If you’ve ever faced anxiety while taking an exam, you’re not alone. Test anxiety is common for law students and bar takers. A bit of nervous energy can actually sharpen your mental focus, but too much anxiety interferes with cognitive processing. It can cloud your thinking and drain your memory. If you find test anxiety taking over, try these strategies.
1. Address Triggers Head-On
To conquer anxiety, you must first carefully examine what causes your stress levels to spike. Identify the specific moments or sensations that set you off so you can address triggers meaningfully.
For some students, the test environment itself is the enemy. Sounds and visuals can be problematic. Is it the ticking clock on the wall? Is it the student next to you clacking away on their keyboard? Or is it seeing fellow examinees turn in their exams early while you are still working?
These are common triggers, but they are manageable. You can control your environment more than you think to minimize your exposure to these stressors.
- Sit in the Front: If seeing others distracts you, position yourself where they aren’t in your line of sight.
- Avoid Scanning the Room: Keep your eyes on your paper or screen.
- Block the Noise: Use earplugs to reduce background noises. They are permitted in many law school testing situations. Check with your jurisdiction—they may be permitted on your bar exam, too.
2. Turn Anxiety into Excitement
We are often told to take deep breaths and relax. However, recent research suggests that the best strategy for managing test anxiety isn’t to force yourself into a state of calm. It is to reframe that energy.
Both anxiety and excitement are highly activated physiological states. Because the physical symptoms are so similar, it is much easier to shift your mentality from anxious to excited than it is to go from anxious to calm.
Why This Works
Excitement is a positive emotion with the capacity to boost performance. By contrast, anxiety is a negative emotion that drains your brain’s ability to process information.
Tell yourself out loud if you must: “I am excited to take this exam.” It might feel corny, but this simple cognitive shift reclaims that nervous energy and turns it into fuel. You aren't nervous; you are ready.
3. Burn Off the Adrenaline
When test anxiety takes over, you experience a rush of adrenaline. The fight-or-flight response kicks in. Your body perceives a threat—the exam—and diverts mental resources away from higher-level thinking to basic survival instincts. You experience an impaired ability to perform on the test because your body is preparing to run a marathon, not write an essay.
To address the adrenaline rush, try a few minutes of physical activity before an exam. Take a brisk walk around the building or run up a flight of stairs. Think of your body like a car burning gasoline; exercise allows you to process and burn off the excess adrenaline. You’ll arrive at your exam better prepared to perform, with a clearer head and a steady hand.
4. Use Visualization Techniques
Elite athletes don’t just train their bodies; they train their minds. They visualize the perfect shot, the perfect race, the perfect game. You should steal their playbook.
There are two popular visualization strategies that benefit students with test anxiety.
Picture Success
Mentally simulate the entire exam experience. Close your eyes and place yourself in the exam room, answering the questions, and performing your best. The more detailed your mental image, the better.
The more detailed your mental image, the better. It may seem simple, but visualization produces results.
Make a Mental Escape
Sometimes, you need a break. The second strategy is to make a mental escape to a place that is free from stress.
Visualizing a stress-free escape can help you disconnect from overwhelming feelings when they strike during study sessions or right before your exam. Develop a sensory-rich mental image.
- See the waves on a beach.
- Hear the wind in the trees.
- Smell the salty air.
This grounding technique can reset your stress response in mere seconds to help you move on.
You Don’t Have to Go It Alone
Know that you’re not alone. If anxiety is significantly impacting your life or performance, seek professional support. A mental health professional can help you develop a personalized plan to overcome test anxiety. Many law schools offer counselors who will partner with you on your journey.
The BARBRI support team is also available to help guide you through law school exam preparation and bar review. Please reach out.
Resources for Law School + Beyond
BARBRI gives you the edge you’ll need to crush law school finals and conquer the bar exam. Our Quimbee Study Aids and Bar Review provide expert-written case briefs, outlines, and the most personalized bar prep course to build your confidence and boost your focus for exam day.
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