Board exams are stressful for most teenagers. For a student with a learning or attention difference, they can feel even heavier. Understood notes that tests may be especially stressful for teens with learning and thinking differences, who may also be unsure about their future. A calm routine, clear information and the right exam supports make a big difference.
Prepare calmly over time
- Make a calendar of the exams, and review it at a set time each week to make the plan for the next week. Organisation and time management are often part of the problem, and a calendar helps.
- Avoid cramming. Understood says that cramming is likely to raise anxiety. Include exam practice in daily study instead. See homework and study routines and executive function.
- Find out what to expect. Knowing the type of questions on the paper helps a student prepare, and practising beforehand can reduce anxiety.
- Make room for rest. British Columbia’s government family resource says that downtime and sleep are essential for learning and remembering.
Know the exam supports
Understood advises that students should know what their exam accommodations are and why they help, and that they should speak up if someone forgets them. In India, CBSE concessions such as a scribe or extra time have to be applied for in advance, through the school, so start early. See exam concessions for students with disabilities and the disability certificate and UDID card. Let your teenager practise with the arrangements before the exam.
How to talk about it
- Listen to your teenager’s worries about the exams and about the future, and be reassuring but realistic.
- Praise the extra effort you see your teenager making to study.
- Test anxiety is common, and learning difficulties can add to it.
- If the result is disappointing, make an action plan together: what went wrong, what helps, and what support could be added. Understood suggests this to counter the fear of failing again.
Official support in India
- Manodarpan. An initiative of the Ministry of Education that offers psychosocial support to students, teachers and families, including advice on managing exam stress, a directory of counsellors and a tele-counselling helpline. See the Ministry’s Manodarpan website for the current details.
- CBSE. The Ministry of Education has said that CBSE provides tele-counselling before exams and after results. Check CBSE’s website for the current helpline.
- Your school counsellor or a psychologist, if your teenager is anxious for weeks or sleeps and eats poorly.
If your teenager talks about harming themselves or not wanting to live, get help straight away: call Tele-MANAS, India’s free 24×7 mental health helpline, on 14416 or 1800-891-4416, or 112 in an emergency. See also confidence and emotions.
Sources
- Understood, 5 tips to help high-schoolers cope with test anxiety.
- Understood, Tips for helping kids with learning and thinking differences cope with test anxiety.
- Government of British Columbia, EASE at Home: test anxiety strategies for teens.
- Ministry of Education, Government of India, Manodarpan (the official Manodarpan website). The Ministry’s reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on 22 July 2021 states that CBSE arranged pre-exam and post-result tele-counselling; search for that question on the Rajya Sabha website to read it.
This guide is general information, not legal, medical or professional advice. If something here does not match your situation, please speak to a qualified professional.