Taking a Test with Hypnosis

We have all taken tests in our lives. Many people are afriad to take tests. Many avoid them like the plague. The kind of test I am referring to is a written exam, especially the ones required for licenship, certification, or a master's degree, but also important tests like GMAT and GRE. Even the SAT can be daunting.

Sounds like alphabet soup! We don't even know what they stand for, but they can be intimidating!


Hypnosis can be very helpful in the test taking process. It can help you maximize your study time, motivate you to study more, and face the exam in a very confident and relaxed manner. This is especially helpful to those who suffer from test anxiety.

Test anxiety refers to the dread of taking an exam, usually preceded by a bad experience. I have worked with several clients who have "gone blank" as soon as they sit for an exam. They spend the duration of the time stressing and worrying and barely get through it before the time is up. Some get so upset they can't even stay for the whole exam. They just give up. Needless to say this kind of consternation does not result in a high grade.

Hypnosis can restore your confidence. It also helps you to relax. This helps during the test, because stress, anxiety, and tension interfere with memory retrieval. Hypnosis helps the information keep flowing just when you need it. So now is a good time to see your local hypnotist or take a self-hypnosis class.

Study with Hypnosis

Many studies have shown that hypnosis improves concentration and memory retrieval. In addition, it reduces stress and anxiety, so that one can perform at their best during an exam. The reason that many people fail, is because they freeze up during an exam and their minds "go blank" which causes more tension and stress. This leads to the waste of energy worrying and stressing out about the exam instead of working on the test. This is called test anxiety and can be counteracted by calming the mind using hypnosis. Then you can focus on the exam and apply all your energy to answering the questions as quickly as possible.

Additionally, hypnosis increases motivation to study and learn, removes barriers to storage and retrieval, and helps you to be more productive by focusing on the subject and allowing you to ignore distractions.

First, get ready to learn. a quiet environment is best. Baroque music has been shown to enhance memory, other types of music may interfere. If you like baroque music, try studying with it. Remembering the music later during the exam, may help you to retrieve the memories. you need to have all your books or materials within reach. You also need an uninterrupted period of time to study, and scheduled breaks (5 or 10 minutes after every 45 minutes of study). Get enough rest and good healthy meals and snacks. It's okay to have cookies for a reward AFTER studying, but during study, avoid sugar. It may seem that sugar increases energy, but after the sugar high, comes the crash and this can make you drowsy. A recent study recommends that a power nap AFTER studeying can help you retain more information.

For people over 40 years old, play with the information first, before sleep. Try to draw it, sing about it, figure out an example or application for this information. Process it any way you can. This helps the information which is now in your short-term memory to be moved to permanent storage, long-term memory.

Playing with the information is a mnemonic device. Repetition is another one. Review and repeat the information before the power nap. A power nap may be about 30 minutes long. If you are not a napper, or a nap is out of the question because of your ienvironment, take a leisurely walk around the library or wherever you are studying. Lastly, build high expections about how learning this material is EASY for you.