How to Help a Teen Overcome Stress Related to School Exams

Help your teen become an accomplished and relaxed test-taker.

Federal and state mandated tests place a lot of stress on teens, especially with added pressure to do well from teachers, schools, peers and even some parents. Many teens are also overly sensitive and self-critical, and the resulting stress can translate into lower or failing test scores. According to one study, teens who felt stressed and overwhelmed when taking tests scored 15 points lower in math and 14 points lower in English. There are, however, some steps that you can take to help your teen overcome stress, before and during an exam.

Things You'll Need

• Month-by-month calendar with large squares

Instructions

1. Purchase a calendar with large squares for each day of the month and have your teen write down the dates of her upcoming exams, so she and you know how much prep time she has. Put each month's calendar page on the refrigerator so that it can be referred to as needed and so that you can help remind her to study a little each day leading up to the exam.

2. Help your teen avoid pre-exam and exam stress by offering to help him study as soon as he is told when the exam will take place. Explain to your teen that waiting until the last minute to cram for the test will just make the stress and pressure worse for him and that cramming will also increase his chances of getting a low score or failing grade. Stress that his brain can only absorb so much information in a 24-hour period.

3. Remind yourself and your child that the entire future is not riding on one test, says Richard Roberts, senior research scientist at the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey. Also remind your teen that if she is taking her SAT test, she can take an exam like that more than once.

4. Remind your child to carefully read the instructions for the test and scan the questions before beginning so he knows approximately how long he can take to answer each one. Tell your teen to consider answering the questions he has a solid command of, and then go back to the others.

5. Advise your teen -- if she should find herself tensing up, getting clammy hands, or if her mind suddenly goes blank -- to close her eyes and slowly count to four while until the stress eases. She may have to do this two or three times before she calms down.

6. Make sure your teen gets eight hours of sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before taking the exam so that his brain is alert and his energy levels are up. Have frequent conversations with your teen, using your own experiences to ask questions that will encourage him to open up about any test stress. If he expresses fear, give him ideas on how he might overcome the stress.