What to Do on Exam Morning: A Calm Guide for LGS and YKS Day

What to do on exam morning and how to manage nerves? A concrete, calm plan for LGS and YKS day, from the night before to entering the exam hall.

At the end of preparation that has lasted months, even years, everything comes down to a few hours. The student who wakes up that morning wakes not just to an exam, but to a day in which everything expected of them, by themselves and by their family, has gathered. A slightly racing heart, a knot in the stomach and hands that feel a little cold are entirely natural. The question of what to do on exam morning is really the question "how can I carry these nerves with me?" Because the aim is not to make the nerves disappear completely; it is to turn them into energy that sharpens your attention and to stop them tipping into panic. In this article we offer a step-by-step plan for LGS and YKS day (Turkey's national high-school and university entrance exams), from the evening before to the first minutes in the exam hall. Part of it is for the student, and part of it is for the mothers and fathers who, that morning, are at least as nervous as the student.

Why Do Exam Nerves Happen, and What Are They For?

When we face something important, the body switches on an alarm system to prepare us. The heart beats faster, breathing quickens, muscles tense and digestion slows down. This response is today's version of the system that helped us escape danger thousands of years ago. Most of the nerves felt on exam morning are nothing more than this system at work, and in themselves they are not a problem.

A moderate level of arousal sharpens attention and speeds up reactions. The problem arises when this alarm combines with the interpretation that "the danger is huge". The thought "My heart is beating so fast, so today is going to go badly" amplifies the physical symptoms even further, and a vicious circle begins. That is why one of the most useful skills on exam morning is being able to read the nerves in the body not as a sign of danger but as a sign of readiness. The sentence "My body is working for me right now" can turn the very same symptoms into a completely different experience.

The Evening Before the Exam: Half the Morning Is Prepared Here

The answer to the question of what to do on exam morning actually begins a day earlier. A few small preparations the evening before reduce the number of decisions you have to make in the morning.

• Prepare your documents and bag. Put the exam entry document, your ID and any other documents required by the exam guide in a folder and leave it by the door. The items that are not allowed into the exam building are listed in the guide; setting them aside the evening before, rather than sorting through them in a rush in the morning, keeps the morning simple.
• Plan the route. How to get to the exam building, how long it will take, and a back-up option in case of traffic or disruption to public transport should be decided the evening before. If possible, seeing the building a few days in advance reduces uncertainty on the morning.
• Choose your clothes. Opt for comfortable, layered and familiar clothes. The temperature of the hall may be unpredictable; a cardigan you can take off and put back on is a good choice.
• Don't study new topics. Starting a new topic on the last evening triggers the feeling of "so I don't know this either". A light skim, short notes of formulas, or not studying at all; whichever makes you feel calmer.
• Don't force sleep. Going to bed much earlier than usual can lead to lying awake in bed for a long time and to anxiety about not being able to sleep. Go to bed at a time close to your usual bedtime, putting screens away half an hour beforehand.

If you can't sleep at night

Broken sleep the night before an exam is very common. There is an important point to know here: the effect of a single bad night on the next day's performance is far more limited than most students think. The stress hormones released on exam day support alertness for a while. What really shapes performance is the sleep pattern of the last weeks and months. When you can't sleep, stop looking at the clock, and remember that resting in bed with your eyes closed also benefits the body. If sleep problems have spread across the exam period, our article on sleep in teenagers may be helpful.

What to Do on Exam Morning: A Flow From Waking Up to the Door

Tying the morning to a flow decided in advance stops the mind from tiring itself out with the question "what should I do now?" The flow below is a suggestion; you can adapt it to your own habits.

1. Wake up early but without rushing

Waking up at least two to two and a half hours before the exam gives the brain enough time to wake up fully and lets you go through your morning routine without hurrying. Setting the alarm twice, a few minutes apart, can reduce frequent waking during the night driven by the worry "what if I don't wake up?"

2. Wake the body up slowly

Opening the curtains to let in daylight, washing your face and stretching for a few minutes send a "the day has begun" message to the body clock. A shower refreshes some students and relaxes others; it helps if you have already tested on mock-exam mornings which leaves you feeling more alert.

3. Eat a familiar breakfast

Exam morning is not the time to try a new food. Choose a breakfast you are used to that won't weigh you down and that contains protein and fibre: eggs, cheese, wholegrain bread and some fruit, for example. Very sugary foods can cause a brief energy spike followed by a dip. If you feel your stomach has shut down from nerves, even a few mouthfuls and a warm drink are better than eating nothing. If you usually drink coffee or tea, don't go beyond your usual amount; too much caffeine can increase palpitations and trembling hands.

4. Don't study; warm the mind up

Opening the book in the morning to revise topics usually leads to getting stuck on details that seem to be missing. Instead, do something light to warm the mind up: glancing over a few easy questions you have previously solved with ease, listening to a song you love, or going for a short walk.

5. Leave home early

Check the latest time for entering the exam building on your exam entry document and set off well before it. Twenty extra minutes spent outside the door are far easier to bear than twenty tense minutes spent in traffic. If a school bus or public transport will be used, agree in advance what to do if something goes wrong.

In Front of the Exam Building and the First Minutes in the Hall

The area outside the gate is where most students' nerves peak. The crowd, anxious parents, friends asking last-minute questions and rumours that "such-and-such a topic is going to come up" make the atmosphere tense.

• Stay away from last-minute conversations. Questions like "Did you study limits?" draw attention to a gap you cannot change at that moment. Find yourself a quiet corner or talk only about light topics.
• Use a breathing rhythm. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds and breathe out slowly through your mouth for six seconds. Breathing out for longer than you breathe in activates the body's calming system. Keeping this rhythm going for a few minutes can noticeably slow your heart rate. You can find different techniques in our article on breathing exercises for anxiety.
• Ground your body. Notice your feet on the floor and your back against the chair. Silently count five things you can see around you. This small exercise brings the mind from the "what ifs" of the future back to the present moment.

When the booklet is opened

When you open the booklet you may not know the first question. This does not mean the exam will go badly; in exams the order of difficulty is spread randomly. Quickly skimming the first questions and starting with one that feels easy sends the brain a "I can do this" signal and gets things flowing.

If during the exam you feel your mind go blank for a moment, put the pen down, take two or three slow breaths, mark that question and move on. A blank is usually a temporary effect of intense stress, and when you don't force it, it tends to clear by itself. For students who experience this often, there are more detailed suggestions in our article on going blank in exams.

Between sessions and on the second day

In the LGS the two sessions are held back to back on the same day; in the YKS, the sessions are spread over two days. These in-between times are moments when most students spend their energy without realising it. Looking at answer keys between sessions or on the evening of the first day, and comparing questions one by one with friends, carries the weight of the finished session into the next. Let's say a student coming out of the first day of the YKS reads comments on social media in the evening saying "the questions were really easy this year" and, thinking about the questions they found hard, cannot sleep until after midnight. The next morning they go into the second session with an anxiety that actually has nothing to do with it.

That is why it is necessary to leave the finished session behind, as if closing a door. A short walk, a light meal, some music you enjoy and repacking your bag for the next day are enough. Leave working out scores and talking about results until the whole exam is over.

Your nerves don't show that you are unprepared for the exam; they show that this exam matters to you.

What Should Parents Do on Exam Morning? Ways to Stand Beside Your Child

The tone of the household on exam morning is often set by the parents. In many families in Turkey this morning turns into a day when grandmother prays over the phone, an aunt sends a "good luck" message and a neighbour offers good wishes at the door. This attention is given with love, but it can leave the young person feeling they are in front of an audience. The suggestions below can help arrange the morning around the young person's needs:

• Keep the morning simple. At the breakfast table, choose everyday, light conversation over exam advice and sentences like "don't forget this, watch out for that". If the young person doesn't want to talk, respect the silence.
• Notice your own nerves. Pacing anxiously around the room, checking the clock again and again and a rising tone of voice pass directly to the young person. Your calm acts as an anchor for their nervous system.
• Manage phone traffic. Telling relatives in advance, "Please don't call on the morning of the exam, we'll be in touch in the evening," prevents the young person's attention from being scattered.
• Ask how they would like you to wait outside. Some young people want to see their family in front of the building, while others prefer to be alone. Asking about this beforehand and respecting the young person's wish is important.
• Talk about afterwards in advance. Promising "The first thing I ask when you come out won't be how many you got right" and keeping that promise lightens the load the young person carries out of the exam. If the young person wants to work out their score when the answer key is released, do it together.

When Should You Seek Professional Support?

Exam-morning nerves are something most students experience, and they end with the exam. However, in the following situations it may be helpful to speak to a professional before the exam period arrives:

• If attacks resembling panic attacks, breathlessness or feeling faint occur frequently during mock exams
• If, as exam day approaches, the young person experiences a marked deterioration in sleep, appetite and daily tasks
• If going blank in the exam hall happens again and again and they cannot answer questions they know
• If behaviours such as falling ill to avoid the exam or refusing to sit it appear
• If a previous exam experience still causes the young person intense shame or fear

These signs alone do not amount to a diagnosis; however, they may suggest that anxiety is getting in the way of the young person's performance. Within adolescent counselling, practical skills for exam day are also worked on with young people who experience exam anxiety.

How Is Exam-Day Anxiety Addressed in Therapy?

Exam-day anxiety is a topic frequently worked on in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The first step in the process is to understand how the young person interprets their nerves. The "catastrophic" meanings attached to physical symptoms are noticed, and the young person learns through experience that these symptoms are in fact harmless.

In therapy, exam morning and the exam hall can be brought to life step by step through imagery. In a safe setting, the young person notices what they feel in those moments and tries out skills such as breathing and focusing attention during these rehearsals. Mock exams are also used as rehearsals: before each one, a chosen skill is practised, and afterwards what helped is reviewed together.

The family's approach during the exam process can also be part of the work. Parents expressing their expectations and anxieties without projecting them onto the young person makes exam morning more manageable for everyone at home. Where necessary, an assessment by a psychiatrist may also be recommended for marked symptoms of an anxiety disorder.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I got up on exam morning without having slept at all?

First, remind yourself that one sleepless night will not decide the outcome. Have your breakfast, get some daylight, have your usual amount of caffeine and avoid strong stimulants. Your nerves will largely support your alertness throughout the exam.

My stomach is churning with nerves; is it a problem if I can't eat breakfast?

Nausea is a very common symptom of exam nerves. Instead of a heavy breakfast, a few mouthfuls, a banana or a warm drink may be enough. Putting a small snack and water in your bag, in line with the rules, helps you keep up your energy during the exam.

I don't want my parents to wait outside the exam building; how do I tell them?

Talking about this a few days before the exam, at a calm moment, makes things easier. A clear and loving sentence such as "Seeing you at the gate makes me more nervous; I'll call you as soon as I come out" makes it easier for your family to understand your wish without taking it personally.

• #LGS
• #YKS
• #exam day
• #managing nerves

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Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

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