Top Five Reasons Test Takers Suffer From Performance Anxiety

Performance anxiety is a common occurrence for a test taker the days before or the day of his big road test. In some cases, test taker’s nerves cause them to fail or make them too sick to even take the test! If you’re preparing to take your road test soon, be aware of these five common reasons test takers suffer from performance anxiety and make sure you don’t fall victim to the dreaded test jitters.

Inadequate Practice

A common reason test takers suffer from performance anxiety is inadequate practice. A test taker who puts off studying or who doesn’t practice driving regularly has deprived himself of the chance to prove to himself that he can drive well in a variety of different situations. Most often, test takers who fail their road tests on the first or second attempts fail because they didn’t practice enough. Practice driving every day if you can possibly. The more familiarity you have with various road conditions, the more confidence you will have on the day of your test that you can handle anything that comes your way. 

Unrealistic Expectations

Often, test takers put a lot of stress on themselves to do well because of unrealistic expectations. “I don’t want to rely my parents to drive me anymore so I got to pass this test.” “If I don’t pass, I’ll have to wait forever before I can take it again.” “Everyone will laugh at me if I fail.” “If I fail, I will never be able to get to work.” It’s easy when you’re studying to think of all the worst outcomes that can happen as a result of you failing, but to help manage anxiety it’s important not to succumb to these fearful imagined scenarios. If you’re really worrying about what will happen if you fail, write out what would be the worst outcomes and then write ways to overcome those hindrances.

Lack of Sleep

Your feelings are always more intense when you’re tired. Mild anxiety can become extreme if you’re cranky, irritable and unable to focus clearly. As much as possible, you must take care of yourself and get the necessary hours of sleep you need to function effectively. If you’re worried about being able to fall asleep the night, try to do vigorous exercise a few hours before bed to tire you, a relaxing meditation, write in your journal or a ingest natural sleep aid like melatonin.

Hunger

Similarly, hunger can also affect the way you experience your feelings. It’s okay to feel nervous on the day of your road test, but you don’t want to be too nervous. While you may not be able to avoid test jitters, you can reduce its intensity by taking care of things you can control like your own hunger. 

Poor Support System 

It’s extremely important for test takers to have a strong and proper support system. Family, friends, loved ones. They all play an important role in helping you study, practice and believe in yourself. Test takers who are suffering from performance anxiety may not have the necessary people supporting and comforting them. If you’re a test taker preparing to take your road test, reach out to people who you trust. This can be family, friends, teachers, priest, whoever. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Ask them to support you throughout this process. Knowing someone is in your corner can help relieve your performance anxiety.