In the Test Room — Part 1

Get In The Mood
Keep a check on your emotional status. If your emotions are shaky before a test it will effect your preparation. A shaky emotional state can determine how well you do on the test. Use these six ways to give yourself a boost into a good mood for taking a test.
Go with the flow - Don’t Fight It
There are lots of reasons to dread tests. Tests classify students and create categories of people. Tests can be unfair by rating students higher that can memorize and rating students that analyze lower. Conformity is an asset on tests, but creativity is often a liability.
Everyone knows this and it probably isn’t fair but that’s the way it is, so the first step is to accept it and get used to it.
You will get higher marks when you realize tests count and give them your best effort. Get into showing off your intelligence. If you can’t get into showing off, think about your future and the career that comes from straight A’s. Avoid the negatives and focus on anything that lift your enthusiasm and increase your motivation.
Keep Breathing.
For most people, when we are anxious, tense, or scared, we either stop breathing or breathe very shallow. Focus on your breathing – breathe deeply and regularly. When you continue to breathe deeply you will notice you exhale all the tension.
With continued practice of the relaxation technique, you will immediately start to know the muscles that tense up under pressure. Call these your “signal muscles.” These are the ones that will yell at you saying “hey lighten up you’re getting tense.” Take the time to relax.
After practicing a few times, you will get into the habit of checking yourself regularly and when you find you are tense, relax.
Get there early enough to relax
If your are wound up, tense, scared, anxious, or feeling rushed, it will cost you. Get to the exam room early and relax before you go in. This way, when the exam starts, you are comfortable and relaxed. Just make sure you don’t get to the exam room too early that will just give you too much time to sit there and get wound up all over again.
Start with practicing in your room, then practice in the library, and last in the exam room. If you can, go to the exam room a few days ahead of time. When you are used to the technique, use it any time you feel tense during the exam.