How to Deal with Test Anxiety in High School: A Complete Guide

Quick Answer:

Test anxiety is a form of performance anxiety that shows up as physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms before, during, or after an exam. The most effective ways to manage it include preparing early through spaced-out study sessions, practice tests, controlled breathing, and a mindset reframe. Parents can help by building a realistic study plan with their teen, watching for signs that they need professional support, and keeping them focused.

Many of the strategies in this guide were developed by members of our own tutoring and test prep team, drawn from techniques they use directly with students. Where a specific tip comes from a particular team member, we’ve credited them by name.

Sweaty palms, a racing heart, shortness of breath, or “blanking” during an exam. If these sound familiar, you may have experienced a form of test anxiety, an increasingly common experience among adolescents. The good news is that test anxiety is manageable, and both students and parents can play an active role in minimizing its symptoms.

We’ll discuss what test anxiety is, test anxiety strategies worth bookmarking, how to handle study pressure, and ways parents can play a more proactive role.

What is Test Anxiety? Definition and Symptoms

Test anxiety describes the physiological and behavioral responses that surface when someone faces an evaluative situation that feels like it exceeds their ability to perform well. In simpler terms, test anxiety is a form of performance anxiety.

This form of performance anxiety can appear before, during, or even after an exam, and often shows up as:

• Physical symptoms: shortness of breath, racing heart, sweating, hot flashes, or a rise in body temperature.
• Emotional symptoms: panic, irritability, or persistent negative thoughts.
• Cognitive symptoms: racing thoughts, trouble concentrating, or “blanking” mid-exam.
• Behavioral symptoms: Procrastination, avoidance, or mood changes.

What Causes Test Anxiety?

Test anxiety is typically caused by two main drivers: uncertainty and anxiety about the anxiety.

Test-anxious students may experience anxiety because they don’t know what will be on the test, whether they studied the right material, or if they will perform poorly. Additionally, a student who is aware of their anxiety may take more extreme measures to minimize their symptoms, such as avoiding studying, procrastinating, or missing an exam entirely. This can cause an unhealthy loop in which uncertainty feeds anxiety, and the anxiety leads to avoidance.

How Common is Test Anxiety in Teens?

A little nervousness before a big test is common and can even sharpen students’ focus. But for a growing number of students, it crosses into something more serious.

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), roughly 31.9% of adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder at some point during their teen years. These anxiety disorders can also often co-occur with other challenges, including executive functioning difficulties, learning differences, depression, and ADHD.

Test anxiety can also compound with these other challenges, making its impact on students even harder to untangle. But even on its own, test anxiety is more than a personal struggle. Its effects show up directly in academic performance. Test-anxious students may underperform not because they don’t know the material they’re being tested on, but because anxiety gets in the way of applying what they’ve learned.

Test anxiety isn’t evenly distributed either. A study examining test anxiety in U.S. adolescents found that female students reported higher levels of test anxiety than male students, and that middle schoolers reported higher levels than high schoolers.

The gap between middle and high schoolers is worth unpacking. It doesn’t mean younger students simply “outgrow” test anxiety or that it disappears by high school. On the contrary, unaddressed anxiety can carry forward or worsen without early support, especially when the academic stakes are raised and students must complete the SAT, ACT, or other standardized exams.

The strategies below can help most students manage everyday test anxiety. However, if you’re a parent or guardian who suspects your child may be dealing with more severe test anxiety, a professional evaluation is the best way to identify the right kind of support.

How to Deal with Test Anxiety? Students: Here are Strategies that Work

Tip #1: Limit the Unknown.

Since uncertainty is one of the biggest drivers of test anxiety, tackling it head-on is one of the most effective strategies.

Ask questions.

Ask your teacher direct questions about the exam, what it will cover, the format, and how they’d suggest preparing. If a student shows planning and preparation (in other words, don’t ask them these questions the day before the exam), most instructors will gladly offer direction.

Review old material.

Use past quizzes and exams from the course to get an idea of how the teacher structures exams and asks questions. If the exam is based on the same content, past tests can be great study material, too.

For standardized tests, look at exams from previous years. Past ACT, AP, or SAT exams are all available online or as part of study guides.

Tip #2: Build a Strong Study Plan.

Map out a study plan (early).

Examine how much time is needed and spread study sessions across several days or weeks based on what feels most manageable to you and your upcoming responsibilities. A widely cited 2013 review of learning techniques rated “distributed practice” –spacing study sessions over time–as one of the strongest study strategies available.

It also has the added benefit of reducing stress because it is less likely to interfere with other tasks or sleep.

Try different study methods.

Include different methods of study in your plan. This might look like:

• Reading material and note-taking.
• Practice problems.
• Timed mock exams.
• Watching online videos.
• Conducting fake instruction.
• Creating and studying flashcards.

Treat studying as a bit like an experiment, and notice what methods work better than others will help you refine your approach for future exams.

Take well-deserved breaks.

Breaks, hobbies, and consistent sleep aren’t distractions from studying effectively; they’re necessary to ensure the information you’ve studied is retained. A 2019 study published in NPJ Science of Learning found that sleep quality, duration, and consistency were linked to better academic performance in college students. The same logic can be applied to high schoolers, who will eventually transition to college.

Ask for support or talk to someone.

Whether it’s a teacher, parent, or counselor, talking through test anxiety can reduce its intensity and open you up to more support. You may learn about potential accommodations or give clarity to a parent or guardian about what you’ve been dealing with. No matter what, reaching out and seeking support should never be looked at as a setback, but rather a proactive step toward overcoming the anxiety itself.

Practice like you play.

Practicing under conditions that mirror test day makes a real difference in how familiar–and manageable–the real thing feels. That can mean:

• Taking a practice test in a quiet space, free of the usual phone or TV distractions.
• Practicing in the same format as the real exam, so the interface itself isn’t a surprise.
• Using official practice materials when possible.
• Practicing sitting for the full length of the test, since maintaining focus and posture for hours is its own kind of endurance–a point Collegewise’s Michael Cohen emphasizes with his own students, framing testing as a physical experience as much as a mental one.
• Wearing a comfortable “test day outfit” during practice sessions so it feels familiar.
• Chewing the same flavor of gum while studying and again during the test to help with memory.

Repetition itself does a lot of work here. As Collegewise’s Senior Director of Tutoring & Test Prep, Michal Goldstein puts it, “This is essentially exposure therapy: doing the thing over and over until it stops triggering a strong reaction.”

Visit the test site.

Goldstein recommends familiarizing yourself with the school or testing center where you’ll sit for an exam. “Take a drive over to your school to see where you'll park or do drop-off, and, if you can do so, find the school's main entrance so you know where to go on test day.” Knowing the layout in advance removes one more unknown from the morning.

Tip #3: Take Care of Yourself Before and on Test Day

Adjust your sleep schedule during test week.

In the week leading up to the test, shift bedtime and wake-up time closer to what test day will actually require, so the body isn’t adjusting to a new schedule and a big exam on the same morning. Goldstein notes, “It is hard to suddenly go to bed at 10 or 11 PM and wake up at 6:15 AM if the usual routine involves staying up past midnight.”

Ease off the night before.

Some light studying is fine the day before the test, but focus on relaxing and getting a good night’s sleep over cramming. A short walk or light exercise can help burn off nervous energy, too.

Don’t skip breakfast.

It’s tempting to skip meals and find yourself saying “I’m too nervous to eat,” but going into a test on an empty stomach makes focus even harder. Prioritize a nutritious, balanced breakfast, not just caffeine. The best way to get the juices flowing in your head is by fueling your body.

Make an “if-then” plan.

Decide, in advance, how you will handle predictable stressors:

• If I blank on a question, then I will move on and come back to it at the end.

• If I start running out of time, then I will prioritize easier or high-value questions.

• If I notice myself getting worked up, then I will do breathing exercises.

Relabel nervousness as excitement.

Nervousness and excitement can produce nearly identical physical sensations such as a racing heart rate, a jolt of adrenaline, or trouble focusing. A 2014 study by Harvard’s Alison Wood Brooks found that people who reframe pre-performance anxiety as excitement performed better than those who tried to calm down. Brooks’ suggestions to reappraise anxiety as excitement include:

• Self-talk (e.g., saying “I am excited)
• Jotting down simple messages (e.g., “get excited”)
• Adopting an opportunity mindset (as opposed to a threat mindset)

Reframing your mindset rather than suppressing the nervousness outright not only normalizes the situation, but also places you more in control of the situation by tackling it head-on. Collegewise Director of Instruction, Michael Cohen, uses a version of this with students. “Tell yourself you’re excited again: there is very little difference between being excited and anxious.”

Use breathing to reset.

If and when anxiety spikes, the body shifts into fight-or-flight mode, and it can become harder to focus or perform well. Slow, deliberate breathing can counteract this, according to a 2023 Stanford-led study. The study found that five minutes of daily breathwork, including box breathing, can reduce psychological arousal and improve mood. An example of controlled breathwork may be:

• Inhale for 4 seconds
• Hold for 4 seconds
• Exhale for 6 seconds
• Repeat 4-5 times

The best part about controlled breathing is that you can do it quietly at a desk, during an exam when moments become too intense. Collegewise's Associate Director of Instruction, Tanner Reive, uses a simpler variant with his own students right before a test: sit with hands resting on your lap, take four or five big, deliberate inhales, hold briefly, then exhale. Repeating that a few times takes less than 30 seconds and works to calm the nervous system’s stress response.

Try a visualization technique.

Collegewise Master Tutor, Matt I., recommends picturing a place that carries a genuinely relaxed, positive association–a childhood bedroom, a favorite vacation spot, anywhere that feels calm. Spend 20-30 seconds building out specific details from the wall color, carpet texture, and the exact sounds of the space. Getting specific matters; it’s what shifts focus away from the anxious thought and onto something else entirely.

Keep perspective.

We know that at the moment it may seem like the most important thing, and while exams are very important, no single test defines a student’s future. Once you’ve completed the exam, look back at how you prepared and evaluated it. What resources did you find most helpful, or which ones should you scrap altogether? Which study method was effective? What will you try differently next time?

There will always be victories and setbacks, and recognizing a test as one piece of a larger puzzle is key to ensuring the anxiety doesn’t take over.

Challenge negative thoughts.

Panic can creep in when you look around the room and see students calmly working through questions or when you're nearing the end of an exam and students are finishing up before you. Challenge any negative thoughts with balanced ones. This doesn’t mean forcing positivity, but rather approaching the situation in a level-headed way. For example:

• Instead of, “I missed this question, I’m doomed,” try: “One question is one question; I’ll earn points elsewhere.”
• Instead of, “Everyone is finishing before me,” try: “I’m pacing myself.”

Have an after-test plan.

Sitting for a big exam is a real milestone, and it’s worth treating it that way. Plan something to look forward to once it’s over–lunch with friends, a movie, grabbing a sweet treat, or taking a nap.

Just as important, Goldstein emphasizes, “Do not make plans to travel, work, or run to other commitments after the exam: these are distractions that will pull your attention away from the test itself.”

Common Mistakes that Can Increase Test Anxiety on Exam Day

We’ve already emphasized the importance of preparing early for exams, but when you’re in the middle of an exam, there are plenty of things that can increase your anxiety. Knowing what can increase test anxiety and how to avoid it is key to keeping cool during an inevitably overwhelming situation.

Repeatedly checking the clock.

Glancing at the time occasionally is fine, but obsessively tracking the minutes pulls focus away from the test and feeds a sense of panic.

Scanning the room to see how others are doing.

Watching classmates flip pages faster or finish early says nothing about how they are performing, and it’s easy to talk yourself into unnecessary worry. Keep focus on your own paper.

Answering questions strictly in order.

Getting stuck on a hard question can eat up time and momentum for the rest of the test. Skip it and circle back once the easier questions are done.

Changing answers out of panic.

Research has found that most answer changes go from wrong to right, not right to wrong, in a phenomenon researchers call the “first instinct fallacy.” The real risk is changing an answer purely out of panic. If a second look at the question surfaces something missed the first time, it’s worth trusting the change.

Looking for patterns that aren’t there.

Noticing that the last three answers were all “B” and assuming the next can’t be too is a classic anxiety-driven trap. Standardized tests or teacher-built exams don’t follow secret patterns.

Test Anxiety and the SAT/ACT

Standardized tests add a layer of anxiety that everyday classroom exams don’t always carry, partly because of the stakes attached to college admissions, and the format has changed for both tests in recent years. Here’s what test-anxious students need to know about the SAT and ACT in 2026 and beyond.

The Digital SAT’s Adaptive Design (Why You Can’t Go Back)

The digital SAT is described as a “multi-stage adaptive” test that differs from a question-by-question adaptive test. Traditional adaptive tests adjust questions to match the test taker’s skill level. The SAT doesn’t adapt with each question, but rather, it adapts sets of modules.

You can move freely within a module–skipping questions and returning to sections to change earlier answers–as long as time remains within that module. Once the time has run out or you submit early, there is no going back.

That “no going back” structure is exactly the kind of finality that tends to spike anxiety, but a few things can help manage this in practice:

• Pace yourself to ensure you have enough time at the end of the module to review your answers.
• Flag uncertain questions and do a final pass before your time runs out.

The Enhanced ACT

The ACT, by contrast, has traditionally not been adaptive, with every student answering the same fixed set of questions. Beginning with the 2025-2026 rollout, the ACT (Enhanced ACT) itself underwent structural and speed-related changes. The test got shorter, with about 44 fewer questions and clocking in at roughly two hours.

For students specifically anxious about time pressure, the ACT is shorter than the SAT. The length of each exam and format is worth factoring into which test feels like a better fit.

Do Students Need to Take the SAT or ACT in 2026?

This is a real source of uncertainty for a lot of families, especially with news of colleges reinstating testing policies. Most highly selective institutions have (or plan) to reinstate standardized testing, but there are still plenty of colleges that remain test-optional or test-free.

It is also worth noting that at some institutions, test-optional doesn’t always mean “not important.” More applicants are recognizing that even with many colleges offering flexibility, there is still value in including a strong test score.

Do students need to take the SAT or ACT in 2026? The answer is yes, but whether they should submit their test scores depends entirely on where a student is applying.

How Parents Can Help Their Teen Overcome Test Anxiety

Watching your teen struggle with exam stress can be hard as a parent. But there are plenty of ways you can help your child prepare for school exams.

Know when to bring in a tutor or external expert

Not every parent has the time or subject knowledge to be the one walking a teen through practice problems, and that’s okay. Sometimes what a student needs isn’t more parental oversight, but a dedicated mentor who can diagnose exactly where a student is struggling. Bringing in a skilled tutor can reduce tension and let you focus on encouragement instead of project management. It’s especially worth considering if a teen resists a parent’s offered support.

Create a realistic study schedule together.

Creating a study plan together or referencing your teen’s study plan in advance is important for a few reasons:

1. It helps break exam preparation into more manageable chunks.
2. It gives you something to reference when you attempt to keep your teen on track.
3. It lets you respect the time they’ve carved out rather than introducing new tasks during the time they’ve allocated to studying.

Creating a schedule together and keeping track of how the next few weeks are organized will help reduce any friction between the teen and parent, especially when new responsibilities arise.

Focus on effort, not just outcomes.

Praising effort rather than just results helps build confidence and resilience. It signals that their value isn’t tied purely to test scores, but rather the effort they put toward improving themselves.

Keep them focused.

Reminding a teen to study for a test can be its own challenge, but being consistent and keeping your teen accountable even when they lose track of their own schedule is key to giving them the time and space to overcome their anxiety.

Watch for warning signs.

If your teen has trouble sleeping, sudden avoidance of schoolwork, or changes in their mood ahead of exam day, these may be signs that their anxiety and stress are turning into something more serious. Recognizing the signs and having early conversations can prevent things from escalating.

Offer study support.

Offering to sit in as a student can go a long way. Having your teen read flashcards, practice papers, and teaching material back to you using an “explain it to me like I don’t know” method can be an effective way to strengthen their active recall abilities.

Decompress before debriefing.

Avoid asking your teen immediate questions about the exam. Give them space to decompress, eat, hydrate, and move their body before focusing on a potential trigger. Once you’ve given your teen some space to separate themselves from the exam (and the emotions that come with it), debrief focusing on evidence, not judgement:

• Discuss what study methods worked well.
• Chat through the ways you’ve shown up or could have shown up during the days leading up to exam day.
• Take note of things that triggered their anxiety.
• Come up with a shortlist of adjustments for next time.

If you start to notice that your teen is exhibiting signs of severe anxiety or feel that their anxiety is significantly affecting daily functioning, sleep, or mood, consider reaching out to a mental health professional for additional support.

Offer reassuring mantras.

Collegewise representative Lauren Ogden suggests keeping it simple and repeatable for an anxious test-taker. “You’re ready.” “You prepared for this.” “If you need to, you can always take it again.” Short, confident lines like these are easy for a teen to hold onto in the moment.

Stay in the loop.

If a teen is preparing for a standardized test or working with a tutor, counselor, or teacher on test prep, ask to be kept informed on a regular basis and familiarize yourself with upcoming test dates, score release dates, and college application deadlines. This will ensure that you’re not left in the dark if your teen experiences setbacks or needs to pivot their strategy.

How Collegewise Helps Teens Manage Test Anxiety

Test anxiety often intensifies with uncertainty, and one of the most effective ways to reduce it is by becoming more familiar with the material and the test itself. That’s where working with a tutor can make a real difference.

Collegewise’s approach starts with a diagnostic to pinpoint exactly where a student is strong and where they’re losing points. From there, students work one-to-one with a dedicated tutor who teaches test-day strategy alongside content.

We’re proud to report that Collegewise students who used our SAT/ACT prep services saw an average total SAT score increase of 227 points and an average ACT composite increase of 6.3 points.

Collegewise’s Academic Tutoring & Test Prep services also include academic tutoring across 30+ subjects for students whose anxiety centers on a specific class rather than a standardized test.

If your teen is heading into SAT, ACT, or exam season feeling overwhelmed, connect with a Collegewise advisor to learn how to build a personalized plan that lowers the stress and helps your teen build the skills they need to succeed.

Disclaimer: Collegewise is a college counseling, tutoring, and test preparation service, not a medical or mental health provider. The information presented in this article is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a diagnosis, clinical advice, or a substitute for professional evaluation. If you or your teen may be dealing with an anxiety disorder or other mental health concern, please consult a licensed physician, therapist, or counselor for proper assessment and care. Collegewise is a proud partner of Emora Health, a holistic therapy provider offering assessments and professional mental health services to families.

About Us: With more than 27 years of experience, Collegewise counselors and tutors are at the forefront of the ever-evolving admissions landscape. Our work has always centered on you: the family. And just like we’ve always done, we look for ways for your student to be their best self - whether in the classroom, the applications, or in the right-fit college environment. Our range of counseling, test prep, academic tutoring, and essay management, all with the support of our proprietary platform, lead to 4x higher than average admissions rates.