent them from affecting your performance. With the right mindset and preparation, you can stay calm and composed during the process. Here are five top tips for calming nerves in an exam:

Preparation  

One of the best ways to calm your nerves is to prepare well in advance. Familiarise yourself with the exam format, how much time you’ll have on the day, and what the questions are likely to cover. Set off well in advance and be sure you know where you need to be and at what time - get to the room early if you are on campus for exams and take a few quiet breaths to ground yourself. If your mind drifts off to focus on negatives, switch your thoughts to all you have done to prepare and list positive actions you have taken to be ready for this moment. 

Positive Self-Talk

Negative self-talk can increase anxiety and stress levels. So instead, practice positive self-talk by telling yourself that you are prepared, capable, and confident. Make your affirmations really concrete to boost your confidence and self-belief.  Focus on progress you have made, what topics you covered during your revision process, the themes you can write about, and the topics you are familiar with. For more tips on positive thinking and managing mood check out our Study Well Stay Well pages.  

Mindfulness, Meditation and Breathing Exercises 

Mindfulness and meditation can help you stay present and focused, and to let go of any negative thoughts. It would help to get into this practice prior to the exam to teach you to focus on your breath which calms the nervous system and can reduce blood pressure. You can find hundreds of free meditations of different lengths on Insight timer. Try doing a short meditation each morning to create in-the-moment focus. You could use this as part of getting into the mood when revising each day before exams.

Once you are in the exam space, close your eyes, and focus for a few moments on your in and out breath. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath. You can also count your breath: inhale deeply for four slow counts, hold your breath for four counts, breathe out for four counts. Try to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
 

via GIPHY

Breathing exercises can help reduce stress and anxiety, so try taking deep breaths before the exam and whenever you start to feel nervous. Repeat this exercise a few times until you feel calm and relaxed. Use this short process as your mini break between different tasks in the exam. 

Optimise nutrition 

Finally, optimise your nutrition for exams. Your brain will be working hard so feed it well. Ideally have some protein in your meals the day before and for breakfast: eggs, salmon, yoghurt, meats, beans or lentils. Get plenty of fruits and veggies.  If you need snacks, have a few nuts if you like them, or a snack bar. A few sweets to stave off fatigue are fine but don’t rely on sugary food or energy drinks to get you started in the morning. Your brain needs high quality fuel to enable you to perform to your best! There’s more info on protein for vegans and vegetarians here. 

Reduce cognitive load

When the exam starts there’s a lot to think about and process. It can be useful to read the paper briefly, check the instructions and assess rough timings for your answers, then decide which questions you will answer (if choice given). For short answers or essays, you can free up some cognitive space by taking a few minutes to ‘dump’ any ideas, models, notes, mnemonic reminders from revision that you want to use in your answers. Jotting down these notes to yourself on what you intend to include can remind you just how much you know, and the process is calming in itself. It’s a positive way to self-regulate in a stressful situation. 

Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash

Remember, exams aren’t designed to catch you out – the aim is to give you an opportunity to demonstrate your learning on the module. Try to stay positive and trust in your revision process. Good luck!