42nd MDG offers test anxiety classes Published Oct. 12, 2009 By Capt. (Dr.) Chad Morrow 42nd Medical Operations Squadron MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Do you remember preparing for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test or any test? Do you remember what it was like the week before the test, the night before the test, or the day of the test? Were your hands sweaty? Was your heart racing? Was it hard for you to sleep the night prior to your test? Were you scared you might fail? Those are all different signs of test anxiety. By definition, test anxiety is an unpleasant feeling or emotional state that has both physiological and behavioral components that are experienced in a testing situation. Test anxiety affects all different types of people regardless of rank, age, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Sometimes anxiety causes people to perform optimally. When some people experience anxiety, it causes them to study harder, prepare better, and actually to do better than they thought they would. Although this occurs for some people, it is not very common. For most, anxiety leads to avoidance of thoughts, places or people that remind them to prepare. Further, anxiety can create difficulties organizing thoughts and retrieving answers, as well as complete mental blockage. There are several reasons why these things can happen such as environmental, behavioral and cognitive reasons. Poor study habits, poor testing conditions and worrying are all examples of reasons why a person could experience test anxiety. Coping with test anxiety is possible. There are various interventions available to help deal with and manage test anxiety. One can learn more about test anxiety and how to confront it by attending the Test Anxiety Class at the Health and Wellness Center, or HAWC, the first Monday of every month at 11:30 a.m. For more information or to make reservations, contact Captain Morrow at 953-5430 or the HAWC at 953-7117.