Your guide to handling revision and exam stress

student calm in library

How to knock exam stress on the head and stay calm, focused and prepared

There can be a lot of pressure to do well in exams: not just from teachers and family but also from yourself.

A manageable amount of stress is a normal, healthy response to this pressure, and can even be a positive thing and a great motivator. But too much anxiety could impact on your studies and eventual exam grades.

The good news is that you can tackle - and overcome - these negative thoughts and feelings by arming yourself with the right tools and knowledge.

Here's The Student Room's guide to dealing with revision and exam stress, featuring advice from students on how they coped with their own exams.

And remember you can also visit our study help forum to get further support on handling exam and revision-related stress.

1. Am I stressed? How to tell
2. Planning a healthy revision schedule
3. Managing stress with positive thinking
4. Talking it out
5. Looking after yourself
6. The night before an exam
7. Handling the morning of an exam
8. Stress-free exam technique
9. Keeping calm in the exam hall
10. Killing procrastination – how to stop wasting time
11. Further support

1. Am I stressed? How to tell

You could be showing signs of stress if you're feeling more tired, forgetful or disorganised than usual, or having negative thoughts about your ability.

Other symptoms of stress can include tearfulness or distress, struggling to get to sleep or stay asleep, waking up feeling exhuasted, suffering from regular stomach upsets or losing your appetite, or feeling sick and shaky with a fast heart rate.

You can read more about the symptoms of stress on the NHS website here

2. Planning a healthy revision schedule

A routine is really important, and you shouldn't be giving up your daily activities or hobbies just because you have exams coming up.

If you're a gym bunny, love to run regularly or enjoy playing a sport, keep it up. Exercise releases happy hormones and will do a lot to keep you feeling grounded. Getting sweaty can also help detox the emotional intensity you may be feeling, and it'll give your brain a reboot with a much-needed break. 

Likewise, if you have a creative outlet like painting, sewing or drawing, use it. These kinds of activities will help you to zone out, giving the body and mind a rest.

"Relaxation and entertainment are equally important as studying. Have at least one to two hours daily for leisure activities, such as sports, reading fiction, listening to music and hanging out with friends, to prevent burnout."

The Student Room member baelish04

Create a solid revision plan and work through it, paying attention to your smaller study goals. Spend time working through past papers and prepare yourself as best you can, then give it your best shot on the day.

Only you can decide how much revision to do, but many students find around 15 hours a week is a sensible amount of time to study in the run-up to A-level exams. Identify the revision methods that work best for you and find an effective way to manage your time, such as the Pomodoro Method.

Read more: how to prepare for revision

3. Managing stress with positive thinking

If you expect to experience anxiety and exam stress, you can be proactive in how you look after yourself.

Breathing exercises, visualisation, mindfulness and positive thinking are all simple techniques that can make a world of difference to your psychological wellbeing.

Take some time before exam season to learn about relaxation techniques, or seek out support services. If you already have strategies for minimising or reducing your stress, put them into practice before you start to feel too stressed.

Box breathing

This is a popular breathing exercise for shaking off a bit of stress and getting your breathing back to its normal rhythm. The 'box' bit just refers to the four stages of equal length that you follow.

  1. Breathe in, counting four seconds in your head. Focus on the air filling your lungs
  2. Hold the breath in your lungs to the count of four
  3. Evenly breathe out, counting to four in your head. Again, focus on your breath as it leaves your lungs
  4. Count to four in your head before returning to step 1

Remember not to compare yourself to others. Talking to other students about exam and revision can be helpful, but if it makes you worry that others are doing better or are further on with their revision than you, limit it or turn it into something positive.

For example, if you have a friend who’s doing especially well, ask them how they do it. Do they have specific ways of revising? How do they balance school, revision and relaxing? Is there any advice you can take from their experience?

"Remember to go in with a positive attitude and believe in yourself. Life doesn’t end at the end of the test."

The Student Room member Phelpseygirl

4. Talking it out

When you're feeling stressed or under pressure, talking to someone can really help. By explaining how you’re feeling to someone else, you can think things through more clearly and better understand what you’re feeling and why.

Spoken out loud, the things that are causing you stress and pressure often seem much less scary than when they’re just in your head.

You may find the person you’re talking to, whether they're a friend, family member or teacher, is able to give you tips and advice to help you deal with what you’re feeling.

You can also find support from organisations and services outside your school. We've added links to some helpful organisations at the end of this article.

For example, Childline has a one-to-one online chat service where you can talk to a counsellor through their website about stress and anxiety.

5. Looking after yourself

There are three vital things your body needs to keep well: healthy food, plenty of water and good-quality sleep.

Food

You can help keep your energy levels consistent by sticking to a healthy balanced diet. Although sweets, fizzy drinks and chocolate can be very tempting during revision time, the NHS Eatwell Guide advises eating these less often and in smaller amounts.

Water

To stay hydrated, the NHS advises us to drink six to eight cups or glasses of water, lower-fat milks, lower-sugar or sugar-free drinks a day. Obviously everyone's different, so you may find you want to drink more than this.

Sleep

Getting the right amount of sleep can help you feel alert and focused during the day. You might find it helps you wind down if you give yourself 30 minutes before bed without the TV on or your phone in your hand. Pick up a book instead, and switch the light off as soon as your eyelids start to droop.

"Preparing for an exam is more than just revising. You've got to get enough rest and make sure that you drink enough water and are eating properly. Revision is only half the preparation."

 

The Student Room member RichPiana

6. The night before an exam

It can be so tempting to spend the night before an exam cramming into the early hours, but it's not going to do you any favours if you wake up the next day exhausted.

You'll probably want to do a little last-minute revision, but why not try to fit in some downtime to keep those stress levels in check? Going for a walk - or taking some other light physical exercise - can help you get a good night's sleep.

Checklist of things to do before you go to bed:

  • Light revision – go over important points and test yourself
  • Remember everything you need for your exam, such as ID and pens
  • Eat a healthy dinner
  • Get your pencil case and clothes ready so you're not rushing in the morning
  • Set your alarm (or multiple alarms if you need them!)
  • Read a book and avoid screentime just before bed

"I always use the night before to make an A4 sheet (folded into a little booklet) of all of the points for the exams that I find the hardest but making sure it is brief and concise.

"Then once I know these, I always feel really assured for the actual exam.

"But the night before is definitely a no-no for learning new content. Trying to do that stresses you out even more."

The Student Room member Iowza

7. Handling the morning of an exam

Again, your morning routine before an exam comes down to personal preference. Some people like to do last-minute revision, while others prefer not to.

Find what works for you, but most importantly relax and think positively.

Checklist of things to do on the morning of your exam:

  • Get up nice and early
  • Last-minute revision – go over important points again
  • Remember everything you need for your exam, such as ID and pens
  • Eat a healthy breakfast that will keep you full and focused
  • Drink water, but not too much so you're needing the toilet frequently
  • Use breathing techniques and positive thinking to help you feel calm and relaxed

"Personally, I have to wake up early the morning of the exam because it just helps me feel more focused.

"In terms of food, eat something healthy like fruits or a good cereal with a banana but nothing too heavy. Don't go down the energy drink route as the energy only lasts about an hour and after that, you will immediately feel tired."

The Student Room member JennaK

8. Stress-free exam technique

In an exam, use time management to make the most of your available time so you don’t get stressed, leaving several minutes at the end to check over your script.

"I like to remember the idea, 'don't get stuck, move on' – if I get stuck I sometimes just leave space and move on to the next question."

The Student Room member Leviathan1741

For essay-based exams, spend a couple of minutes planning your structure and main points. If you don't know how to answer a question immediately, rather than freak out, you can always come back to it at the end of the exam. Remember to read the questions properly rather than rushing, so you don't make any easily avoidable mistakes.

If you feel an exam went badly, try your best to learn from the experience. “Work out what went wrong, and analyse why you didn't do so well,” suggests studentbug. 

If you panicked in the exam, reflecting on it can be really helpful. Write down where you struggled, and give yourself a solution to the problem.

Realised you didn’t read the question properly? Solution: make sure to underline important key words on the exam paper so you stay on track.

Did you panic? Solution: Practise some deep breathing exercises.

Getting things out on paper in this way can help you process your feelings. You’ll also feel better knowing how to deal with hurdles in the future. 

"Make sure you can see the question you're answering while you're writing. It's easy to go off topic if the essay question is buried under the extract you've just finished analysing, or it's hidden below your pencil case."

The Student Room member 04MR17

9. Keeping calm in the exam hall

If you're concerned about experiencing anxiety or panic attacks during an exam, you can find support by talking to your school or college. They can apply to exam boards for adjustments, called access arrangements, such as supervised rest breaks, alternative site arrangements (taking your exam in a different location) or separate invigilation (sitting your exam in a different room in the school).

Calming techniques can be useful for everyone to learn. A simple but effective way to instantly reduce anxiety is to take deep breaths, keep your feet grounded and relax any parts of your body that feel tense.

"If you blow on the tip of your thumb it helps slow down your heart rate – I always do it when I'm nervous."

The Student Room member Little Robin

10. Killing procrastination – how to stop wasting time

Procrastination can be an extra source of stress, if you put your revision off for so long you're no longer on track.

Before you start your revision for the day, set yourself a study goal to work towards in that session.

Jot down something that can be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks, and you'll be much more likely to stay relaxed and focused on what you need to complete.

Simple tips to follow when you notice you’re procrastinating:

  • Remember what inspires and motivates you
  • Change your environment
  • Eliminate distractions
  • Plan regular breaks into your schedule
  • Set daily study goals and promise yourself a little reward for achieving them
  • Stop trying to be perfect, and just start

For more tips on beating procrastination, take a look at these 18 procrastination-busting ways to stop stalling your revision.

"Think about all of the stress procrastination gets you into. Everyone has procrastinated at some point in their life. For students it is more than once.

"Look back to the moments you have procrastinated and all of the stress it got you in. How anxious you felt, how stressed you were and how you were desperately wishing you could turn back time and have done it all earlier.

"Look back to a moment when you got a really good grade on a test or exam. Think about how happy you felt and how proud you were."

The Student Room member FutureMedicalDoctor

11. Further support

If your stress becomes overwhelming, talking to someone you trust in your school can be helpful. Your school or college might have a student support service you can turn to, or maybe you'd prefer talking to your form tutor or head of year. Who you talk to initially is less important than choosing to talk to someone you feel comfortable with.

For students who may have been disadvantaged, for example due to illness during an exam, you may be eligible for special consideration. This is a process exam boards use to make allowances for unavoidable circumstances, and can result in a post-exam adjustment to your mark. Your school or college would need to apply for this.

There are lots of places you can turn to for advice on stress and anxiety online and over the phone. Here are some of the charities that offer free support: 

10 steps to dealing with revision and exam stress

1. Spot the signs of unhealthy stress levels so you can keep on top of it

2. Plan a healthy study schedule with time for regular breaks and leisure activities

3. Think positively about yourself, your revision and your exam performance

4. Learn and use relaxation techniques, like visualisation and breathing exercises

5. Stop procrastinating by letting go of the idea of perfection

6. Find your ideal revision methods that help you get the most out of studying

7. Eat healthily and stay hydrated

8. Get a good night's sleep, throughout your revision and before your exams

9. If an exam goes badly, move on from it and look to the future

10. Reach out for further support by talking to a teacher or doctor if you need to

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