Taking the anxiety out of taking tests: A step-by-step guide

by Susan Johnson

Book Overview

Gathers techniques used by psychologists to treat anxiety disorders and distills them into step-by-step exercises applicable to the academic test-taking environment. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0760719268
• ISBN13: 9780760719268
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble Books
• Length: 151 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Strongly recommended for the student & /or parent (yearning to be a learning facilitator at home)

This is a syntopic review of two books with similar topics but diverse approaches: 1. Taking the Anxiety Out of Taking Tests: A Step by Step Guide, by Susan Johnson; 2. Addressing Test Anxiety in High Stakes Environment: Strategies for Classroom & Schools, by Gregory Cizek & Samantha Burg; The first book is written by a pracitising Buddhist & student of Eastern thought. So her book contains, in some areas, seemingly esoteric stuff (or `new agey' as some people may want to call it). Her book is targeted at laymen. The second book is written by two testing specialists, better known in scientific circles as psychometicians.(They love tests!) Naturally, their approach is more methodical & clinical (despite the authors' denial at the onset). Their book is apparently targeted at fellow educators & school professionals. My purpose of acquiring ( & reviewing) these two books is to learn more about strategies to tackle test anxiety, as part of my work as a success coach to kids/teens/adults. In the first book, the author has done a marvelous job of gathering the most effective awareness & relaxation techniques (a mixture of cognitive & behavioural) combined with effective study skills into one small paperback volume. The repertoire of techniques offered is very comprehensive. They are described in Chapters 2, 3, 4 & 5. Readers may find some of the techniques to be quite esoteric. The best way is to experiment with them & stick to those that work best for you. In Chapter 6, she describes the process of procrastination. I like the author's opening paragraph in this chapter: "Almost everyone who suffers from test testing anxiety had developed the practice of procrastination into a fine art..." This is a very important chapter. The author continues by showing how the reader can more effectively manage self, set goals, organize priorities, plan strategy & take action to deal with procrastination. In chapter 7, she describes the learning process & memory management. Her treatment of this area is excellent. I concur with her statement that the most important study technique is tracking your thoughts & the key to working though test taking is to develop awareness of your thoughts & physical sensations moment by moment. Her dovetailing of information to suit the student's intents & purposes is marvelous. This particular chapter should be read in conjunction with & by reflecting on the opening chapter 1, as the author talks about working with anxiety & fear. At the end of the book, there is a goldmine of information, but the reader needs to acquire or maybe browse the Further Resources in a public library. What I like about this whole book, on top of an unique distillation of proven techniques, is the author's logically structured exercises for stress management, as well as her step-by-step instructions to combat test anxiety. For the student reader, this is a boon. In the second book, & in line with its intents &