Skip to the content
  • Assessments
    • ACT®
    • Digital SAT®
    • WorkKeys®
    • State-Based Assessments
  • Products
    • Professional Development
    • Practice Testing & Analysis
    • Curriculum
    • Online Course
    • Bell Ringers
    • Boot Camps
  • State Solutions
    • Alabama
    • Florida
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Mississippi
    • North Carolina
    • Oklahoma
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
  • Resources
    • About Us
    • Blog
    • Customer Stories
    • Webinar Recordings
  • Pricing
  • Partnerships
  • Customer Login
    • MasteryPrep Login
  • Assessments
    • ACT®
    • Digital SAT®
    • WorkKeys®
    • State-Based Assessments
  • Products
    • Professional Development
    • Practice Testing & Analysis
    • Curriculum
    • Online Course
    • Bell Ringers
    • Boot Camps
  • State Solutions
    • Alabama
    • Florida
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Mississippi
    • North Carolina
    • Oklahoma
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
  • Resources
    • About Us
    • Blog
    • Customer Stories
    • Webinar Recordings
  • Pricing
  • Partnerships
  • Customer Login
    • MasteryPrep Login

An Educator’s Guide to Combating Test Anxiety and Building Student Confidence

  • J. Kelly
  • March 14, 2025

Test anxiety is real, and it affects students at all grade levels—especially when it comes to high-stakes exams like the ACT, SAT, and TSIA2. Some students walk into these tests already nervous because of past struggles, while others feel overwhelmed by the unknown.

Whether driven by a lack of preparation, unfamiliarity with the format, or the belief that they’re just a “bad test taker,” test anxiety can hold students back from showing what they really know.

  • Quelling Test Anxiety in Students: Strategies for Educators
The good news? There are practical ways to help students with test anxiety feel more prepared, confident, and in control on test day. Here’s how educators can make a big impact.
  • Unmask the Test
A big part of test anxiety comes from fear of the unknown. The more familiar students are with the test’s format, question types, and timing, the less intimidating they will feel.

Get to Know the Test Inside and Out
Walk students through the structure of the ACT, SAT, and TSIA2. What sections are included? How much time do they get? What kinds of questions will they see? When students know exactly what to expect, the test starts feeling more like a puzzle they know how to solve.

Practice with Real Questions
Exposure is key. Give students authentic test practice with official test questions so they aren’t caught off guard. MasteryPrep’s boot camps for students, professional development for teachers, and daily bell ringers are great ways to provide this exposure while keeping students engaged.

Simulate Test Conditions
If possible, have students practice under timed conditions in a setting that mimics the real test experience. Taking a full-length practice test—even just once—can dramatically reduce test-day anxiety.

The more students interact with the test beforehand, the more confident they’ll be when it counts.

  • Help Students Set Clear Scoring Goals
Many students don’t realize they don’t need a perfect score—they just need the right to meet their own goals. Helping students define their target score gives them something concrete to work toward and reduces pressure.

Instead of vague goals like “I just want to do better,” encourage students to aim for a specific improvement—maybe 3-5 points on the ACT or 100 points on the SAT.

Explain How the Test Is Scored
Break down scoring so students understand how raw scores translate into scaled scores. When they see that missing a few questions won’t completely ruin their score, they’ll feel less pressure.

Use Practice Tests to Track Progress
Taking a diagnostic test early in the student preparation process helps students see where they stand. From there, they can focus their energy on the areas where they’ll get the most improvement.

Clear goals help turn anxiety into motivation.

  • Help Students Develop a Plan of Attack
Going into the test with a game plan makes a huge difference. Without one, students can easily get overwhelmed by time constraints and tricky questions.

Section-Specific Strategies
Each test section requires a different approach. For example:

  • ACT Reading: Knowing how to skim the passage very quickly, then scanning for specific details while determining the support for answers based on the scope of the passage (The Four S’s) will give students an edge in moving through this section confidently. (View ACT Test-Taking Strategies for Educators)
  • SAT Math: Know which questions require a calculator and which don’t. (View SAT Test-Taking Strategies for Educators)
  • TSIA2 English: Understand the types of reading and writing prompts they’ll see. (View TSIA2 Test-Taking Strategies for Educators)

Teach Smart Pacing
Time management is one of the biggest challenges. Help students set benchmarks (e.g., finishing each ACT Reading passage in 8–9 minutes) and practice sticking to them. Pacing can also be taught through short, timed quizzes on subject-specific content as well.

Encourage Active Engagement
In reading-heavy sections, underline key points and eliminate incorrect answers before choosing one. Active engagement keeps students from zoning out and wasting time. A solid test-day plan makes everything feel more manageable and keeps students from panicking.

  • …AND a Backup Plan
Even with the best preparation, things don’t always go as planned. Maybe a student gets stuck on a tough question or feels their nerves kicking in. Having a backup plan helps them stay calm and keep moving.

Teach Quick Stress-Relief Techniques
A deep breath, a short pause, or a quick “reset” strategy (like stretching their fingers under the desk) can stop anxiety from spiraling.

Encourage Strategic Guessing
Remind students there’s no penalty for wrong answers on the ACT or SAT—so skipping questions isn’t an option! If they’re totally stuck, eliminating just one incorrect answer improves their chances.

Remind Students to Stay Flexible
If a reading passage is taking too long, move on and return to it later. If a tricky math problem isn’t clicking, pick a strategic guess and keep going. The most important question is the next one!

With a raw score goal in mind, a student should be less flustered with misses and will move forward to the next shot with confidence.

Teaching students how to adapt in the moment makes a huge difference. If they hit a roadblock, they’ll know how to handle it instead of freezing up.

RELATED READING:

How MasteryPrep Keeps Students Engaged in Test Prep

Why does engagement matter in test prep, and how we make it a central focus in everything we do in the build-up to test day?

Student test anxiety is normal, but it doesn’t have to hold them back. By helping students understand the test, set clear goals, develop a game plan, and prepare for challenges, educators can turn fear into confidence.

MasteryPrep is all about leveling the playing field and giving students the tools they need to succeed—no matter where they’re starting from. When students feel prepared and in control, they walk into test day ready to win.

Want more strategies and test-prep resources? Check out MasteryPrep’s full suite of ACT, SAT, and TSIA2 programs to give your students the best shot at success!

RELATED READING:

The MasteryPrep Approach to Reducing Test Anxiety

We’ve developed a holistic approach that addresses both the practical and psychological aspects of test prep.

Picture of About the Author: J. Kelly
About the Author: J. Kelly

Jim “J.” Kelly is a dedicated education professional and thought leader whose multifaceted career has spanned roles such as teacher, coach, district school board member, business manager, and EdTech executive. As MasteryPrep’s VP of Instructional Operations, he oversees all instructional quality and delivery, customer implementations, internal and external trainings, and executional logistics. J.’s team is responsible for driving initiatives that directly impact hundreds of thousands of students, helping them to achieve their college and career readiness goals.

More Posts

Transforming Test Prep: Memorial High School’s Culture Shift with MasteryPrep

Memorial High School in Tulsa, OK, has witnessed a noticeable shift in academic culture around test prep in recent years and attributes that change to its partnership with MasteryPrep.

Read More »
April 22, 2025

Equity in Test Prep: How MasteryPrep Gives Every Student a Fair Shot at Success

Traditional test prep often leaves low-income students without the resources they need to score college-ready. MasteryPrep can help.

Read More »
April 9, 2025

Stay Ahead of the Curve: MasteryPrep’s New Reporting Tools, Coming Summer 2025

We’re thrilled to announce major updates to data reporting on our platform, to be launched just in time for the 2025–2026 school year.

Read More »
April 9, 2025
« Previous Next »
MasteryPrep-Logo-RGB-reg mark
Facebook-f Instagram Twitter Linkedin

Company:

  • Blog
  • Join Our Team
  • Contact Us
  • Partnerships
  • Customer Stories
  • Blog
  • Join Our Team
  • Contact Us
  • Partnerships
  • Customer Stories

Assessments:

  • ACT®
  • Digital SAT®
  • WorkKeys®
  • ACT®
  • Digital SAT®
  • WorkKeys®

Products:

  • Professional Development
  • Practice Testing & Analysis
  • Curriculum
  • Online Course
  • Bell Ringers
  • Boot Camps
  • The College Playbook
  • Professional Development
  • Practice Testing & Analysis
  • Curriculum
  • Online Course
  • Bell Ringers
  • Boot Camps
  • The College Playbook

State Solutions:

  • Alabama
  • Florida
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Alabama
  • Florida
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
View our Privacy Policy

Copyright 2025 MasteryPrep. All Rights Reserved. ACT® is the registered trademark of ACT, Inc. Some items in MasteryPrep programs are the copyrighted content of ACT, Inc. and are reproduced with permission. SAT® is a trademark of the College Board. MasteryPrep LLC has no affiliation with College Board MasteryPrep SAT programs are not approved or endorsed by College Board. The Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) is an ACCUPLACER® exam, which is a trademark of College Board. MasteryPrep has no affiliation with College Board or the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), and the TSIA2 Mastery program is not approved or endorsed by College Board or the TSI. WorkKeys® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. The WorkKeys programs are not approved or endorsed by ACT, Inc.

View our Cookie Policy

MasteryPrep-Logo-RGB-reg mark
Facebook-f Instagram Twitter Linkedin

Company:

  • Blog
  • Join Our Team
  • Contact Us
  • Partnerships
  • Customer Stories
  • Blog
  • Join Our Team
  • Contact Us
  • Partnerships
  • Customer Stories

Assessments:

  • ACT®
  • Digital SAT®
  • WorkKeys®
  • ACT®
  • Digital SAT®
  • WorkKeys®

Products:

  • Professional Development
  • Practice Testing & Analysis
  • Curriculum
  • Online Course
  • Bell Ringers
  • Boot Camps
  • The College Playbook
  • Professional Development
  • Practice Testing & Analysis
  • Curriculum
  • Online Course
  • Bell Ringers
  • Boot Camps
  • The College Playbook

State Solutions:

  • Alabama
  • Florida
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Alabama
  • Florida
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • Tennessee
  • Texas

View our Privacy Policy

Copyright 2024 MasteryPrep. All Rights Reserved.
ACT® is the registered trademark of ACT, Inc. Some items in MasteryPrep programs are the copyrighted content of ACT, Inc. and are reproduced with permission. SAT® is a trademark of the College Board. MasteryPrep LLC has no affiliation with College Board MasteryPrep SAT programs are not approved or endorsed by College Board. The Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) is an ACCUPLACER® exam, which is a trademark of College Board. MasteryPrep has no affiliation with College Board or the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), and the TSIA2 Mastery program is not approved or endorsed by College Board or the TSI. WorkKeys® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. The WorkKeys programs are not approved or endorsed by ACT, Inc.

View our Cookie Policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkView our privacy policy