A Guide to Managing Exam Anxiety

A Guide to Managing Exam Anxiety

Exam stress and anxiety are inevitable parts of the Leaving Cert experience. If you’ve never felt even a hint of panic or anxiety, then either a) you are completely lying to me right now, or b) you snuck onto Earth, you intergalactic lil creature. Let’s be so real right now—everyone has experienced that heart-racing, stomach-churning moment of dread. We’ve all felt our breathing hitch when you finally look at your exam timetable, the realisation hitting you that you have waaayy too much to study.

But here’s the thing: stress doesn’t have to control you. Don’t let the exam-derived anxiety turn you into a caffeine-fuelled, sleep-deprived fiend. Instead, you can take charge. So, how do we cope with this stress? Buckle up, because I’ve got a few solid pieces of advice to help you navigate the chaos and emerge on the other side with your sanity (mostly) intact.

First, let's define anxiety. Anxiety is characterised as psychological stress and an intense sense of insecurity about succeeding academically. It’s that unwelcome guest that crashes your lil party, whispering sweet nothings like, “You’re going to fail” or “You’ve completely forgotten everything you studied.” It’s the reason your stomach churns before an exam and your brain suddenly decides to forget everything about trigonometry.

Physically, it can manifest as sweaty palms, a racing heart, or an inability to focus. Studies have shown that approximately 40–60% of students are negatively affected by test anxiety. The good news? Understanding it is the first step to managing it.

So what are some techniques to help lower your anxiety prior to the exam itself? 

A crucial step in managing this stress and uncertainty is to plan. We can sometimes become a bit overwhelmed if we have a lot of information to cover in the lead-up to exams. By creating a realistic study schedule and breaking your subjects into manageable chunks, you can ease any sense of pressure. Moreover, according to research, structured revision can reduce stress levels by 27%. 

Another method you can utilise to reduce exam anxiety is using active study techniques! Still rereading your notes and highlighting the textbook? Scoff, amatuer.

While methods such as these feel productive, they are actually among the least effective ways to study. Rereading and highlighting creates this false sense of familiarity, but they do not actively engage the brain in recalling information. Similarly, cramming the night before an exam might help with short-term memory, but it does little to reinforce understanding for long-term retention. 

How about we dump these old, outdated techniques and instead use scientifically-backed methods? Out with the old, in with the new. 

Active recall is one of the most powerful ways to reinforce learning. The magic of active recall for revision is that instead of passively absorbing or recognising information, you're forcing your brain to dig it out, strengthening neural connections for long-term memory. This ultimately makes it easier to retrieve this information in an exam setting. 

You can look at our previous blog, “Study Smarter, not Harder: The Ultimate Study Guide,” to gain more insight into how to enact active recall and learning.

Additionally, one of the most overlooked yet critical aspects of studying smart is practicing past exam papers under timed conditions. Many students assume that simply understanding and knowing the material in an exam is enough. However, the application of this knowledge in an exam setting is just as crucial. Simulating exam conditions helps students become accustomed to time constraints, familiarises them with the kinds of questions that are commonly asked, and identifies areas of knowledge that require improvement.

What’s more, you frequently encounter the same type of questions year after year. Perhaps they word it slightly differently, but at its core, it remains the same. By reviewing past exam questions, you are able to refine your exam technique and know exactly what it is they are looking for. Because, let's be honest, examiners are known for being sly, but not all that creative. 

Also, creating supportive habits is crucial for managing and overcoming stress and anxiety. Regular sleep, balanced nutrition, staying hydrated, and incorporating movement into your routine can improve concentration and productivity.

A lack of sleep can cause the body to react as if it’s in distress, releasing more of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is responsible for your fight or flight reaction to danger, and increased levels of cortisol can display themselves in the form of anxiety. A balanced diet and blood sugar levels prevent the dreaded energy crashes. These crashes can disrupt study sessions. A diet rich in complex carbs and proteins provides sustained energy, helping pupils maintain focus and productivity for extended periods

As well as that, a study that was conducted by the University of East London and the University of Westminster found that drinking just 300 ml of water can boost attention by up to 25%! So maybe fill up that water bottle before sitting down for a study session, yeah?

So the big day has finally arrived. You’ve put in the work, the cramming (hopefully not too much), and the sleepless nights filled with existential dread. Now, it's time to execute. But before you march into that exam hall, here are some tactics to keep you grounded and in control.

Firstly, you have to eat breakfast. I know, I know: the nerves are setting in and it feels like your stomach is doing a full acrobatic routine. The thought of food is about as appealing as reading another history essay. But trust me, your brain needs fuel to function. Findings published recently in the Journal of School Phycology show that eating a healthy breakfast can lead to higher levels of motivation and achievement for students that day in school. Plus, running on an empty stomach is a guaranteed way to crash mid-exam. 

With this in mind, grab a protein-rich breakfast—eggs, whole grains, maybe even a banana if you’re feeling fancy—and hydrate! Your brain (and your exam performance) will thank you.

Also, by god, please don’t be late. You don’t want to be that person sprinting into the exam hall with two minutes to spare, drenched in sweat and stress. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the exam hall, find your seat, and take a few deep breaths before the exam starts.

However, avoid getting there too early. The reason I say this is because you’ll standing around for ages while everyone panics around you. Goodness knows they'll be discussing last-minute topics in a complete and utter frenzy. This will just cause you to stress out unnecessarily. Protect your peace. 

Most importantly, just breathe. The moment you sit down and see that paper in front of you, your brain might go into panic mode. It might go blank altogether. Don’t let it. Instead, take three slow, deep breaths before you even touch your pen. Controlled breathing reduces stress by lowering cortisol levels, which helps you think more clearly under pressure. Inhale for four seconds, hold for four, and exhale for four. Repeat. You got this.

Afterwards, take a moment to read through the entire paper calmly. Mark the questions you feel most confident about and start with those. Building momentum early on boosts confidence and helps prevent getting stuck in a cycle of panic.

Likewise, it is so easy to get sucked into one question and then realise you have 10 minutes left for the rest of the paper. Avoid this nightmare scenario by allocating time to each section in advance. Keep an eye on the clock, but don’t obsess over it. If you get stuck, move on and come back later.

If you have a bit of time towards the end, don’t simply hand up the exam paper and hightail it out of that exam hall. I know it’s oh so tempting, but resist the urge. Instead, use those last few minutes to reread and double-check your answers. Look for any questions you accidentally skipped, silly miscalculations, or sentences that don’t make sense. It’s amazing what you can catch in a quick review.

The moment you hand up that paper and step out of that exam hall, the exam no longer exists. Seriously, don’t get sucked into the post-exam discussions where everyone debates the “right” answer. That’s just an anxiety spiral waiting to happen. What’s done is done. Shift your focus to the next exam, or better yet, take a break and let yourself breathe. You’ve earned it.

Exams are temporary, but your sanity is forever. The Leaving Cert is just one part of your journey, and while it may feel like the end-all-be-all right now, you are so much more than the points you achieved. Keep your head up, trust yourself, and take it one step at a time.


References 

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