Math anxiety before a test: what helps in the last week
Practical steps for the week before an exam, from a timed mock test to the two-minute routine that calms you down at the desk.
Simulate the test once, early
Sit down with an old exam, a timer and no notes, five to seven days before the real thing. The point is not the score — it is finding out which topics collapse under time pressure.
Then spend the remaining days only on those topics. Studying what you already know is the most common way to waste a study week.
Anxiety is fixable with preparation, not willpower
Most test anxiety comes from uncertainty about what will show up. Every practice problem you solve under realistic conditions removes a little of that uncertainty.
At the desk: write down the formulas you are afraid of forgetting in the first 60 seconds, breathe out slowly for four counts, then start with the easiest question to build momentum.
Put it into practice
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