Exam-day nerves: 6 small habits to help you stay steady

After years of preparing students for exams, one sentence I hear again and again is: “I can do all of this at home, but in the exam my mind goes blank.” Most of the time, the student saying this does not have a knowledge problem. What is missing is the habit of showing what they know under pressure. A little nervousness actually helps: it sharpens attention and keeps you alert. The trouble starts when the nerves take over.

In this post I share small habits my students and I try out in lessons, whether they are preparing for the LGS (the national high school entrance exam taken by eighth graders in Turkey), the YKS-TYT (the first stage of the university entrance exam) or the ALES (the academic aptitude test required for many graduate programmes). None of them are magic, but practised regularly they make the exam hall feel more familiar and more manageable.

1. Rehearse exam day in advance

Our brains react more calmly to what feels familiar. That is why I suggest rehearsing exam day a few times. Once a week, start a mock test at the real exam time, use the same kind of pencil you will use on the day, leave your phone in another room and stay seated until time is up.

The session layout, number of questions and time limits can change from year to year. Before you set up your rehearsal, check the current official guide from MEB (the Ministry of National Education) or ÖSYM (the national exam centre) and shape your mock test around it. That way, nothing on the day will catch you off guard.

2. Spend the last evening on routine, not new topics

Opening a brand-new topic the night before tends to trigger a “there is so much I don’t know” feeling. Keep the last evening light:

• A short review: a few pages from your own notes or your mistakes notebook.
• Pack your bag: ID, exam entry document and any other items the official guide allows.
• Plan the journey: how you will get to the building and how early you will leave.
• Go to bed at your usual time instead of solving questions late into the night.

The fewer “did I forget something?” thoughts you carry into the morning, the more room your mind has for the questions.

3. Keep the morning simple and familiar

Exam morning is not the time to try something new. Eat a breakfast you are used to, arrive early, but avoid standing at the door for ages getting pulled into other people’s anxious conversations. Chats like “What did you revise? Do you know this one?” add no knowledge at that point; they only spread the nerves.

While you wait, try a short, realistic sentence: “I’ve prepared. I’ll take the questions one at a time.” It works far better than an over-the-top pep talk.

4. Give yourself a warm-up in the first minutes

When the booklet opens, many students get stuck on the first question and decide the whole exam is ruined. Counter this with a warm-up rule: spend the first few minutes on the question type you find easiest. In the Turkish section, for many students this is vocabulary or short reading passages.

The goal is to collect a few correct answers and feel “OK, I’m here.” You are allowed to work through the booklet in your own order; just make sure you mark the right number on the answer sheet.

5. When you get stuck, take a 30-second breathing break

Mid-exam, you might notice your heart racing or realise you are reading the same sentence for the third time. That is your signal to pause and reset. Here is the short routine I suggest to my students:

1. Put the pencil down, press your feet into the floor and lean back in your chair.
2. Breathe in calmly through your nose and breathe out through your mouth a little longer than usual. Repeat three or four times.
3. Mark the question you were stuck on and move to the next one, telling yourself you will come back to it.

Those thirty seconds look like lost time, but they reconnect your mind to the questions. Make this routine a habit during your rehearsals at home rather than trying it for the first time on the day.

6. After the exam, review the process, not yourself

Rushing to the answer key or comparing every answer with friends straight after the exam usually just creates unease. Rest first. A day later, with a calm head, do a short review: When did I tense up? What helped me recover? What will I change in the next rehearsal?

Those answers become a valuable map for your next exam. Instead of labelling yourself “bad at exams,” saying “this is hard for me right now, and here’s what I’ll try” keeps the door to progress open.

If anxiety is affecting your daily life: What I share here are everyday study habits, not medical or psychological advice. If anxiety is seriously affecting your sleep, appetite, school attendance or time with friends, please don’t try to carry it alone. Talking to your school counsellor or a qualified psychological counsellor is one of the strongest steps you can take. The same goes for parents: if you notice changes in your child, asking a professional for support is one of the best things you can do for them.

A small exercise to try this week

This week, sit one mock test at the real exam time, in conditions as close to the real thing as you can manage. Halfway through, deliberately take one 30-second breathing break. When you finish, write three lines on a piece of paper: where I tensed up, what helped me recover, what I’ll do differently next time. Read those three lines before your next rehearsal.

If you would like to work together on both Turkish exam topics and study habits like these, feel free to leave me a short message through the contact form. We can talk about the path that fits you or your child best.