Dealing with Test Anxiety: Strategies for Staying Calm & Confident

Feeling nervous before a big test like the SAT, ACT, CPS HSAT, HSPT, or ISEE? You're not alone; many students deal with test anxiety at some point. Anxiety isn't something you just feel; it also influences what you think and how you behave. When a stressful thought pops up, it can trigger physical tension, mental fog, or even panic. That feeling can lead to procrastination, rushing, blanking, or zoning out.

Therefore, finding ways to minimize anxiety and negative thinking can help improve your performance on tests of all kinds. Luckily, there are many simple, practical ways to ease anxiety and help you walk into your exam feeling confident!

1. Be Prepared

One of the most effective ways to calm your nerves is to make sure you're truly prepared. This means:

• Taking full-length practice tests to get familiar with timing and structure

• Reviewing what you got wrong and figuring out why

• Creating a realistic study schedule and sticking to it

When you know what to expect, the test feels less like a mystery, and more like something you can handle!

2. Make Studying Less Stressful

Mix in some low-stress activities before and after your study sessions. Take a short walk, listen to music, draw, or even watch a short episode of your favorite show. Enjoying the time before and after your study sessions can help prevent burnout, and makes your study time more productive.

On that note, be sure not to cram the night before you take the exam. Instead, do a quick review, and then focus on relaxing. Make sure you get a good night's sleep, drink lots of water, and have a meal you enjoy the night before, so you can wake up bright and early to be ready for your test the next day!

3. Take Advantage of Breaks

Studying for long hours without a break can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Working in focused blocks of time (50-60 minutes) and taking a 5 minute break between each block, can help you maintain stamina and retain the information you're learning. Get up, stretch, and reset!

During the actual test, make the most of your scheduled breaks. Move around, hydrate, and reset. Even short mental breaks can help you refocus and avoid mid-exam burnout.

4. Talk Back to Anxiety

Anxious thoughts often show up before and during a test. Challenge them with facts. For example:

• Anxious Thought: "I'm going to fail."

• Your Response: "I've studied, taken practice tests, and I know the material. I'm ready for this."

Positive self-talk can help improve focus and performance. It's not about pretending everything is perfect, but instead reminding yourself of the truth.

5. Breathe

When stress spikes, take a moment to take a few deep breaths. Try this pattern:

• Inhale for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds

• Exhale for 4 seconds

• Repeat!

This helps calm your body and clear your mind, whether you're studying or sitting in the testing room.

6. Celebrate Your Effort

After you study or finish your test, reward yourself. Whether it's a favorite snack, movie night, or quality time with friends and family, celebrating your effort (not just the outcome) builds positive associations with the process and helps reduce future anxiety.

At Test Prep Chicago, we specialize in helping students feel confident and ready for important exams like the CPS HSAT, ISEE, HSPT, ACT, and SAT. Whether your child is looking for a structured group course (click here), a focused, one-day workshop (click here), or individual tutoring sessions (click here), our programs are designed to build skills, reduce anxiety, and boost performance.

We offer:

• Full length practice tests to build familiarity, confidence, and stamina

• Targeted lessons and homework to strengthen key areas

• Tutoring that teaches effective test-taking strategies, important material, and time management

• Ongoing updates to our materials based on student feedback from recent exams

If you are looking for a supportive path to test success, Test Prep Chicago is the way to go!

An Overview of Francis W. Parker School

Located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, Francis W. Parker School (also known as Parker) is a private school for students at every grade level: junior kindergarten to senior year of high school. It’s ranked the 5th best private high school in Illinois and has a student-teacher ratio of 9:1. The average SAT and ACT scores at Parker are 1420 and 31, respectively.

Parker offers a diverse and challenging curriculum which includes both general classes in math, science, reading, social studies, and more, as well as more specialized classes such as “Sociology of Sports,” “Literature and Censorship,” and “The Civil Rights Movement” among others. In addition to a rigorous course load, students are encouraged to explore the arts, as well as athletics in their “no-cut athletics program.” They also offer a Senior Seminar which “provides a safe space for seniors to reflect on their final year of high school and prepare for their next journey.”

Outside of the classroom, students also attend conferences and participate in a schoolwide Big Brothers and Big Sisters program. Students can also elect to participate in the Model UN program which competes locally, nationally, and internationally. Beginning in junior year, students also have the opportunity to utilize Parker’s College Counseling Office which provides a laundry list of meetings, advise, and thorough information to help guide students in their applications to the schools of their choices. To find out more about their College Counseling Office, curriculum, athletics, or more, visit their website at https://www.fwparker.org/.

Since Parker is a private school, students must take the ISEE to gain admission into the school as well as apply. In addition, Parker charges approximately $34,000 in yearly tuition to attend. Test Prep Chicago will offer both tutoring and courses for the ISEE beginning in the fall semester. Sign up for our newsletter on testprepchicago.com to be notified of new class offerings, including the ISEE course.

Lauren Lynch, Director of Tutoring and Communications
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of The University of Chicago Laboratory School

The University of Chicago Lab School (also known as Lab, University High School, or U-High) is an Independent High School in Chicago. Located in Chicago’s Hyde Park Neighborhood, Lab is affiliated with the University of Chicago. Since Lab is an Independent high school, potential students must take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) and interview with the U-High Admissions Committee to apply.

Lab believes that their high school students should have the skills to be able to balance their academic curriculum alongside their extracurriculars. It is their hope that students graduate Lab with not only the ability to exceed academically but also to practice the personal skills they will be needing once they enter college.  Lab ensures this by providing a program that focuses on “analytical reading, writing, research, strong math and science skills, and broad access to the arts.” In tandem, the students are encouraged to spend their free time joining a variety of clubs or sports, where they have a “no-cut” policy to encourage as much participation as possible. There are also a variety of resources that are provided to the students at Lab in order to foster academic success including math tutors, a writing center, and college counseling.

Lab prioritizes the development of their students throughout their four years. They do their best to make sure that there are plenty of opportunities for academic and social success. High school students have class retreats planned for them every year that they attend in order for them to reflect with and enjoy their peers in an outside environment. Students are also provided an Advisory Program where they are assigned an advisor and a small advisory group that continues to work with them throughout their high school journey. 

To find more information about The University of Chicago Lab Schools, please Lab’s website: https://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/

Written by former Tutoring Coordinator, Ramisha Ejaz

For more information about Test Prep Chicago contact:

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator

lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of the Independent School Entrance Exam

Created for students nationwide for application into Independent Schools, the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is the entrance exam used by independent schools throughout the country. Students applying to high school (grades 9-12) must take the Upper Level ISEE. Though it may sound unfair that an 8th grader is required to take the same exam as an 11th grader, 8th graders’ scores are only compared to the scores of other 8th graders, 9th graders’ scores are only compared to the scores of other 9th graders, and so on.

Designed by the Educational Records Bureau, this test is approximately two hours and forty minutes long and includes 160 questions. There are four multiple choice sections on the ISEE: mathematics achievement (47 questions, 40 minutes); quantitative reasoning (37 questions, 35 minutes); reading comprehension (36 questions, 35 minutes); and verbal reasoning (40 questions, 20 minutes). Additionally, students are required to complete an essay (30 minutes). The essay, though not graded, is sent to the schools to which students are applying and is used much like a personal statement. A calculator is not permitted and there is no guessing penalty on the ISEE.

The ISEE is administered on Saturdays throughout the year at various independent schools throughout the city. To learn more about how to register for the ISEE, visit the Educational Records Bureau website.

Lastly, dissimilar to the selective enrollment high school process, the ISEE is viewed in conjunction with a student’s transcript. Thus, a student’s score on the ISEE is of similar importance as the score a high school student needs to get on their ACT/SAT to get into college. It’s certainly important, but it isn’t the only thing considered for admission. To learn more about how to prepare for the ISEE, visit testprepchicago.com.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266