Eighty-two college students took part in a study on motives underlying increases in cigarette smoking prior to examinations. One group was tested a month before, and a second group was tested the day before, the start of examinations. Measures were taken of current cigarette consumption, general anxiety, anxiety about forthcoming exams, the importance of sedative and stimulant smoking motives, hours spent revising and in other activities and amounts smoked during these activities. The results indicated that the students increased the hours they spent revising and there was a corresponding increase in the number of cigarettes smoked during this activity. They also reported an increase in the importance of stimulant smoking motives. Anxiety levels increased in the run up to exams but there was no increase in sedative smoking motives. The results raise the issue of whether any anxiolytic action of nicotine may be limited to acute stressors and also whether smokers' use of cigarettes to help them stay alert during revision translates into improved examination performance.