In some students, anxiety related to taking examinations in general may reach such levels that it causes students to be unproductive in study and to function at a lower level during the actual examination. Sections of this chapter are directed toward this problem and provide simple, practical approaches to the reduction of general anxiety. For anxiety specifically related to unknown aspects of the licensure examination itself, the section on the structure, format, and mechanics of the RN examination might bring relief through its focus on basic examination information (see The Mechanics of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses-Computer Adaptive Test (NCLEX-RN[®])).

For anxiety related to lack of confidence or skill in test-taking "know-how," the special section on test-taking techniques may be helpful (see Chapter 2. Guidelines and Tips for International Nurses and Repeat Test-Takers).