Test Anxiety: 4 Common Myths (And How to Overcome it)

There are many myths about what causes test anxiety. In this article, I'm going to highlight four of the most common myths and tell you exactly what's true. I'm Dr. Steve Orma, a clinical psychologist and specialist in helping people eliminate test anxiety so they can score higher on exams like the LSAT, MCAT, GRE, or pass licensing exams like the bar exam, medical STEP exams, and other professional requirements. So, let's dive into the four common myths about test anxiety and the truth.

Myth #1: Test anxiety is caused by the test
The truth is that test anxiety isn't caused by the test, but actually by your thoughts, beliefs, and worries about the test. It's not the situation that creates anxiety, but how we think about and perceive that situation that creates anxiety. 

For example, you might have negative thoughts before or during an exam like, "I'm going to freeze up and fail," "If I fail, I won't get licensed," "I won't achieve my goal of becoming a doctor, lawyer, therapist, etc.," or "If I don't score at a certain level, I won't get into a good graduate school, medical or law school." 

You may also worry about letting your parents, friends, colleagues or yourself down, or think, "I suck at tests." These are common negative thoughts that people experiencing test anxiety have, and it's these thoughts that actually lead to anxiety. 

Key takeaway: thoughts and beliefs you're having about the test are the things that are actually creating the anxiety, not the exam itself. This is important because you can't change the exam, but you can change your thoughts and beliefs, and therefore, change the anxiety and the way you're reacting to it.

Myth #2: Test anxiety comes from not studying hard enough
The truth is that test anxiety is not usually the result of a lack of studying, knowledge or ability. Many people I've worked with who experience test anxiety are high achievers—very accomplished people, even perfectionists. These individuals are often the ones who study really hard and are very diligent and conscientious. Yet, they still experience test anxiety. It's usually not people who are lazy or who didn't study hard enough, but often the people who put in the most effort and hold very high standards for themselves.

What happens is this: negative thoughts about the test trigger anxiety, causing an increased heart rate, difficulty focusing, muscle tension and fight-or-flight response. This reaction impedes performance and negatively affects scores, making it harder to focus, concentrate and pay attention during an exam. 

Myth #3: Relaxation and breathing exercises work well for test anxiety 
The truth is that relaxation and breathing exercises don't work that well—or at all—for test anxiety. First, even if they do provide relief, it's usually temporary. If you're really anxious and you do some deep breathing, close your eyes and concentrate, it might calm you down a little because you're slowing your breathing and focusing. 

However, this relief is brief and temporary. In some cases, relaxation techniques can even increase anxiety, which is paradoxical, but I'll talk about that more shortly. 

Additionally, relaxation techniques don’t address the root cause of test anxiety, the negative thoughts and beliefs. This is the main reason why breathing exercises and similar methods don't get rid of test anxiety—they don't address the underlying negative thoughts and beliefs. 

Myth #4: Some people are just good at taking tests and others are not 
The truth is test-taking is a skill that anyone can learn and get better at. A common misconception is that if you're not good at a certain kind of test, you'll never be good at it. For example, many of my clients who experience test anxiety have difficulty with multiple-choice exams.

Usually, the reason for this is that they overthink the answers. They might have an initial sense of what the answer is but then second-guess themselves and overanalyze, which eats up valuable time during the test. Often, this leads to running out of time. However, this doesn’t mean that you're inherently bad at taking multiple-choice exams. It just means you don’t know how to approach them effectively.

Many people who struggle with multiple-choice questions do better with longer-form questions, like case studies, where they need to analyze a situation and respond with a more detailed answer. The reason is that they can delve deeper into the question, whereas multiple-choice questions are more straightforward, requiring you to select the best answer from a limited set of options. Overanalyzing can hinder performance. 

The reality is that you can improve your ability with any kind of test by understanding the nature of the test and learning how to approach it effectively. 

Root cause of test anxiety
It begins with negative thoughts and beliefs about the test and its consequences. It’s not just about thinking, “I’m going to fail,” but about the consequences of failing. 

For instance, failing might mean: not getting into your desired graduate school, not passing a crucial licensing exam like the bar or medical STEP exams, or failing to become a professional in your field. The negative thoughts trigger a physiological stress response in your body, and this response impacts your performance because it impedes cognitive functioning. 

This creates a reinforcement cycle. If you perform poorly on the test, it reinforces the negative belief that you're not good at that test, which then leads to more anxiety in the future, perpetuating the cycle. 

What’s the impact of these negative thoughts on test performance? 
If you think, “I’m going to freeze up and fail,” it will increase muscle tension, making it harder to recall information. If you think, “If I fail, I won’t get licensed,” it will heighten your stress because getting licensed is critical to your future career, which reduces your ability to focus on the test questions. If you think, “I won’t achieve my goal of becoming a doctor, lawyer, etc.,” the overwhelming pressure can trigger anxiety and panic, affecting your ability to focus. Similarly, thinking, “I’ll let my parents down” adds emotional distress, further making it difficult to concentrate.

Why relaxation and breathing techniques don’t work for test anxiety
First, as mentioned, they only offer short-term relief. They might provide temporary calm, but that relief won’t last long, especially during a long exam. 

Also, focusing on the anxiety during these techniques can sometimes backfire and increase the anxiety. When we focus on something, it tends to grow. Trying to relax while focusing on your anxiety can paradoxically make it worse. 

Breathing and relaxation techniques are also surface-level solutions. They don’t get to the root cause, which are the negative thoughts and beliefs. To effectively address test anxiety, there needs to be a cognitive shift—a change in the way you're thinking.

Test-taking is a learnable skill 

It’s not just knowing the material, but learning how to approach and perform well on a test. Different kinds of tests, such as multiple-choice versus longer-form questions, require different strategies.

It's also important to manage your time effectively, as many tests are long and time is limited. People with test anxiety often struggle with time management because they get distracted, overanalyze, or have difficulty focusing, which eats up valuable time.

Cultivating a positive, growth-oriented mindset is also crucial. Test-taking is not an all-or-nothing situation. It's about learning to shift your mindset. Even if you're anxious, maintaining a good attitude and managing your thoughts about the test can make a big difference.

If your goal is to overcome test anxiety, the path forward is as follows:

1) Recognize the true cause of test anxiety—it's not the test itself, but your thoughts and beliefs about it. Then, work on identifying and challenging these negative thoughts to shift your mindset. 

2) Developing test-taking skills is also essential—Once you've addressed the negative thoughts and developed effective strategies, your knowledge will be more accessible and you'll perform better. 

3) If you need help, seek support—click here for resources for overcoming test anxiety.