A calm routine for exam-day nerves

Nerves rarely take your English away; they take your timing. You rush through Read Aloud, freeze for a few seconds at the start of Describe Image, or carry one poor answer into the next three. A routine you have rehearsed helps more than being told to relax.

A note first: this is general study advice, not medical advice. If your anxiety is severe, or it affects your sleep or daily life, please talk to a doctor or another qualified professional as well as using anything here.

Rehearse the nerves, not just the tasks

A mock test is a rehearsal, and part of what you are rehearsing is feeling nervous in the right conditions. Take two or three full mocks (see using mock tests well) as close to the real thing as you can manage: headset on, the same time of day as your booking, no pausing, no looking things up, door closed. The score matters less than learning what the clock does to you. Familiar things are less frightening, and every mock makes the situation a little more familiar.

A minute of slow breathing, and a kinder inner voice

Slow breathing is the quickest tool you have, and it needs no equipment. Try this pattern:

1. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds.
2. Hold gently for four seconds.
3. Breathe out slowly through your mouth for four seconds.
4. Repeat three or four times, which takes about a minute.

If holding your breath is uncomfortable, skip the hold and breathe out a little longer than you breathe in. Let your shoulders drop as you breathe out. Practise when you are calm, on the bus or before sleep, so the pattern is automatic when you are not.

Your inner voice during a test is probably harsher than anything you would say to a friend. Swap it for short, practical instructions:

• Instead of "That was terrible", say "That one is finished. Next."
• Instead of "I will never get through this", say "I only have to do this question."
• Instead of "Everyone else is faster", say "I can only do my own task."

Pick one line and use it in every practice session, so it is ready on the day.

When your mind goes blank, or an answer goes badly

It can happen to anyone, and it feels far longer than it is. Do not wait for the perfect idea. Start with something plain and true:

• Speaking: say what you can see or hear. "This graph shows how..." or "The speaker was talking about..." gets your voice moving, and the next thought usually follows. Keep it a flexible opening, not a memorised speech.
• Writing: type one plain sentence that answers the question, then improve it. A short, clear sentence beats an empty box.
• Listening: write down any words you did catch. The next phrase often helps you place them.
• Reading: within the same question, answer the parts you are sure of first. They often help with the rest.

Here is how it sounds in practice. You open a Describe Image and your mind is empty. Breathe out once, then read the title and the labels aloud as you take them in: "This bar chart shows the number of visitors to five museums." By the time you have said it, your next point has often arrived.

One poor answer is a small part of a long test, and it is also over. Replaying it in your head takes attention from the task in front of you. Use a physical reset: breathe out, drop your shoulders, look at the new screen. Do not try to estimate your score as you go, either. How an answer felt is guesswork, because you cannot see how it was scored.

A routine for the start, and for the night before

Build a three-step routine and use it before every practice session and mock, so it feels ordinary by exam day:

1. Sit back with both feet on the floor and put on the headset.
2. Do three rounds of the slow breathing.
3. Say your line in your head and begin.

Keep to your usual sleep times in the last week, and stop studying early the night before. On the day, eat your normal breakfast, drink some water and avoid anything new: no unfamiliar food, no extra-strong coffee, no last-minute revision trick. If you sleep badly the night before, that is common, and the routine still works.

Today, practise the breathing three times and choose your line. At your next session in the practice tests on this site, run the routine before you press start. A plan for the clock removes another reason to panic, so time management during the test is a good one to read next.