TOEFL Attitude - Types of Anxiety

RATIONAL OR IRRATIONAL?
To effectively handle your anxiety, it's helpful to consider if your stress is rational or irrational.

For example, if you haven't prepared adequately, haven't worked through any practice tests, and you started studying only a week before the TOEFL, your fear may be rational. There are obvious ways to reduce such tension, through smarter planning and improved time management.

However, if you prepared well, started studying months in advance, attended TOEFL iBT classes, did practice tests, etc. and still feel extremely nervous, your anxiety may be irrational. You will then need to adopt different strategies to overcome your fear.

ANTICIPATORY OR SITUATIONAL?
Some students feel agitated well before the test – in fact, they may even feel nervous when preparing for the test or thinking about the day of the test. This is known as "anticipatory anxiety".

Other students feel nervous and distressed during the test itself. This is called "situational anxiety."

COPING WITH ANXIETY
The good news is that by implementing the various strategies explained on this website, you can minimize and even overcome the uncomfortable pressure of all kinds of test anxiety.