Some students do very well on homework and fine on mock exams, but on the day of the real exam their scores come out clearly lower. One exam day it is a stomachache, another day they forget a formula, another time their mind goes blank in the middle of the test, as if someone had erased a section. Parents usually hear the familiar explanation that their child lacks focus or is not trying hard enough. At the clinic, we see quite a few cases where the cause lies elsewhere.
A student before the graduation exam
The student was in the final year of school, about to sit the graduation exam. The family brought the student in for a very specific reason: just thinking about math and chemistry made the student tense, and a feeling of fear came up. The student was afraid that on the real exam day the scores would be lower than in the mock exams, even though the student was not weak at all.
The doctor examined the student using Applied Kinesiology, which means testing muscle strength to find the layers that are overloaded. When the doctor asked the student to think about math and chemistry and then tested again, the muscles linked to the stress response became weak. When the student thought about other subjects, the muscles stayed strong. The student’s body was reacting to those two subjects as if they were a threat.
Taking the fear out of the nervous system
We did not tutor the student in math, and we did not tell them to "try harder". We looked for the layers of the body where the fear was holding on, then calmed each layer in turn.
The doctor started with the forehead area and the chakras, and taught the student a hand mudra (a held hand position) to do for three minutes each time, as a way to calm down when anxious. Next came the nervous system, including the part related to the eyes, since the student spent many hours studying with the eyes focused up close. Then came the adrenal glands, which regulate the response to stress, and the neck and shoulders, where the student often had pain while studying. After each step, the student thought about math again and the doctor tested the muscle once more. Only when the muscle no longer weakened was that step considered done.
Results
Two months after the exam, the student’s mother messaged the clinic. The student did well, with near-perfect scores in almost every subject; only Chinese was one point lower. The student had been accepted to a major university abroad, and the mother sent her thanks.
This is only one case, and we cannot say every student will be the same. Exam results also depend on the student’s own preparation and effort. In our observation, once the fear eased, the student was able to use everything they had learned.
What parents can watch for
A child can be fully capable, but if the nervous system is on guard, that ability does not come through fully. Signs worth noticing:
- Doing much better on homework than on the real exam, again and again.
- Stomachaches, nausea, a racing heart or broken sleep before exams.
- Avoiding, snapping or going quiet whenever a certain subject comes up.
- Often being "unlucky" right on exam day: forgetting things, getting sick, losing focus.
If your child shows these signs, don’t jump to the conclusion that they are lazy. Ask how they feel when they think about that subject, then look for someone who can help calm their nervous system before adding more homework.
This article shares a real case; personal information has been hidden. The content is for reference only and does not replace an in-person consultation with a doctor.
