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Root Causes of Exam Stress and how to Address them

causes of exam stress for student wellbeing

There are many causes of Exam Stress and exam anxiety in students. We each react in our own way to different situations.  Knowing students’ general stress points can help us recognise and support our teaching groups. Our real breakthrough though will come from noticing  signs of stress in individual students. 

Let’s break down the common areas that trigger exam anxiety.

Unrealistic Expectations

Many students may put themselves under high levels of pressure. When we’re up against our own high standards, falling short can feel highly stressful.  Students may also have expectations from other sources – i.e. to reach entrance grade requirements, or to match or top the grades reached by other family members.

Solution

  • however they arise, it’s important to be reasonable and realistic when setting a personal ‘bar’
  • work with students to unravel their reasoning and help them be clear on what you all agree is manageable and achievable. Any expectation will need a solid study and revision plan that fits each students’ abilities.
  • help students to break down tasks and offer guidance on how to approach learning to move towards their personal goals.

 

Fear of Failure

This is tied in with expectations -  when we fear we'll be unable to meet others’ needs. Failure can feel personal, but we may fear letting others’ down more. If our expectations are realistic, then failure will seem less likely and success will be more attainable.

 Solution

  • get to know your students’ reasoning – what it is that they fear.
  • help them create a personalised study and revision plan that shows them how they can reach their agreed goals.
  • fear is tied in with previous experience. The more success students can build for themselves, the more they’ll see what’s possible for themselves.
  • show them how to recognise what sets off their fears and teach them ways to address it.
  • as they build their confidence, they’ll learn to have more control over their feelings.

 

Lack of Preparation

Stress can often be triggered when we recognise our own levels of un-preparedness.  For any number of reasons, plans may fall short and students can find themselves less ready for their exams. This can set off further patterns of self-recrimination.

        Solution

  • work with them to re-assess ‘where they are’ to help them regain their confidence in moving forward.
  • create a plan that works for them to enable them to feel more in control.
  • they may benefit from a range of Mindful techniques to ease their panic, or more practical input from those confident in scheduling.
  • find out their main causes of concern and look for ways to steer them to increased focus or organisation skills.

Peer Pressure

Students may be comparing their levels of preparedness with others and feel they fall short of ‘the norm’.  This can make them feel ‘less than’ in many ways and cause them to withdraw their efforts.  Withdrawal can then spiral into a series of behaviours that may affect their potential to do well.                              

       Solution  

  • remind each student that they have their own way of approaching exams and no one way is better than others.
  • go over successful ways of time management, scheduling, learning, note taking and recall to get them back on track.
  • keep revisiting their personal targets and steer them towards managing their learning strategies.

Poor Time Management

Struggling to manage learning and study time can have a knock-on effect on a student’s confidence in their preparation process.  When we’re unable to use our time effectively against a time frame, our wriggle room lessens. As deadlines move increasingly nearer, we’re reminded how ready we are – or not.  This can trigger a number of negative reactions that can be helped with good time management strategies. Cramming is not the answer as we learn better in shorter but repetitive sessions.

Solution

  • revisit popular and effective time management processes and find those that work with struggling students
  • check in regularly to see how they’re doing and encourage peer working or 1:1 with support workers
  • agree the areas that need attention and ask students to take responsibility for how they handle study time
  • involve parents and guardians to oversee and encourage behaviours
  • break things down into manageable chunks do things are do-able

Physical and Mental Health Issues

When we feel up against it, we can let our personal self-care suffer. Exams take a lot out of all involved.  It’s important students get enough sleep, eat well and understand what the brain and body needs for the best ‘state of learning’.

Solution

  • find out which area students may be neglecting
  • include a refresher on the importance of good self-care during the exam period and how they can work towards it
  • create a handout on self-care during exams
  • share a worksheet on focus and attention techniques
  • involve other areas of school staff to share best practice tips on mental health and wellbeing

Keeping an eye out for student stress will help you stay alert to any small changes in behaviour.  This will help you intervene earlier and bring in any other support you and they may need.