American schools face pressure to increase their students' test scores. Research reports have shown American students to be particularly stressed over test taking partially because of other outside interests in their lives that also take up time. This paper offers tips to help students relieve stress arising from the testing situation. Students should practice taking tests, be prepared, read the directions slowly and carefully, think positively, and relax. One research study found that students who were allowed to chew gum during a test received slightly higher scores than did students who were not allowed to chew gum. A conclusion is that relaxed students will be better able to concentrate on their tests. (LMI)