3 Human Skills-Based Tips to Manage Standardized Test-Related Stress

Standardized testing is stressful for just about everyone involved. Students, teachers, administrators, and even parents may feel butterflies in their stomachs in the days and hours leading up to these high-pressure assessments. Standardized tests can play a major role in determining student placement, teacher performance evaluation, school and district funding, and more.

Considering the recent NAEP test score results in reading and math for fourth- and eighth-grade students—which showed declines in reading at both grades and stagnation in math at eighth grade—it’s clear that testing is an increasingly challenging experience for students and educators alike.

As schools and educators strive to equip students with the academic skills to perform better on standardized tests, they should also prioritize equipping them with skills to manage the stress that comes with testing. In addition, educators themselves need skills and strategies to deal with the stress that comes before, during, and after standardized tests.

Harnessing human skills to manage test-related stress

Human skills like goal-setting, emotion regulation, perspective-taking, and more can help students and educators manage the stress of testing in a variety of ways. Research has shown that increased test anxiety is linked to lower performance in certain academic domains. In this way, helping students manage test-related stress can improve both their overall well-being and their standardized testing performance.

Here are some of the most common stressors related to standardized testing, along with a few human skills-based tips to help students and educators handle them.

Stressor 1: Unclear or unrealistic expectations

Unlike a lot of academic benchmarks in a student’s life, the expectations surrounding standardized testing can be unclear and unrealistic for many students.

The scoring systems of most tests differ from the percentage or letter-based scoring they’re used to. Since the tests are highly regulated, students are often in the dark about what to expect on the test, why the tests matter, and what it means to be successful on them.

This lack of clarity, coupled with the official and often intimidating nature of the tests, can be the source of considerable stress for many students.

Solution 1: Set realistic goals and clear expectations

Help students set goals that are realistic and attainable for them individually. Percentile scoring, while useful for a macro understanding of student performance, is rarely helpful for kids to dwell on. Helping them set goals that are meaningful for them individually—such as a five-point improvement in reading or completing every math question without guessing—can help them stay focused, positive, and motivated.

To set clear expectations, take the time to explain the purpose of standardized testing. Give students a chance to process their uncertainty and ask questions. Be sure to remind them that testing doesn’t determine their worth and that no matter how they perform, their teacher will be there to help them keep learning and growing. All that matters is that they do their very best.

Stressor 2: Frustration, fatigue, and burnout

Standardized tests are long and difficult, often taking up to three hours, not including breaks.

Even the most academically equipped students may struggle to maintain focus and energy throughout the entire test, which can lead to feelings of frustration and fatigue. In many cases, students become overwhelmed by these feelings during the test and simply check out.

Solution 2: Build emotion regulation

The ability to manage complex emotions in moments of both stress and calm empowers kids to think clearly, make more mature decisions, and stay focused on the task at hand. Human skills programs help students develop their capacity to recognize their emotions, process them, and make conscious steps to move forward.

In preparation for standardized tests, educators can help students by reminding them that it’s perfectly normal to feel nervous, frustrated, or fatigued before or during standardized tests. Consider creating scenarios for students to practice managing their emotions with simple strategies like deep breathing, counting, or writing down their feelings.

When testing day comes, students with emotion regulation skills will be better equipped to handle their feelings and do their best on the test.

Stressor 3 (for teachers): The pressure is on

Educators are under considerable pressure to ensure their students perform well on standardized tests. Given the importance of testing in the education system, it’s hard to blame teachers for getting stressed about testing.

A certain level of test-related stress is inevitable, but excessive stress isn’t helpful for teachers or their students, who can sometimes pick up on what adults around them are feeling. Teachers also need applicable skills and concrete strategies to help them manage the stress of high-pressure assessments.

Solution 3: Use perspective-taking and self-care

School leaders can help teachers manage stress by giving them opportunities to develop a healthy perspective about standardized testing. Adults don’t need as much guidance as children to understand the bigger picture, but they still need space to process complex thoughts and feelings, as well as encouragement to keep testing in perspective.

Remind them that if they’ve done everything within their power to prepare their students for the test, then they can be satisfied with the eventual outcome.

In addition, encourage teachers to practice self-care in the days surrounding standardized testing. With so much emphasis on tests, educators can easily become hyper-focused on helping their students succeed—sometimes at the expense of their own emotional and mental well-being.

Remind teachers that to help their students succeed, they first have to take care of themselves.

Taking the stress out of standardized tests

Testing will always cause a certain amount of stress for students and teachers. But human skills like goal-setting, emotion regulation, and perspective-taking can help students and educators manage the excess stress that arises when standardized testing season comes around.

Second Step® programs, now available for Early Learning through Grade 12, are designed to equip kids with the skills to handle stress in healthy ways, supporting both academic success and their overall well-being.

If you’re ready to take the next step in helping kids strengthen human skills that support academic performance and well-being, connect with our Education Partnerships Team to learn more about bringing Second Step programs to your school or district.