Test Preparation: Busting Through Test Anxiety

Anxiety (Photo credit: Alaina Abplanalp Photography)

By Renee Meyers

Perhaps you are approaching your senior year in high school, narrowing down your choice of schools, filling out applications and signing up for the SAT test.

Most likely you are planning to take it more than once. Did your stomach just do a flip-flop thinking about the test? Are you worried about it because so much rides on how well you do?

Unfortunately, the presence of anxiety literally does make us dumber! Anxiety is fear about a future event. When you are in a state of fear there is a carefully and automatically orchestrated series of events that occur in the body. Long ago it was needed to ensure a human's survival.

Today it can be more of a hindrance for most of us because it is rare that our life is actually in danger. Unfortunately, our brain doesn't know the difference between an actual threat (a tiger chasing us) and a perceived threat (not doing well on the SAT test).

In layman's terms, here is what happens when we are in a state of fear. The fear causes the amygdala in your brain to send out the message that it is fight or flight time!

Cortisol, a stress hormone, gets released in your body, digestion is disrupted, and your heart rate increases to deliver more blood to the muscles in preparation for fight or flight. Finally, and most importantly, the functioning of the prefrontal cortex is disrupted. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for, among other things, decision-making and problem-solving.

It is vital to test taking yet superfluous during flight or flight. Your subconscious mind which is in charge of this intricate system of survival does not know whether it is an actual or perceived threat. It just knows you fear and it responds accordingly. Overcoming anxiety is an important factor for doing well on the test.

If the usual suggestions for dealing with anxiety aren't relieving it know that you are not alone. Often these suggestions cannot overcome the source of the problem because the source lies within the subconscious mind.

• If you have had any previous negative experiences in your past with respect to "performing", perhaps during a recital, sports event, or public speaking, it is probably affecting you today. Your subconscious mind "remembers" events that caused you concern. From that moment forward it has been constantly scanning the environment looking for the same "clues" in order to protect you from experiencing this pain again. When it finds one you know it because you experience it as "worry".


• These experiences also cause us to have limiting beliefs such as: "I'm not a good test taker" or "I just know I'm not going to do well". Chances are theses beliefs are residing in your subconscious mind and no amount of positive affirmations or talking yourself out of them is going to help. Unlike our conscious mind, the subconscious mind cannot be talked "to".

Can the subconscious mind be reached? Fortunately in the last 20 years there are new stress reduction techniques that can be highly effective with many issues including test anxiety. They are easily learned, have the ability to access the subconscious mind, and have been scientifically proven to be effective. Once learned the individual has a stress reduction tool he or she can use to self manage stress wherever it may appear in life.

One of these, EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique, founded by a Stanford engineer, Gary Craig, utilizes meridians, the energy pathways within our bodies. You may know them if you have ever had acupuncture. Another technique, Psych-K, allows us to test for and change sabotaging beliefs residing in our subconscious mind to beliefs in support of our goals.

If test anxiety remains an issue for you, I encourage you to explore and learn about these techniques. Wouldn't it feel great to go into the test feeling calm and confident? Wouldn't it be fabulous if you knew you were going to do well? As Henry Ford said, "If you think you can do a thing or you think you can't do a thing, you're right."

by Renee Meyers, CPC, EFT Int-1
Renee Meyers is a certified professional coach and a certified EFT practitioner. Her clients are athletes, business professionals and others who are struggling with their game - a shooting slump, not meeting quota, anxiety about a test or presentation, cannot lose weight. She enables them to move through these blocks quickly and easily so that they can unleash their Best Game! She works over the phone and Skype as well as in person. She can be reached at 425-445-3285 or by email at renee@bestgameinsight.com. Her website address is http://www.bestgameinsight.com

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How To Get a High Score In The TOEIC Test

TOEIC Certificate (score between 860 and 990) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Sonali D Senara

The TOEIC test is used worldwide as a means of evaluating the English listening and reading skills of non-native speakers.

It is mainly focused on assessing the Business English abilities of the learners and contains extensive business terms and contemporary business issues.

Increasingly, students in many countries all over the world are attempting the TOEIC test to demonstrate their English Language competencies.

Of course, obtaining a high score in the TOEIC test can be a huge boost to your career development and justify your commitment to the workplace. So, how can you get a high score in this test and excel more than others?

1. It is important to increase your vocabulary, and especially learn business terminology and concepts

For this, it can be helpful to read the business news page of renowned newspapers and magazines. Try to learn at least twenty new words each day and to make sentences by using those words so that you will remember them well. You can write down the new words in small slips of paper and read them many times a day while you are commuting to work or school.

2. Take a TOEIC practice test each day under time restrictions

You can buy a TOEIC CD or listen to a test online and attempt the questions regularly. This will familiarize you with the question format and prepare you for the test effectively. After trying a few tests, you will identify your weak areas in the test. Try more questions in your weak area in order to improve your knowledge in that section. For example, if you find that Incomplete Sentences are more difficult, try more questions in that style before taking the actual test. It is also essential to enhance your knowledge in English Grammar rules before the test.

3. When you are attempting the questions in the listening section of the test, try to listen to the most important information

Understand key elements such as the purpose of the conversation, who is involved in the conversation, where and when it is done. Listen carefully and learn to analyze the information quickly as you can listen to a question only one time in the test.

4. When you are trying the reading comprehensions in the test, it is a good idea to read the questions first before reading the actual content of the article

The TOEIC test contains many questions and students often complain that there is insufficient time to attempt all the questions. Therefore, gain an understanding of the questions and search for the answers while you are reading the article. This will enable you to know what exactly to look for in the article.

5. Sleep well and eat a balanced diet on the day before the test

Be calm at the exam hall and have confidence that you can achieve a high score in the test. These TOEIC guidelines can help you to achieve a high score in the test.

The TOEIC test is taken by millions of people all over the world. In order to support them to achieve a high score in the TOEIC test, http://www.Toeic-Online-Test.com is a website that offers free online TOEIC tests under time restrictions. Please visit http://www.Toeic-Online-Test.com and try the free new TOEIC tests that have been made by expert ESL teachers.

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