How to Support Students During the Stress of Testing Season

Testing season—these two small words have the power to evoke pressure and anticipation across K-12 school communities.

For your students, it’s common for this period to bring heightened levels of stress and anxiety. School testing can take a huge psychological toll on students. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, cortisol levels — the hormone associated with stress — rise by 15% on average, and can spike up to 35% for students experiencing hardships outside of school.

The “test anxiety” effect can ripple into the K-12 community, from teachers and counselors to administrators and parents alike.While your IT team is working diligently to ensure your tech infrastructure is ready for the demands of standardized testing, your students and teachers are equally busy with test preparation.

Here are 5 key strategies your district can implement to foster a supportive environment and help students navigate the stress of testing season.

1. Provide an outlet for students to express and reflect on their wellbeing

Students need healthy ways to process their emotions and check in with their mental state. To help guide them, provide a system or outlet that allows students a purposeful moment to pause and check in with themselves. This could be a: 

• Daily moment of pause during the morning announcements
• Weekly ritual during a certain class period that gives a structured way for students to take the time to notice how they’re feeling
• Few minutes of journaling into each day to give students an outlet to express and reflect on their emotions
• "Wall of encouragement” where students can share helpful advice and supportive messages

2. Be mindful of the student experience before, during, & after test dates 

The days and weeks around exams are critical. Here are a few ways you can help reduce test anxiety and stress before, during, and after state testing dates. 

Before testing:

• Talk openly about test stress: Students often think they're alone in feeling anxious; transparent conversations about what to expect can make a student feel seen
• Practice testing: Familiarize students with the testing format and test-taking strategies to help reduce anxiety around the unknown; a mock test day can help students prepare for what to expect
• Wellness breaks: promote short wellness breaks during class
• Reduced workload: Where possible, lighten the load for your students by reducing non-essential homework, taking more breaks during class, 
• Create study schedules: Guide students with simple study schedules that prioritize focus over cramming 

During testing:

• Make time for wellness: Follow the same “wellness break” routine your students used during pre-testing
• Allow students to easily and quietly ask for help: Designate a quiet help area where students can move to for quick breaks or support, without disrupting other test-taskers
• Prepare after-test activities for early readers: this could be anything from independent reading to fun puzzles and activities
• Check-in without disruption: Share simple hand signals your students can use to let you know how they’re feeling 

After testing:

• Schedule a break after testing sessions: incorporate some "fun" initiatives
• Have a class outdoors: changing the environment can help reset students’ minds and bodies
• Invite a guest speaker to shift the focus: this acknowledges their efforts and helps them move forward in a positive way.
• Ask questions that shift focus away from performance: Instead of “How did you do?” ask, “How are you feeling?” or “Was there anything that felt tricky or surprising?”)

3. Get families involved

Families play a key role in how students perceive testing. When communication is clear and supportive, with just a few simple, well-timed touchpoints schools can turn families into calm, confident partners during testing season.

Tips for test-season family engagement:

• Send home short guides on how to support students emotionally and logistically (rest, meals, tech-free evenings).
• Tell parents exactly what their child needs each day (e.g., a charged Chromebook, headphones, two pencils) and what time to arrive for testing
• Encourage families to celebrate effort, not just result, and to limit conversations that apply more pressure around scores

4. Offer a safe channel to express concerns and seek help

When students feel under pressure, having a confidential and accessible way to voice their concerns or ask for help is vital.

Do your students have an easy way to speak up when they are feeling overwhelmed? Make sure students are aware of and have easy access to your school counselors or other available mental health resources that your district provides.

Implementing a digital wellbeing check-in platform can provide an easy method for students to regularly reflect on and articulate their feelings, fostering self-awareness—and providing valuable insights for your support teams.

A student wellbeing platform is one option for providing a safe channel, where students can feel empowered to speak up when they need support without fear of judgment.

5. Encourage gratitude

The benefits of expressing gratitude are scientifically proven to elevate mood. Expressing appreciation can help focus attention on the positive, rather than the negative. Sharing gratitude is also a practice that, by default, can have a ripple effect on others.

Incorporating a gratitude practice into the school setting can help to alleviate stress, lift moods, and help students form stronger ties to their school community.

By providing outlets for expression and reflection, ensuring access to mental health resources, being considerate of their experience leading up to and following exams, and offering safe channels for help, you can create a more positive and less stressful environment—not only during testing season, but all year round.