Victory Over Test Anxiety

(a free educational seminar)

Are you (or is your child) one of the countless students who find that they are unable to perform on tests in a way that lives up to their actual ability?

If so, you’re not alone. About half of all students struggle with some level of test anxiety.

Test anxiety occurs when you find yourself overcome with stress to the point where you cannot recall things you actually know, or cannot manage the information you know because it feels like you are no longer in control of your brain. It can be due to fear that you aren’t ready, concerns about the consequences of a poor grade, or just the fact that you are being evaluated. Your attention is hijacked by that fear, and every bad experience adds to the anxiety that will visit you the next time you face a test.

While it is true that test scores are not the only indicator of ability—and sometimes aren’t a very good indicator—of ability, they are VERY important for college admissions, and for several good reasons:

1. Colleges need to know whether or not a student is ready for the workload they will experience. This varies from school to school, but each school has a database that contains the test scores of every student they have ever admitted—and they are able to correlate these scores with student outcomes (graduation rate, GPA, etc.).

2. Standardized tests are necessary because all schools are not equal. Universities cannot rely fully on academic transcripts, as each school is different. Some schools are very rigorous, while others award A’s as if they’re giving out lollipops. A grade point average of 95 at one school may indicate hard work and great scholastic aptitude, but at another school it can mean you showed up to class most of the time.

3. Success in college often depends upon “fitting in”, making friends with people you can relate to, and being challenged just enough to stay engaged without being overwhelmed. Test score data helps the college (and you) know if you’re going to be surrounded by others with whom you’ll relate easily.

However, NONE OF THIS is helpful if your scores don’t reflect your actual ability or intelligence. And if you take your tests in a state of panic, your scores will not reflect your ability.

It is therefore necessary to address the core issue: Where is the anxiety coming from, and how can it be overcome?

These two important questions will be fully addressed in our free live seminar, Victory Over Test Anxiety. You can attend this seminar in person OR join it online.