You’ve been preparing for weeks, yet as you walk into the building for your DOT certification exam, your heart begins to race, your palms get sweaty, and you suddenly can’t remember anything you studied. While you can expect some nervousness in any exam scenario, too much anxiety can get in the way of performing your best on your recertification exam. Here are some tips for tackling testing anxiety so you can pass your FMCSA medical examiner test.
1. Be Prepared
The best way to reduce anxiety about testing is to make sure that you are prepared to take the test. Make sure you study not only the material but also the testing format. If you are familiar with the test itself, you will be able to focus more fully on the questions and the content. Taking practice tests, reviewing study guides and participating in FMCSA training courses are always a good idea.
2. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Next to studying, the most important thing you can do to prepare for an exam is to get enough sleep. Research studies have shown that adequate sleep among students is correlated with better test scores and higher grades. Sleep improves both our long-term and short-term memory retention and can improve our recall by as much as 40%.
However, it isn’t enough to stay up late for weeks cramming and then try to get eight hours the night before. To improve your performance, you need to ensure you are getting quality sleep in the weeks leading up to your test.
3. Eat a Good Breakfast
Nutrition is vital to a good test performance. Your brain needs as much energy as your body, and you don’t want to be distracted by a rumbling stomach during your exam. However, you also don’t want to feel sick after eating something completely new or stuffing yourself. Choose something filling and nutritious that you already know you like. Avoid too much caffeine on the day of your test, as it can increase your heart rate and make you feel even more anxious.
4. Arrive Early for Your Exam
Nothing will make your anxiety spike, like rushing into your exam late. Make sure you know the address of the testing site well in advance and know precisely how long it will take you to get there. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready and allow extra time to drive to the exam so you aren’t rushed or stressed. Having a few minutes before the exam starts to relax and take some deep breaths will help you feel less anxious.
5. Walk it Out
If you are still feeling anxious when you arrive at the testing center, walk around the parking lot or the building a couple of times. Since you arrived early, you have plenty of time to stretch your legs. Moving your body can help reduce stress and anxiety. In the days leading up to the exam, exercise can be effective in improving your mental health. Whether you do yoga, go for a run, lift weights, or walk through a park, physical movement can help you manage any testing anxiety.
6. Use Visualization and Positive Affirmations
Use positive self-talk and visualization to increase your confidence going into the exam. Visualize yourself doing well and passing the exam. Try to turn any negative thoughts into positive ones. You’ve studied, and you know the material–keep reminding yourself of that. A mantra such as “I’ve prepared. I know the material. I will be successful.” can help you feel confident instead of anxious.
7. Read and then Re-Read the Questions
Carefully reading the questions will ensure you don’t make easily-avoided mistakes. Read the question once, and then re-read it before attempting to answer. You don’t want to waste time answering a question to realize that it was actually asking something else.
8. Practice Deliberate Breathing
Researchers have found that mindful breathing is effective in reducing test anxiety. Before the test starts, and if you start to feel anxious during the test, pause for a moment and take some deep, mindful breaths. One strategy is to take a deep breath, hold it for five seconds, and then slowly exhale.
9. Relax Your Muscles
If you are feeling anxious, you might find yourself tensing your jaw, shoulders, legs, or feet during the exam. Every once in a while, take a moment to shake out your nerves and relax your body.
Try planting both feet on the ground, straightening out your arms, clenching your fists, and tightening all your muscles as much as you can. Then, slowly and deliberately relax and feel the tension leave your body. You can do this in conjunction with some deep breathing to keep anxiety at bay.
10. Remember That You Can Always Retest
This exam is important. You paid for it in advance, it is essential to your career, and you’ve been studying for weeks or more. However, you will feel less anxious if you can keep it in perspective.
You can always retake the test if you fail. If you are recertifying and your certificate hasn’t expired, you don’t even have to wait 30 days to retest–you can take the test again the very next day. You won’t be removed from the National Registry, and you can keep performing DOT physicals as long as your certification hasn’t expired.
For this reason, we recommend beginning the recertification process as early as possible to give yourself plenty of time to retest if necessary. With enough time, study, rest, and preparation, you can go into the testing process feeling confident and calm.
