3 strategies to help your child get rid of exam anxiety

[ updated: April 2021 ]

Exam anxiety is a very real issue for students, especially for students studying in Singapore. Exam anxiety can actually affect a student’s ability to focus during the exam and can be considerably detrimental to his exam performance. Some parents may discount the effects of exam anxiety but it is very important for parents to understand the true effects of students suffering from exam anxiety and learn how to help their children navigate this nervous journey.

This is by far the most effective way to reduce a child’s exam anxiety. Let him go through the same process at home as many times as possible so that he won’t feel as unfamiliar as he would be if he hasn’t gone through an exam simulation.

Step 1: Download the relevant exam paper here.

Step 2: Remove all distractions from his desk.

Step 3: Strictly no snack breaks or rest time.

Step 4: Minimize toilet break.

Step 5: Set the rules clearly – stick to the allocated time and he must stop writing the moment time is up.

Once a student is able to go through this process at home multiple times, he will have a great deal less stress during the actual exam. Our team of exam consultants have done this multiple times for our students and the effects are amazing.

This is a very helpful tip for our students.

Oftentimes students, especially those with lower self-esteem, tend to overlook their academic achievements in the past. Help to remind them of what they have achieved the past couple of years.

Doing such routine regularly will definitely help your child to build confidence in his examination skills and in addition to that, such routine action reminds the child that he is capable of success because he has done it before and therefore, success is not beyond his reach.

Most importantly, such reflections can also aid the child in remembering what he has done and the strategies he has employed in the past that led to academic success. This will remind him to use the same strategies that he has used in the past for his next upcoming exam.

More often than not, it is the act of trying to ‘push away’ the feelings of anxiety that exacerbates the nervous emotions of the child. It is almost instinctive that a child would try to ‘not think about’ the anxiety that he is facing prior to the exam and this can actually backfire.

Help the child to understand that there is no shame in feeling anxious prior to the exam.

Teach the child to know that feeling that way does not make him any less of a good student.

Let the child know that anxiety is not a bad feeling and it is actually good to stimulate exam performance. Help him see that anxiety can be seen as an aid and not a crutch.

Sit with the child and allow him to slowly ‘feel’ and accept the anxiety. Help him to ‘talk’ to his anxiety. The more a child does this, the more he comes to accept it and the less it will haunt him. It is with acceptance of expected anxiety that the child can grow comfortable with the feeling of anxiety and not let anxiety overwhelm him and impede his academic performance.