Neil Pescar Susan C. - Conquering Test Anxiety

Copyright 1987 by Neil A. Fiore and Susan C. Pescar

All rights reserved.

Warner Books, Inc.,

Hachette Book Group

237 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

First eBook Edition: November 2009

ISBN: 978-0-446-56940-8

Be sure each mark is dark and completely fills the intended space as illustrated here:

1. When you know you have to take a standardized test, do you

feel anxious, nervous or jittery

take all the preparation courses availableand still feel panicked?

try not to think about it

all of the above

2. Are you worried that when you sit down to take a test you will

go blank

freeze

get muddled and confused over material you really know

feel physically ill

3. Do you wish that you

felt more relaxed and confident

knew how to prepare psychologically and emotionally for a big test

felt sure you would really do your best on the day of the test

could do some exercises to improve your concentration, focus, and alertness

If the Test Anxiety Quiz makes you anxious, turn the page Conquering Test Anxiety can help you defeat needless fears and get the highest grade you can.

I dedicate this book to the future generations who will utilize their inner resources to face exams, interviews, and evaluations. But most especially, this book is dedicated to Debra Lynn, Michael, and Michele.

NEIL A. FIORE, PH. D.

With a great deal of affection and respect, I dedicate this book to my cousin, Donna Arlene Gilbert, with whom I have had the honor of sharing so many special and fond childhood memories. I love you, Donna.

SUSAN C. PESCAR

Both authors would like to especially thank all those who shared their experiences with us, as well as the staff of the Counseling Center at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Neil Fiore would like to acknowledge the influence, sage advice, and support of two innovative contributors to the fields of counseling and learning skills: Dr. Thomas M. Magoon, University of Maryland; and Dr. Martha Maxwell, University of Maryland and the University of California, Berkeley.

Susan C. Pescar would like to acknowledge the creativity and commitment of Alan Mahony (Warner Books, Inc., New York). It was his idea to develop a book that would help people conquer test anxiety. Sincere thanks goes to Glenn Cowley, the Authors & Artists Group, New York, for his continual assistance throughout the entire publishing process. Special thanks is given to those people who spent an enormous amount of their time, effort, talents, and energies to provide information, creative ideas and suggestions, and/or invaluable moral support toward the completion of this book (in alphabetical order): Janet Eddy, learning specialist, The Learning Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles; William Harris, M.A., clinical psychologist; Margaret (Meg) Hogan, Esq.; Amy McCarthy; Mercedes Navarro, M.D., child-adolescent psychiatrist and director of the Pediatric Therapy Center, Long Beach, CA; Mary Neiswender, award-winning investigative reporter; Christine A. Nelson, M.D., author and pediatrician; Arlene Pescar; Mark Pescar; Jim Still; Valerie Swigart; Lauretta Townsend; and Earlene Waddell.

Conquering Test Anxiety was carefully planned as a step-by-step program to assist you in controlling your test anxiety. Exercises that build on one another have been strategically placed in certain chapters. In order to obtain their maximum benefits we strongly recommend that you learn them in order.

Conquering Test Anxiety was designed for your participation. You play a vital role in identifying your physical symptoms, as well as the thoughts, feelings, images, and attitudes you have about yourself, testing in general, and the testing process specifically.

You take an active part in uncovering the dynamics of test anxiety and stress. You participate in determining which important steps to choose in order to manage or alleviate your test anxiety. And, you do this by actually rolling up your sleeves and digging in!

In other words, this is not a passive book or a passive experience. It is not simply informative or educational or didactic or empirical. It is a step-by-step hands-on approach to the problem of test anxiety.

Conquering Test Anxiety is for you if:

• You want to improve your ability to take the written and oral exams you are continually facing in your high school, college or university, graduate school, or professional school courses.
• You want to better prepare yourself for taking any standardized, qualifying, entrance, or professional exam, including the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or achievement tests; TSWE, SDO, ORE, LSAT, MCAT, or GED tests; bar exams, FLEX, NCLEX-RN, or Medical Boards; CPA or Civil Service Examinations; Officer Candidate Tests; Firefighters Examinations; or the Armed Forces Placement Test.
• You want to fine-tune your ability to take your Ph.D. or Ed.D. oral and/or written exams or any other vital oral and/or written exam where the results determine whether or not you will move up to another level of skill or responsibility in your professional field.

The point is, whether you are 14 or 54 years old; studying for weekly quizzes, midterm exams, or final exams; preparing for any type of standardized, qualifying, entrance, or certification exam (on any academic or professional level); or preparing for any type of oral examination or presentation, you will find Conquering Test Anxiety invaluable to you.

Two obvious questions must be answered before you decide to use any tool such as Conquering Test Anxiety:

1. Why would I really want this book?
2. Can I actually benefit from reading it and being an active participant?

First of all, you would want a tool that would assist you in conquering test anxiety