You can cope with interfering thoughts during the test by
- Directing your attention to the text with instructions such as: "I will think about that later", "Afterwards, it is
irrelevant at the moment", "This is an interesting thought for after the test", "Focus your attention on your work",
"Read the questions carefully", "What is this about", etcetera.
- Fight against negative thoughts with positive but realistic instructions such as: "I have divided the available time well", "I am working according to an approved test strategy", "I have prepared well, so the test won't be too difficult for me," etc.
- Worry may cause you to get stuck during the test. E.g. you are not doing a good job, which causes you to start
worrying, as a result of which you make matters even worse. Try to break through this by doing something else: take a
breather, have a look round, eat or drink something, go to the toilet, etcetera.
Practice such things before the test, e.g. during prelims or similar test situations. In this way you can achieve a
certain amount of control.
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