How to Overcome Exam Anxiety on the Day of Exam

Overcome Exam Anxiety on the Day of Exam. Today, we will look at some tips that help you manage your anxiety on exam day. Let’s dive in.

Tejanand Rompicherla

5 May 2021

“Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.”—Theodore Roosevelt

Engineering Services Exam date is nearing. Having some anxiety at this point is completely fine, but do not let it control you. In the previous article, we discussed how to deal with exam anxiety while preparing for the GATE/ESE/PSUs or other competitive exams. Today, we will look at some tips that help you manage your anxiety on exam day. Let’s dive in.

Have a Good Night’s Sleep

The night before the exam plays a crucial role in your exam performance. You should sleep for at least 8 hours that night to keep all your faculties energetic. Due to stress, students tend to study that entire night to cover all the topics or to complete revision. But you should complete your revision before evening and spend the time after for relaxation.

Inadequate sleep may cause memory problems, lack of concentration, and tiredness. So, listen to some relaxing music, be thankful for the opportunities you are blessed with and slowly go to a tight sleep.

Here is the secret spell, “sleep well, score well!”.

Wake Up Early

Waking up early has a lot of benefits. You will remain calm and relaxed if you have enough time to get ready and to have your breakfast on exam day. You can also do some meditation to ease your anxiety in the morning. If you wake up early, you can reach the exam hall on time and stay relaxed.

Eat Your Food

How to Overcome Exam Anxiety on the Day of ESE Exam

Skipping breakfast (or lunch) on the day of the exam is common among students. It is either because of the anxiety or because they don’t get time to have breakfast. Whatever be the reason, skipping your food on exam day is not a sensible choice. Remember, ESE is a day-long exam. You need to fuel up yourself to stay active and energetic throughout the day.

Make sure you have your meal no matter what.
Have healthy and light meals to avoid bloating.
Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Cut down your caffeine intake on that day as it might intensify your anxiety.

Do Not Overwork in the Previous Night

It is pretty normal to have an incomplete feel the night before your exam. To fight this negative feeling, always think about everything you studied rather than looming over what you left out. Whatever you have done is enough, and your exam performance is what matters now.

Do not stay up late in the night.
Finish your revision early in the evening that day.
Do some relaxing activity instead of cramming before you go to bed.

Get Your Exam Kit Ready

Pack your exam bag with all the exam essentials on the night before the exam. Make sure you pack pens, pencils, admit cards and other stationery. Iron the clothes that you are going to wear and keep them also ready. By doing this, you can avoid hurly-burly in the morning. You don’t have to run here and there looking for your pen or hall ticket.

Eat Chocolate

Eating something that you like will instantly light up your mood. Studies show that the flavonoids present in chocolate stimulate brain activity. So, eat a piece of chocolate before you enter the exam hall. The whole world would agree that chocolates are the harbingers of happiness!

Reach the Exam Hall Early

As per the official instruction, you should reach the exam hall at least one hour before the exam. Never come to the exam hall in a rush because that may cause further anxiety and confusion.

Once you reach the exam center, find a quiet corner and wait there.
Avoid discussions about the exam if that’s stressful for you.
You can listen to some music, pray or do some relaxation techniques.

Take Deep Breaths

Taking deep breathes increases the oxygen intake in your body. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and hold your breath for 3 seconds. Exhale slowly and repeat this a few times. This breathing technique will help you ease your exam nerve. You can do this before entering the exam hall and even during the exam if you feel distracted or exhausted.

Read the Questions Carefully

Make sure you effectively utilize the reading time before the exam. Read all the instructions and questions carefully to avoid any careless mistakes. Since it is a competitive exam, there will be confusing questions to increase the level of difficulty. You will know how to deal with them if you have enough practice.

If you don’t read the questions carefully, you may end up choosing the wrong answer.
While you read the questions, you can mark the answers you already know. It saves a lot of time when you start marking your answers on the OMR sheet.
Keep in mind that one-third mark will be deducted for one wrong answer.

Use Time Carefully

Careful and efficient utilization of your exam time helps you remain focused and composed. This is precisely why you work out a lot of sample tests. Effective time management is a skill that you develop through constant practice. Be mindful of the time when you are in the exam hall.

Allot fixed time to each question and leave out the questions that will take more time for later. This ensures that you answer all the questions systematically, without making any mistakes.

Say Goodbye to Negative Thoughts

It’s time to kick out the negative thoughts from your mind. You should address your fears one by one and replace them with positive answers. For instance, if you think you haven’t covered all the topics, remind yourself that you tried your best. Tell yourself that you are well prepared to face the exam. You need not be perfect. If you accept your minor flaws and be happy with your potential, you can achieve anything.

To everyone who is working hard and honest for the exam, you are doing your best. We have learned so much in the past year, even some great life lessons. We can’t control many things in life, and the only thing we have power over is ourselves. The outside world can be full of miseries. But you are the promising youth that gives hope to our nation. Believe in yourself and value your effort. In the end, hard work will always be rewarded.