Tapping Away Test Anxiety: How EFT Can Help When Written Exams Stand Between You and Your Dreams

I recently received this email that I wanted to share with you:

“Thanks. I bought your book for my daughter who has had a history of “test anxiety” since high school; math is involved, but she’s overcome a lot of the math stuff. She’s an EMT wanting to move to firefighter and/or paramedic. The written tests keep stopping her from being successful. She is an incredible EMT; many fire deptartments want to hire her. She just can’t deal with the written tests. And there are no alternatives. We have tried everything!!!! I’m wondering what we can do with tapping, because I do believe that can do the trick, but she’s on her own in another state right now. How can you help? I’m desperate for her. She’s getting very discouraged and she loves her work.” – Janet

Janet’s email describes a challenge that might sound familiar to many of you. Her daughter is an EMT who wants to advance to becoming a firefighter or paramedic. By all accounts, she’s incredible at what she does — so much so that multiple fire departments want to hire her.

There’s just one stubborn roadblock: the written tests.

Despite being skilled, knowledgeable, and passionate about her work, these written exams have become her personal Mount Everest. And as Janet put it, they’ve “tried everything.”

I can feel the frustration and heartache in Janet’s words. There’s nothing more painful than watching someone you love struggle, especially when you know they have all the talent and dedication needed to succeed.

When “Test Anxiety” Isn’t Just About Tests

Let’s talk about what’s really happening here, because test anxiety is rarely just about the test itself.

Your brain, that incredible, complex organ, has one primary job: keeping you alive. And it does this job with remarkable efficiency, sometimes too efficiently for modern life.

Remember Grog and Thor from my book? (If you haven’t met them yet, Grog is the cautious caveman who survives while Thor, the peace-loving meditator, gets eaten by a tiger.) Your brain is hard-wired like Grog — it’s constantly scanning for threats and dangers.

The problem? Your brain can’t tell the difference between a saber-toothed tiger and a written exam.

When you sit down to take that test, your primitive brain activates its stress response. Your body floods with cortisol and adrenaline. Your heart pounds. Your mind races or goes blank. Your palms sweat.

All these physical reactions served a purpose when we needed to run from predators. But they’re not so helpful when we’re trying to recall information or solve problems on a test.

And here’s something crucial to understand: This reaction isn’t rational. It’s not about how much you’ve studied or how well you know the material. It’s a deeply encoded physiological response that happens automatically.

The Freeze Response in Action

For Janet’s daughter and many others facing test anxiety, what you’re experiencing might be what we call the “freeze response.” This is one of our most primal responses to perceived threats.

When we can’t fight or flee (you can’t exactly punch a test or run away from the testing room without consequences), our bodies resort to freezing. Physically, this often manifests as going blank, feeling paralyzed, or experiencing a disconnect between what you know and what you can access in the moment.

I’ve seen this countless times — brilliant, capable people who simply cannot access their knowledge when faced with a formal testing environment.

The Deeper Story

But here’s where it gets interesting. Test anxiety often has roots beyond the test itself. When I work with people on overcoming test anxiety, we frequently discover that there’s a story behind it — sometimes dating back to childhood.

Perhaps it was a teacher who made you feel small when you got an answer wrong. Maybe it was comparing yourself to siblings or classmates who seemed to breeze through exams. Or possibly a particularly stressful testing experience left an emotional imprint.

For Janet’s daughter, I wonder what the story is behind her test anxiety. When did it start in high school? Was there a particular subject or teacher? What messages did she internalize about her ability to perform on written tests – or about her abilities or intelligence in general?

These emotional imprints create patterns in our nervous system that repeat themselves until we address them directly. That’s why “trying harder” or “more studying” often doesn’t solve the problem. It’s not a knowledge issue — it’s a nervous system issue.

How Tapping Can Help

This is exactly where Tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques or EFT) shines. Tapping works directly with the nervous system, sending calming signals to the amygdala — the part of your brain that triggers the stress response.

When we tap while focusing on the specific emotions around something like test anxiety, we’re essentially “rewiring” those neural pathways. We’re teaching the brain that tests aren’t life-threatening predators. We’re allowing the body to release the stress response pattern it’s been stuck in and pave a new path forward.

Here’s how I would approach this situation:

1. Identify the Specific Triggers

For Janet’s daughter, I’d want to explore:

• What happens in her body just before a written test?
• What thoughts run through her mind?
• What is she most afraid might happen if she fails?
• When did she first remember experiencing test anxiety?
• Has she had any particularly traumatic testing experiences?

Each of these questions helps us get to the root of the pattern, rather than just addressing the symptoms.

2. Tap on the Physical Sensations

Often, starting with the body sensations can be most effective because they’re immediate and concrete. A tapping sequence might begin:

“Even though my heart races and my mind goes blank when I look at the test questions, I deeply and completely accept myself…”

“Even though I feel this tightness in my chest when I think about the written test, I choose to feel calm and clear…”

3. Tap on the Emotional Layers

Test anxiety often carries emotional layers like:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of disappointment (letting herself or others down)
• Frustration at being blocked from achieving her goals
• Self-doubt about her intelligence or abilities
• Shame about struggling with something that seems easy for others

Each of these emotions can be addressed specifically through tapping.

4. Tap on the Core Beliefs

Underneath the emotions are often core beliefs like:

• “I’m not smart enough”
• “I can’t do written tests”
• “My brain doesn’t work right under pressure”
• “I’ll never get past this block”

These beliefs can be powerful drivers of anxiety, and tapping directly on them can create profound shifts.

5. Create New Associations

Finally, we want to use Tapping to create new, positive associations with testing:

• Feeling calm and clear during written exams
• Accessing knowledge effortlessly
• Experiencing confidence in testing situations
• Seeing tests as simply a way to demonstrate what she already knows

A Tapping Sequence for Test Anxiety

For Janet’s daughter (and anyone else struggling with test anxiety), here’s a basic Tapping sequence to start with:

Begin by rating your anxiety around tests on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the most intense.

Take a deep breath, check in with your anxiety level again, and continue Tapping until it decreases significantly.

For Parents Who Want to Help

For Janet and other parents in similar situations, here are some suggestions:

1. Share Tapping resources. Send your daughter some basic tapping instructions or videos. My Tapping Solution App has specific meditations for this very purpose! She might try our “Pre-Test Micro Boost,” “Test Anxiety Relief,” or “Releasing Self-Doubt.” (you can search for those in The Tapping Solution App, or click the links using your mobile device!)
2. Offer to tap with her remotely. You could schedule video calls where you tap together, focusing specifically on her test anxiety.
3. Help her find a local practitioner. Sometimes working with someone in person can accelerate the process. There might be EFT practitioners in her state who could help her directly.
4. Encourage small steps. She might practice taking practice tests in increasingly “test-like” environments while using Tapping to stay calm. Gradually building confidence this way can be very effective.
5. Remind her of her why. When we connect to the deeper reason we want to overcome an obstacle, it can provide powerful motivation. Her love for being an EMT and desire to advance can be anchors during this process.

Remember, your belief in her matters enormously. Your confidence that she can overcome this will help fuel her own belief.

The Bigger Picture

What strikes me about Janet’s email is how it illustrates a common pattern I see: Someone who is clearly talented, dedicated, and capable being held back not by their abilities, but by anxiety.

How many dreams go unfulfilled because of anxiety? How many gifts remain unshared because fear gets in the way?

This isn’t just about passing a test. It’s about freedom. Freedom to pursue your calling without being hijacked by your nervous system. Freedom to share your gifts with the world. Freedom from the limitations that fear imposes.

That’s what drives my passion for Tapping — seeing people break free from these invisible chains and step into their greatest selves.

A Final Thought

To Janet’s daughter and everyone facing similar challenges: Your anxiety is not a character flaw. It’s not a sign of weakness or incapability. It’s simply a pattern in your nervous system that can be changed.

The very fact that you excel as an EMT proves you have the knowledge, skills, and dedication needed. The test anxiety is just a glitch in the system — a fixable glitch.

And when you do break through this barrier (notice I said “when,” not “if”), imagine how many others you might inspire or help through sharing your story. Sometimes our greatest struggles become our greatest gifts to others.

If you’ve been dealing with test anxiety or any form of anxiety that’s holding you back from your dreams, I invite you to try Tapping. Start with the sequence above, and then explore deeper. The freedom you’re seeking is possible — and probably closer than you think.

Ready to dive deeper into tapping? Check out these resources:

• Tapping 101 – Learn the basics of how to tap
• Find a Certified EFT Practitioner – Connect with someone who can guide you through the process
• The Tapping Solution App – Guided tapping meditations for specific issues including test anxiety

Have you overcome test anxiety or used tapping to break through a similar block? Share your experience in the comments below! Or if you have questions about using Tapping for anxiety, let me know — I read every comment

Until next time… Keep Tapping!

Nick Ortner