It's 07:00 and your exam is coming up today. Your stomach is rumbling a little ... and that's completely normal! Exams are always a special situation and everyone deals with them differently. After a long and stressful study phase, many people find it difficult to relax and face the upcoming situation.
Here are some tips and tricks to help you keep a cool head during the exam:
Why can positive exam anxiety be useful for me?
What can I do in advance to reduce my stress level to a healthy level?
How do I deal with blackouts during the written exam?
Exam anxiety as a motivator
You probably know people who are always a bit scared of exams. Even those who are always perfectly prepared. But a little stress is good in itself. Because stress makes you more attentive and focuses your energy. The important thing is that you control the stress and not the stress you. If you manage to reduce your stress level to a healthy level, you can even use your stress in a targeted way to successfully master your exam.
However, fear alone is not enough! Therefore, make yourself aware of your personal goals and tap into your personal drivers. Why is it important to you to successfully complete the upcoming exam?
For example, would you like to ...
... finally have your degree in the bag?
... get ahead professionally?
... stand on your own two feet financially?
Before the written exam
Preparation is the be-all and end-all
Good preparation gives you confidence before and during the exam. Put your documents away at least one hour before the exam so that you are physically and mentally prepared for the situation.
Train under realistic conditions
Get a feel for the situation and practice your behavior during the upcoming exam. Have you already discovered our exam preparation on eCademy?
Here you can simulate for the final exam part I and part II as well as the WISO part of the job-specific exam under realistic conditions.
Exchange ideas with other trainees
Make an appointment with your fellow trainees from your company or vocational school. Discuss your results and support each other by clarifying any unanswered questions.
Gain certainty about the situation on site
How long will it take me to get from door to door? Where can I park easily? Where is the right entrance? If you have the opportunity, drive to the test location a day early and form your own opinion.
Positive self-reinforcement
Stress, anxiety and self-doubt are okay. Accept that they can occur. The important thing is that you learn to deal with them.
How do you do that? The trick is to turn your negative thoughts into positive self-statements. We have prepared a worksheet for you with two possible exercises.
Tip: Print out the worksheet and hang it in a place where it is clearly visible to you, e.g. on your pinboard or fridge, next to your bathroom or hallway mirror.
Dealing with blackouts during the exam
It can rarely happen that you black out during an exam. Your mind goes blank and everything you have learned seems to be gone. But what can you actively do in such a situation?
First of all, blackouts are the product of extreme physical excitement. In your brain, they prevent you from accessing the content you need to complete your tasks.
The good news is that you can reverse this blockage of your memory. The important thing is to calm down and relax. And then reduce your physical excitement as much as possible. Just like restarting your computer when it hangs up!
These four steps will help you if you black out during the exam:
Regain your composure. Concentrate on your breathing and take five controlled breaths in and out.
Take your time. Relax and go through everything in your backpack again in your mind.
Start again. Go back to the question and try to pick up on your last thoughts.
Turn your back on the question. If you still can't think of an answer, skip the task and come back to it later if necessary.