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I Forgot to Study for the Test

“The teacher gives me a long list of questions from a French book that I didn’t read …”

—Karel, 15

If you dream of having to take a test for which you are completely unprepared, or forgetting your lines when you’re performing in a play onstage, you’ll probably feel anxious during the dream and puzzled when you wake up. Especially if you do not have a big test or performance scheduled, you’ll wonder why you dreamed about one.

This nightmare has many variations. You may not know the answers to the questions in a test; you may have read the wrong books or studied for the wrong exam. Maybe you intended to drop the course, didn’t know that you were registered for it, or simply forgot to study. You may not have enough time to write down the answers. For some dreamers, the difficulty is getting to where the test is taking place, running down hallways, searching for the right room. You may not even make it to the school building: thirteen-year-old Bronwen said, “I wake up late and no matter how hard I try to get there on time, I can’t get to the test.”

In another version of this bad dream, you flub a performance onstage. In dramas, musicals, sports, or some other event, you realize you’ve forgotten the lines, don’t know the part, are missing vital equipment, or don’t know what to do:

Your dreams of performing poorly can help you understand how you are feeling at the moment. They alert you so that you can change your behavior and be more prepared.

Dreams of Poor Performance

Performing poorly in school or onstage is a fairly common nightmare among teenagers. More than one-quarter of kids who were surveyed said they’d had these dreams. Surprisingly, more adults (40 percent) report this dream than kids in school do. One man said, “I’m taking my law exam and am afraid I’ll fail. It’s ridiculous because I graduated long ago and have been a practicing lawyer for more than twenty years.” Doctors, lawyers, engineers, and other professionals have these dreams long after finishing graduate training. So, if you don’t dream of poor performance now, you may when you are older.

Why do people who have been free of the tensions of taking exams for many years put themselves through the discomfort of doing so in a dream? The answer is simple: people feel their performance in their jobs or in some other area of their waking world may not be adequate.


To dream of performing poorly in a test or onstage
is to feel unprepared in a waking situation.

Testing – One, Two, Three

Generally, when you dream about doing badly on a school test, you are feeling unprepared to cope with some waking situation and you fear you might fail. If you dream you are taking an exam or participating in a performance, you are confronting a challenge in your current life. You face a new or unexpected life test. You’re not sure how to handle it. You feel confused, or think you don’t have enough time to do well.

When you dream that you “forget” you have a test, and you actually have one in your waking life, your dream is a strong reminder to get to work. A boy dreamed “I forgot to study for a history test”; if he had one on that subject coming up, he needed to start studying right away.

More often, the nightmare of doing poorly on a test is symbolic. You might know the feeling of not knowing the answers on a test or of not having read the material. When you find yourself facing some other life situation that you feel unprepared for, you have the same feelings as when you were struggling to pass a test in school. You’re feeling judged on your performance.

Do you have a date with someone you really want to impress? Are you going for your first part-time job interview? Are you trying out for a special program or club? Are you worried you might not be good enough at kissing and all that? Any number of situations put kids in the position of being evaluated too early. You are facing a lot of firsts, and each one can seem like the ultimate test. Be comfortable. Soon you’ll be through with these challenges. You’ll be more experienced and feel more confident about coping with future ones.

Playing a Part

When you dream about being in the wrong play or doing poorly in an onstage performance, you may sense that you are “playing the wrong part” or don’t know your role in some waking-life situation.

Many famous and successful people are troubled by dreams about performing poorly. The celebrated photographer Ansel Adams, who originally trained as a classical pianist, was troubled by dreams of poor performance. In his recurring dream, he is scheduled to play, gets onstage to do so, and has the awful realization that he doesn’t know the piece of music. Actor Sean Penn, while filming the role of a jazz guitarist in Woody Allen’s movie Sweet and Lowdown, said he had nightmares that he is trying to play a guitar solo but his fingers “can’t find the strings.” These dreams are typical of feeling unprepared for a waking-life challenge.

Fifteen-year-old Tara plays clarinet, and she often dreams that she’s trying to but can’t, as if she’s forgotten how. In her dreams, the bandleader scolds her. Tara probably has these dreams when she is feeling judged harshly at how she does something, and needs to improve her performance in that area.

A world-class opera singer sometimes dreams he is in the wrong costume in the wrong opera. This dream only happens when he is not feeling confident about a role. When he has this dream, he realizes he feels unprepared, speaks to the director, and arranges for extra rehearsal so he can perform with confidence. It’s a good idea to use your dreams of poor performance to spur you into taking action that will help you do your best.

Peak Performance

You’ll find it helpful to ask yourself these questions:

  1. What person or situation is making me feel “tested” or “judged” right now?

  2. How can I prepare myself better for doing well in this waking-life situation?

Remind yourself that you’ve taken many tests before and survived. Your dreams often picture the worst possibility. This gets your attention and encourages you to take action to improve the situation.

If your dream of poor performance involves not having the right equipment, consider what you feel is missing to do well in the waking world. Get some support in the area you lack confidence. Get coached. See about finding a tutor. Talk with friends who already know about this area of life. Read books on the subject. You’ll be better equipped to deal with any test life might hand out.

Your dreams can also supply support. Occasionally you may have the pleasurable dream of doing really well. You may dream of acing an exam, just whizzing along knowing the right answers to a difficult test. You may dream about performing superbly in a play, musical, sport, or other competitive event. It seems easy and fun to do.

Whether you’re sinking the winning basket in a dream game, shining as you sing in full voice, or winning the swim meet, you feel exhilarated and successful. You perform with confidence. Such dreams are a kind of practice in which you experience the smoothness of performing with ease. Arnold Schwarzenegger often dreamed of doing well and winning a weight-lifting contest the night before he was to compete. Athletes sometimes use mental rehearsal to improve their movements in their sport.

You’re most likely to dream about a peak performance when you focus on the skill you want to develop. Imagine yourself experiencing your skill perfectly. In the drowsy state before you drift off to sleep, picture yourself doing what you want to do – sinking basketballs, dancing in The Nutcracker, painting the picture, playing the violin, scoring high on the test – smoothly and easily. Flow, ride the rhythm, glide gracefully. Feel yourself moving effortlessly. Give a great performance.

When you dream of performing well, whatever skill you wish to develop, really notice the sensations in your dream. Remember these sensations when you actually perform. You’ll enrich your dreaming world as well as your waking one. You are preparing for success.