EXAMINATION ANXIETY

WHAT IS EXAMINATION ANXIETY?

Examination anxiety is a term used to describe a state of agitation or anxiety experienced when
faced with an assessment situation or the need to perform. It is defined as a common and often
normal stress reaction experienced before, during and sometimes after exams. Exam anxiety
presents an issue when it is intense, continues over time and impedes academic performance.
A certain level of exam or test anxiety is actually a common and often normal response to
sitting exams. Some degree of nervous energy and tension is generally required to motivate us
to study for, and complete exams and perform well, examination anxiety is not all bad. Most
people have a level of anxiety relating to exams that is normal, but this can become problematic
when anxiety impedes our ability to attend, engage with or perform on exams due to its effects
and symptoms.

Test anxiety is defined as the reaction to stimuli that is associated with an individual’s
experience of testing or evaluating situations. Its studies aim to examine the fluctuation pattern
of anxiety symptoms during a clinical examination and its relationship with underlying anxiety
traits.

POTENTIAL CAUSES:

There can be many reasons a person may develop high levels of anxiety in relation to exams.
Sometimes pressures coming from the individual themselves (such as perfectionism), or even
their family or friends can also contribute to the degree of anxiety experienced in regards to
exams. Exam anxiety may also intensify after a negative exam experience when confidence has
been affected. A lack of preparation or study can also increase our sense of helplessness and
stress. As with any mental health issue – biology and our personality and our life experiences
play a role. Some people tend to worry or may be more prone to developing exam anxiety but
this does not mean it cannot be managed and improved with practice and support.

SYMPTOMS:

There are many symptoms which people may have when experiencing exam anxiety and these
may occur before, during, and/or after exams. Below are some of the commonly reported
symptoms.

Emotional

● Feeling nervous, unsettled or overwhelmed

● Feeling panic or experiencing panic attacks
● Feeling down or helpless
● Feeling a sense of shame or guilt.
Physical

● Increased heart rate

● Muscle tension throughout the body
● Nausea and/or digestive changes
● Fatigue without physical exertion

Cognitive

● Difficulties concentrating and/or paying attention

● Difficulties recalling or processing key information (going blank)
● Racing or disorganized thoughts
● Irrational or unhelpful thoughts

Behavioral

● Pacing or acting restless (shaking leg, increased activity).

● Cramming or staying up the night before in the hope it will help improve your grades or
reduce anxiety.
● Withdrawing from others or obsessing about study
● Procrastinating and avoiding cues relating to exams including study

In many studies, it is found that students with high-examination anxiety trait scores were more
likely to be satisfied with their exam performance. This could partly be due to lower self-imposed
expectations. Alternatively, the high-test anxiety trait may prompt earlier and better exam
preparation.

WHY EXAMINATION ANXIETY?

Many students experience high stress due to various reasons such as lack of preparation, style
of their study and lack of needed information. When stress is perceived negatively or becomes
excessive, it leads to anxiety before and during examinations and ultimately affects their
academic achievement. The present study was conducted to know the examination stress felt
by college students under Arts, Science and Commerce stream of education. Further
comparison was done to find out the level of stress felt by college students enrolled in
undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. On comparing the stress and anxiety among
students of different streams, the students of Arts were found having highest stress and anxiety
during examination followed by commerce students. There was no significant difference found in
the stress and anxiety level of undergraduate and postgraduate students