The up side of exam anxiety
Based on the significant spike we’ve seen in people taking our online practice tests in the past few days, I think it’s safe to assume that many PHR and SPHR candidates will be sitting for their HR certification exams in the next few days. We had a call to our office today from someone who was in an absolute panic about the exam. It got me thinking that a few words about exam anxiety might be helpful here:
- Anxiety is normal, and it can actually be beneficial. It helps us get “up” for an event. It heightens our attention and sharpens our memory.
- When you feel butterflies in your tummy (or a wave of nausea, as the case may be), tell yourself, “This is a good thing. This will help me.” Don’t allow the nervousness to escalate to the point that it is detrimental to exam performance. Relax.
- To determine which relaxation techniques work best for you, employ various relaxation techniques when you take practice tests.
- While poor preparation can certainly lead to nervousness, it doesn’t follow that feelings of anxiety mean you are ill-prepared. Even those who are well-prepared can feel nervous.
- Worrying is focusing (obsessing, even) about the possibility of an undesirable outcome. It has no up side. Don’t allow yourself to worry.
Good luck!