{"id":18278,"date":"2023-09-01T16:30:07","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T14:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.univie.ac.at\/?p=18278"},"modified":"2025-08-17T17:39:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T15:39:00","slug":"how-to-cope-with-exam-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.univie.ac.at\/en\/studies\/how-to-cope-with-exam-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"How to cope with exam anxiety?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before an exam, worries and anxieties can become a burden. They become a problem when they lead to procrastination, avoidance behaviour or even mental blocks during the exam. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)<\/a> has compiled tips to help you deal with exam anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exam = exceptional situation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

An exam is an assessment situation that has consequences: In case of success, planned steps become possible. In case of failure, they become impossible or at least more difficult. In addition to the different meanings of the exam, the exam situation itself is challenging: You are expected to achieve a certain examination result at a specific time and within a limited period of time.<\/p>\n

In addition \u2013 and we are usually not aware of this \u2013 not only subject-specific knowledge is necessary for an exam: You are expected to have knowledge of the exam (procedure and examination types), cognitive competences such as in organising your way of studying, comprehending the examination questions or planning the exam procedure and, eventually, mental abilities such as the ability to cope with the excitement or the time pressure or accepting the competitive situation. All of this together can definitely lead to exam anxiety \u2013 but how does it affect you?<\/p>\n

What are the effects of exam anxiety?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Graph<\/a>A certain amount of excitement before and during an exam usually has an activating effect. However, intense exam anxiety can lead to a decrease in performance (see illustration): In some cases, students might find it difficult to study or rather avoid it and they may experience lapses or even mental blocks during the exam.<\/p>\n

Feelings of anxiety lead to an automatic reaction of the nervous system, which may cause unpleasant reactions such as increased blood pressure, sweating, nausea and even mental blocks. The bad news is: You cannot control this reaction. The good news is: Every person can influence the level of anxiety. The key point here is the personal evaluation of the exam situation.<\/p>\n

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How to cope with exam anxiety? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tip 1: Change the thoughts of anxiety<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Past experiences, especially negative ones, play a role that you should not underestimate in the evaluation of the upcoming exam. The upcoming exam is viewed through the glasses of past experiences, so to speak. Changing these thoughts is easier said than done. But: This is a very important step!<\/p>\n