To overcome your irrational fears and lower your test anxiety before and during an exam, employ nine mental strategies. Develop regular study habits that are effective. You will need to prepare properly in advance, so you can be confident with only limited amounts of fear to wrack your nerves come the exam.

Nine Mental Strategies:

1. Buy the best book(s) online for study strategy. Check the reviews on Amazon or consult peers who have self-studied for the TOEFL and ask them what text they recommend beforehand.
2. Prepare many months in advance of taking the TOEFL exam so that you have a lot of time to progress and integrate your techniques for taking a test.
3. Organize a plan of attack to study efficiently making the best use of your available time. Set a realistic goal. Daily study sessions even if short are known to be more effective over time than longer study hours only once per week.
4. Get a TOEFL instructor to help you stay inspired, otherwise, you may go off track and not reach your necessary goals in your time frame.
5. Practice your TOEFL study in an orderly area with well-organized study preparation materials. Select an area which is comfortable and suitable to concentrate with minimal distractions.
6. Identify what your weak points are and dedicate extra time to strengthen your weaknesses while keeping your strong points solid.
7. Do English reading, listening online, speaking practice recording your voice over your phone, and writing as much as possible daily to improve your fluency and interaction with the language.
8. Start a vocabulary notebook by writing down words you hear listening online and reading in articles that you are not familiar with. If you are taking practice exams or doing simulation activities, write down new words you come across on index cards with an English definition on one side and a sentence with the word in context on the other side. Review these daily.
9. Get an online study group or a native-speaking professional for feedback to meet weekly with to plan your strategies and practice your skills so you will develop at a constant rate.