How do you calm test nerves before the GED?

Feeling nervous before a big test is common. GED's own blog says many students feel a little nervous before taking tests.^[1] The same post says you can learn ways to handle test anxiety.^[1] A few steps before and during the test can help: practice in test-like conditions, sleep, plan your trip or your room, breathe deeply, and move past a hard question. The goal is not to feel no nerves at all. It is to keep them from running the show.

Before the test

Practice under test-like conditions

A university student success center suggests practicing under exam conditions: work through a practice test with the same limits you will have on test day.^[2] For the GED, that means a timer and a quiet place. Our post on how long the GED Language Arts test is walks through the clock, part by part, so you can practice with the real timing in mind.

It also helps to know what the screen will look like. GED's guide for test takers points to a computer tutorial that shows what the test looks like on screen and the kinds of questions on it.^[3] When the format feels familiar, there is less to surprise you on the day.

Sleep

GED's blog advises getting 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep in the nights leading up to the test, including the night before.^[1] Late-night cramming takes from that sleep, so plan to finish your studying early that evening.

Plan the trip, or ready the room

At a test center, GED's rule is to check in at least 15 minutes before your appointment.^[4] GED's blog goes further and suggests making plans so you can arrive at least half an hour before the test begins.^[1] Think of it this way: 15 minutes is the rule, and half an hour is the calmer plan. Work out your route, your ride and your parking the day before.

If you take the test online from home, the room should have four walls, a closed door and no distractions.^[5] Set it up the day before, so you are not rushing to clear a space that morning.

If you have a documented disability or condition

GED offers testing accommodations, decided case by case.^[6] A request must include medical documentation or evaluations of your condition, or both.^[6] Each request typically takes 30 days to process, so leave plenty of time before your test date.^[7] GED's accommodations page has the details.

During the test

Breathe deeply

To calm your body during an exam, a university learning center suggests breathing deeply from your belly.^[8] That means letting your belly, not your shoulders, rise as you breathe in. Then let the breath out. You can do it quietly, at any moment.

Take a short, silent reset

Here is a reset you can do right in your seat, without a sound: count to ten in your head.^[8] Then read the question again from the start, and go on.

Move on from a hard question, then come back

GED's blog suggests skipping hard questions as you go, then going back to tackle them when you are done.^[1] A university counseling service gives similar advice: if a question stumps you, move on to easier ones, and come back to it if you have time.^[9] Do this within the part of the test you are working on. Answering the questions you know first can steady you before you return to the hard one.

Hide the timer if it makes you tense

The testing software shows a timer in the upper right corner of the screen, and you can minimize it.^[4] In the final few minutes of the test, though, the timer cannot be minimized.^[4] If you hide it, check it now and then, so the time does not slip away from you.

After a hard moment

A tough question or a passage that makes no sense at first can shake anyone. When it happens, try these steps, all from above:

1. Take a deep breath from your belly.^[8]
2. Count to ten in your head.^[8]
3. Move on to a question you can answer, and come back to the hard one later if you have time.^[9]

Then remind yourself that one question is just one question. It is only one small part of the whole test.

And if a test day does not go the way you hoped, it is not the end of the road. Our post on what to do if you don't pass the first time explains how retakes work.

If your nerves feel strong

Some nervousness before a test is normal. But if your anxiety feels strong, you do not have to handle it alone. One university learning center suggests that students who need more help with anxiety visit a counseling service.^[8] A counselor, or an advisor at your adult education program, can help you find support.

Practice so the test feels familiar

The more you practice, the more familiar the questions will feel. On OpenEssayMe, the free practice questions need no sign-up, and every answer comes with feedback that explains each choice. Our practice is built on the skills of the real test and gives you a feel for it. For a study plan to go with it, see our post on how to study for the GED Language Arts test, and for the whole test, our GED RLA test guide.