Explore the components of test anxiety and anxiety management training.

1. Practical Tips for
Reducing Test Anxiety
Kathryn Tromblay, M.S.
Briana Padgett, M.S.
Maria Priede, B.S.W.
Claire Miller, B.A.
Loida Casillas, M.S.
Angelo DeSimone, Ed. D., NCSP

2. Anecdotal Stories
 Elementary Level- Briana
 Secondary Level- Kathryn
Why we chose this topic…

3. What is ANXIETY?

4. TRAIT ANXIETY
 Relatively stable aspect of the personality.
 Often regarded as a fixed stage of anxiety.
 Will eventually become pervasive, extending to and
influencing other areas of experience.
 Becomes a characteristic of the personality.

5.  A functional way of viewing anxiety is as
apprehension or excessive fear about real or
imaginary situations or circumstances.
 The chief characteristic of anxiety is worry.
 Worry is an excessive concern about the
uncertainty of outcomes of circumstances or
situations.
 This excessive worry is unproductive.
 It may interfere with the student’s ability
to act to solve a problem.
 Symptoms of anxiety may be manifested in
cognition, behavior, or physical responses.
(Huberty, 2004)

6. Test anxiety as STATE ANXIETY

7. STATE ANXIETY
 Viewed as a temporary condition.
 Anxiety that we experience when something causes
us to feel temporarily anxious and then subsides.
 I.E. The anxiety we feel when a dog runs out
in front of the car.
 May fluctuate over time.
 Can vary in intensity.
 Typically accompanied by physiological arousal
and observable behavioral indicators.
 Nervous fidgeting, rubbing palms of
hands on clothing

8. TEST ANXIETY
 Experience feelings of: unease, apprehension, worry
distress, or depression.
 “Anxious state” is characterized by excessive
degrees of fear, worry, and apprehension about
the uncertainty of outcomes.
 Trait anxiety is a good predictor of test anxiety.
 Primary concern is EVALUATION.

9. Research indicates…
Social phobia
“A marked and persistent fear of
social or performance
situations in which
embarrassment
may occur.”
DSM-IV
 Show immediate anxiety response when
exposed to feared or social performance
situations.
 Show attempts to avoid the situation or
endure with extreme fear.
 Experience a significant disruption to
normal activities due to the avoidance
or fear associated with situation.
 Recognizes fear is fear is excessive and
unreasonable (*except some children).
 Under 18 years of age, persists for 6
months.
Specific phobia
“A marked and persistent fear of
clearly discernible,
circumscribed objects or
situations.”
DSM-IV
 Fear is excessive and unreasonable.
 Stimulus provokes immediate anxiety
response.
 Interferes significantly with person’s
normal routine.
 Recognizes fear is fear is excessive and
unreasonable (*except some children).
 Under 18 years of age, persists for 6
months.
(American Psychiatric Association, 2000)

10. PREVALENCE
Becoming more prevalent due to:
 increase in frequency of testing.
 importance placed on testing.
SOCIAL PHOBIA
 3-13% of population
SPECIFIC PHOBIA
 4-8.8% of population
(McDonald, 2001)
(American Psychiatric Association, 2000)

11. COMPONENTS of TEST ANXIETY
Cognitive
 worry
 unwanted, uncontrollable, negative thoughts
Emotionality
 physiological
 muscle tension, elevated heart rate, headache
sweating, feeling sick, and shaking
Behaviorally
 avoidance, act out during test
(Huberty, 2004)

12. EFFECTS ON CHILDREN
Detrimental effects…
test performance (passing or failing)
poor grades
retention
low self-esteem
dependency
passivity
depression
(Hembree, 1988)

13. What Does it Look Like?
Elementary
 stomach ache
 “butterflies”
 crying
Middle School/High School
 tension headache
 shaky
 sweaty palms
 increased heart rate
 vomiting
(TeensHealth,

14. What Does it Look Like?
 Unfavorable comparisons with other students.
“all of my friends are going to do better than me”
 Doubts about ability.
“I’m no good at tests, I’m going to fail”
“What if the test is too hard?”
 Negative beliefs about the consequences of poor
performance.
“if I do badly on this test, my parents will be so upset”
 Anxiety due to physical reactions.
“What if I throw up?’’
“Oh no, my hands are shaking.”

15. COMORBIDITY
Highly comorbid with..
other anxiety disorders
depression
ADHD (Biederman, 1991)
Even those children without an additional
anxiety disorder are at risk for future
development of childhood or adult anxiety.
(Beidel, 1988)
(Huberty, 2008)
(Beidel, 1988)

16. Assessment of Test Anxiety

17. Assessment of Test Anxiety
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC)
Consists of two 20-item scales (S-Anxiety
and T-Anxiety)
Used with upper elementary or middle school
aged children (ages 9-12)
Reliability:
 Trait-Anxiety- .65 - .86
 State-Anxiety- .16 - .62

18. Assessment of Test Anxiety
Test Anxiety Inventory for Children and
Adolescents (TAICA)
45 item self-report scale for grades 4-12
Reliability:
 Coefficient alphas- .81 - .94

19. Assessment of Test Anxiety
Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI)
 20 item self-inventory for adolescents
and adults
Reliability:
 .62 for High School Students
Test Anxiety Scale for Children (TASC)
 30 item self-report scale for elementary
school children

20. Assessment of Test Anxiety
FRIEDBEN Test Anxiety Scale (FTA) –
 23-item scale
Reliability:
 Social Derogation Scale- .93
 Cognitive Obstruction Scale- .94
 Physical Tenseness Scale- .88

21. Assessment of Test Anxiety
Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale, Second Edition
(RCMAS-2)
49 items self-report scale for ages 6-19
10-item Short Form also available
Reliability:
 PHY- .75 - .73
 WOR- .86 - .71
 SOC- .80 - .64
 TOT- .92 - .76
 SF- TOT- 82 . .54

22. Counseling Tips to Reduce
Anxiety

23. Counseling Tips to Reduce Anxiety
Anxiety Management Training–
Teaches students to recognize the
symptoms of anxiety by recalling a
previous experience of anxiety.
Re-experience anxiety
Trains students to initiate relaxation
responses when anxiety is perceived.
Relaxation training

24. Counseling Tips to Reduce Anxiety
Anxiety Management Training–
As sessions progress, students are
taught to identify early signs of anxiety
and prevent more severe onset.
Useful in groups of 6-8 students.
(Suinn,1995)

25. Counseling Tips to Reduce Anxiety
Systematic Desensitization –
Teach deep muscle relaxation first.
Develop a group hierarchy of common
events involved in test taking such as studying
the night before, going to class, and waiting
for the test materials to be handed out.
Rank events from least to most anxiety
provoking.

26. Counseling Tips to Reduce Anxiety
Systematic Desensitization –
While in a deeply relaxed state, events are
presented one by one, starting with the least
anxiety provoking.
Events are presented by therapist with
relaxation instructions, until entire group
remains relaxed.
Eventually all events in the hierarchy
are presented to students.
(Forman & O'Malley, 1984)

27. Counseling Tips to Reduce Anxiety
Stop, Drop and Roll–
Pairs relaxation techniques with popular
fire safety terms.
“Stop” – when student feels anxiety
symptoms.
“Drop” – student puts down pencil and
places hands on desk, then drops head
forward.
“Roll” – student rolls head while
taking three deep breaths.

28. Counseling Tips to Reduce Anxiety
Stop, Drop and Roll–
Soft music in the background.
Students use art materials to draw self-
portraits of themselves being calm and
successful while taking their test.
(Cheek et al, 2002)

29. Counseling Tips to Reduce Anxiety
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Assists student with:
Recognizing anxious feelings.
Clarifying unrealistic thoughts in anxiety-
provoking situations.
Coping with the situation – “self-talk” and
coping actions.
Self-reinforcement when appropriate –
students verbally reinforce their own
successful coping.
(Kendall, 1994)

30. Counseling Tips to Reduce Anxiety
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Sessions:
1 – Rapport building; determine what
situations provoke anxiety and how
students respond.
2 – Teach students to identify different
types of feelings.
3 – Develop hierarchy of anxiety
provoking situations; distinguish
between anxious reactions and other
feelings.
(Kendall, 1994)

31. Counseling Tips to Reduce Anxiety
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Sessions:
4 – Relaxation training.
5 – Teach how to recognize the “self-
talk” in anxious situations and learn
how to reduce this “self-talk.”
6 – Develop coping strategies –
“coping self-talk”, “verbal redirection.”
7 – Teach self-evaluation and reward.
8 – Review concepts and skills.
(Kendall, 1994)

32. Role of School Psychologist
 Identify students with problem test anxiety.
 Consult with teachers and provide guidance.
 Provide workshops to parents.
 Meet with students individually and in groups.
 Pair anxious students with buddies who have
overcome anxiety.
 Recognize serious anxiety related cases.

33. Strategies for Teachers

34. Strategies for Teachers
Engage in guided imagery
Pick a scene that you find
peaceful, beautiful, and natural.
Think about what you see, what
you hear, what you feel and
what you smell while in this
scene.
(Forman & O’Malley, 1984)

35. Strategies for Teachers
Engage students in deep breathing
Deep breathing exercises 3-5
minutes.
‘Close your eyes and
concentrate on the air going in
and out of your lungs. Take
long, deep breaths, fill your
lungs and abdomen, hold your
breath, and then exhale.’
(Forman & O’Malley, 1984)

36. Strategies for Teachers
Muscle Relaxation
Before and during test:
 Tense and relax different
muscle groups
 For example, if your
shoulders are tense pull them
back and hold them for a few
seconds, then relax.
 If stomach is tense, tighten
for a few seconds and relax
(Forman & O’Malley, 1984)

37. Strategies for Teachers
Cognitive Behavior Interventions
 Rational Emotive
Therapy (RET)
 Attention Training
 Self Instruction Training
(Forman & O’Malley, 1984)

38. Strategies for Teachers
Engage in positive self talk
(a)think about rational responses to
counter negative thoughts (e.g.,
instead of saying "I'm going to fail
this test" say "I have the ability to
do this, I just need to get some
help.")
(b)thoughts that help you to cope with
stress (e.g., "a little anxiety is
helpful. I will just try my best.“)
(c)thoughts that keep you on task
(e.g., "I can write this paper if I
break it into smaller steps.")
(Cizek & Burg, 2006)

39. Strategies for Teachers
Teach test taking strategies
• Type of test formats
• Practice standardized test
format in classroom during
school year
• Test time limits
• Pacing
• Develop mnemonic devices
(Cizek & Burg, 2006)

40. Strategies for Parents

41. Strategies for Parents
Practical First Steps
Ensure consistency of routine for
 Completing school assignments
 Homework
Ensure child has adequate
 Sleep
 Breakfast
 School supplies
(Cizek & Burg, 2006)

42. Strategies for Parents
Specific Strategies
 Motivate by reinforcing effort,
not grade achieved.
 Practice short relaxation
techniques as a family.
 Model learned techniques e.g.
while in traffic jam
(Cizek & Burg, 2006)

43. Strategies for Parents
Things to avoid
 Avoid excessive reassurance i.e.
“you’ll do great”
 Avoid giving child explicit instructions:
allow them some control by coming up
with own plan.
 Don’t allow the child to ignore
situation e.g. allowing them to stay
home.
(Cizek & Burg, 2006)

44. Strategies for Parents
Think Long Term
 Encourage healthy self esteem, self
concept, self worth.
 Don’t act ‘short term’ with tests (e.g.
pep talks, earlier bedtime, special
meals.
This HEIGHTENS test anxiety.
(Cizek & Burg 2006)

45. QUESTIONS?

46. REFERENCES
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (4th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.
An Intervention for Helping Elementary Students Reduce Test Anxiety.
Professional School Counseling 6 no2 D 2002: pg.162-4
Beidel, D. C., & Turner, S. M. (1988). Comorbidity of Test Anxiety and Other
Anxiety Disorders in Children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology , 16
(3), 275-287.
Biederman, J., Newcorn, J., & Sprich, S. (1991). Comorbidity of attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder with conduct, depressive, anxiety, and other disorders.
American Journal of Psychiatry , 564-577.
Burnett, M. (2006, December 11). FCAT Test Taking Strategies. Retrieved March
10, 2010, from ocps.net:
http://mmso.ocps.net/techworld/farber/documents/fcat_strategies.pdf

47. REFERENCES
Cheek, J., Bradley, L., Reynolds, J., & Coy, D. (2002). An Intervention for
Helping Elementary Students Reduce Test Anxiety. Professional School
Counseling , 162-164.
Cizek, G. J., &Burg, S. S. (2006). Addressing Test Anxiety in a High Stakes
Environment: Strategies for Classrooms and Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
Forman, S., & O'Malley, P. (1984). School Stress and Anxiety Interventions.
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Glanz, Jeffrey. "Effects of stress reduction strategies on reducing test-anxiety
among learning-disabled students." Journal of Instructional Psychology 21
(1994): 313-17. Education Full Text. Web. 24 Aug. 2010.
Gutkin, T. B. & Reynolds, C. R. (Eds.). (2008).The handbook of school
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48. REFERENCES
Hembree, R. (1988). Correlates, Causes, Effects, and Treatment of Test
Anxiety. Review of Educational Research , 58 (1), 47-77.
Huberty, T. J. (in press). Performance and test anxiety. In L. Paige & A.
Canter (Eds.),Helping children at home and at school III. Bethesda, MD:
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49. REFERENCES
Huberty, T. (2009). Test and performance anxiety. Principle Leadership.
Retrieved August 10, 2010 from:
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/
Hunter, William J. "Getting wise to test anxiety." The School Guidance Worker
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50. REFERENCES
Reynolds, C.R. & Richmond, B. O. (2008). Revised children’s manifest
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51. REFERENCES
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http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/test_anxiety.html
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