Any student who’s sat down to take a test knows that the final few moments before an exam begins can be incredibly stressful.
Did I actually study enough?
Do I know the material as well as I think I do?
Did I prepare for the right questions?
Self-doubt and anxiousness creep into the minds of even the brightest and most gifted students, especially since it feels like future success hinges entirely on the outcome of this single test.
Luckily, God offers us peace in stressful times, and spending time in prayer before an exam can help remind us of a larger reality: that God loves us, and loving Him and sharing that love with others is far more important than our GPA, what school we get into or what job title we have.
Here are a few prayers to pray before exams to help us feel peace, security, and love from our God, who loves us more than we can comprehend.
Simple Prayers Before a Test or Exam
Say one of these simple prayers any time before you sit down for a test or exam:
- Heavenly Father, all-knowing and ever-present, clear my mind of stress and allow me to pause for a short moment and feel your presence. Strengthen me to do Your will and allow the Holy Spirit to guide me in the ways You are leading me. May Your will be done today and always. Amen.
- Loving God, source of all truth, I humbly ask you to strengthen me and allow my talents, which are gifts from You, to shine through today before this exam. May I always strive to boldly leverage my talents to give You honor. Even though I know that no text or exam here on earth can evaluate me on what’s most important, I still ask for Your blessing to do my best today. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.
- Lord, I simply ask today for peace and calm as my exam approaches. Quiet my mind and ease my anxiousness. Be with me as I take my test. Give me the grace to trust fully in You for whatever the future holds for me, in all my academic pursuits and with my life as a whole. Amen.
St. Thomas Aquinas Prayer Before an Exam
There are different versions of this prayer attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and patron saint of schools and students.
In his book A First Glance at St. Thomas Aquinas: A Handbook for Peeping Thomists, Ralph McInerny describes how Aquinas has been the go-to saint for students and those in academia.
“Thomas has been recommended to Catholic philosophers and theologians as their principal guide. The assumption is that he can aid them in their task,” he wrote. “Their task, in a nutshell, is to attain the truth. The main reason to read Thomas is to learn things that are true.”
Consider seeking the intercession of St. Thomas Aquinas with the following prayer:
Lord,
True source of light and wisdom,
Give me a keen sense of understanding, a retentive memory, and the capacity to grasp things correctly.
Grant me the grace to be accurate in my writing
and the skill to express myself with thoroughness and clarity.
Be with me at the start of my work. Guide its progress and bring it to completion.
Grant this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
St. Agatha Prayer Before a Nursing Exam
Nursing students have rigorous exams they must pass before becoming licensed to work as a registered nurse.
St. Agatha is often considered the patron saint of nurses; though she was not a nurse herself, the third-century Sicilian martyr endured tremendous hardship and challenging situations for a noble cause, something with which many pursuing a career in nursing can identify.
This short prayer can be prayed before a nursing exam to ask for the intercession of St. Agatha:
Dearest St. Agatha, patron of nurses, I come to you today to ask for your intercession as I approach my exam. Pray that if it’s God’s will, I will pass my exam and pursue a vocation as a nurse. Pray that I always have the strength to live each day in service of others, no matter the cost. Pray that God eases my mind and my heart, replacing stress with peace–the peace that only He can provide. St. Agatha, pray for me!
St. Joseph of Cupertino Prayer Before an Exam
St. Joseph of Cupertino is another patron of students and test-takers. He was a poor student (sometimes called a dunce!) but very humble and virtuous. He eventually passed an important exam to become a Franciscan, seemingly against all odds.
Versions of this prayer are popular among students before taking a significant exam:
O Great St. Joseph of Cupertino,
Who while on earth did obtain from God the grace to be asked at your examination only the questions you knew,
Obtain for me a favor in the examinations for which I am now preparing.
In return I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked. Though Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Joseph of Cupertino, Pray for us!
Surrender Novena Prayer
Perhaps one of the best prayers to say before an exam is a simple 10 words. It comes from the Surrender Novena, and it’s easy to memorize and repeat.
Jesus, I surrender myself to You. Take care of everything! (repeat)
This simple prayer is powerful and reminds us to place all of our trust in God, not just for exams we take in school but for any test or trial that we must endure. It reminds us of our limitations as humans and that we can’t (and shouldn’t) try to control things and dictate our will.
Other Prayers Before an Exam
Perhaps the best way to pray before an exam is any prayer that helps you feel God’s love for you and reminds you that no outcome on any exam will ever change that. Consider Lectio divina, Divine Mercy Chaplet or the Litany of Trust.