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A Wellington teacher and study coach says she is seeing rising levels of anxiety and stress among NCEA students as exams approach.

Karen Boyes, CEO of Spectrum Education, said the stress students were feeling was “heartbreaking”.

“We see that so many students and parents are in a state of high anxiety, frozen and unable to progress.

“There’s a bit of an epidemic at the moment,” he told RNZ’s Nine to Noon.

He said feelings of stress should be expected before a big event.

“It’s normal to be anxious when you care and don’t know what the outcome is.”

How to alleviate feelings of stress in students?

Go back to practice exams

“The key to studying is learning what you don’t know. Most students go home and study what they know, and it’s just a waste of time.”

And while that may make students feel better, he said, it’s not learning.

“Learning is going over what you don’t know, what you did wrong.”

Use various techniques to fix

“Use mnemonics, break down information. Maybe flash cards, old-fashioned flash cards still work. Have a teacher come in to test you, watch videos, read from different sources, get different multiple perspectives, have a teacher come in and help.”

Work in 20-minute intervals

“Do it for 20 minutes, quickly review what you just did, and then take a five-minute break.”

But don’t leave everything to the last minute; Cramming is not an effective way to learn, Boyes warns.

“The way to do this is spaced repetition. So you want to do some of it today, then go back tomorrow and go back the next day.

“Give space, don’t try to fit it all in, cramming it won’t work, so take the time you have.”

Study wherever you’re comfortable

“It could be in your bedroom but not in your bed, because that’s for sleeping. It could be on the floor, it could be a table or a chair. It could be sitting in the sunlight. Some people like to study in the cafe.”

Try group work if it helps: “Talking about it is a great way to learn information. In fact, teaching someone something is the highest form of understanding.”

However, when reading a book, music is “connected to everything”.

“If a student is studying with music and singing along to music, he or she is not studying. The brain cannot focus on two things at the same time; multitasking is a myth.”

If a task seems too difficult, move on

“Leave that part alone and focus on what you can do,” says Boyes.

If the student does not understand something and exams are approaching, do not panic.

“Your teachers are ready for your exams, come in and ask for help and support.”