Between 25 and 40% of students experience some form of test anxiety, from mild to severe, throughout their academic career. Test anxiety is the unsettled feeling that students experience before they take a test, and although it’s expected that students feel slightly nervous before a high-stakes assessment, test anxiety can become overwhelming to the point of causing significant underperformance.

Test anxiety can manifest in various ways, from physical symptoms like headaches and a rapid heartbeat to emotional symptoms such as fear and depression. This anxiety can disrupt students' ability to concentrate, recall information, and perform well, creating a cycle of poor performance and increased anxiety. The diverse causes and symptoms of test anxiety make it challenging to pinpoint a one-size-fits-all solution.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in the US, we want to take this opportunity to explore the various causes and symptoms of test anxiety, and discuss practical strategies that educators can implement to help students manage and overcome this common challenge. By fostering a supportive and understanding environment, educators can make a significant difference in their students' academic performance and overall well-being.

What are the causes of test anxiety?

The causes of test anxiety are multifaceted, ranging from lack of preparation and high-pressure situations to fear of failure and poor test history. Each student may experience test anxiety differently, with some showing more severe symptoms than others. Understanding these causes and recognizing the symptoms are crucial steps in addressing test anxiety effectively.

Lack of preparation

Test anxiety often arises when students feel (or are) unprepared for exams. Students may experience anxiety because they feel they haven't covered enough material or haven't practiced enough to feel confident in their abilities. It’s a feeling that can stem from procrastination or external distractions. Additionally, a lack of exposure to the testing environment can contribute to anxiety, particularly in educational settings that emphasize summative assessments over formative ones. This fear of being underprepared can lead to heightened stress and anxiety during exams.

High-pressure situations

Pressure to perform well, whether from external sources such as parents or teachers, or from internalized expectations, can contribute to test anxiety. Students may feel immense pressure to achieve high grades, maintain scholarships, or meet academic standards. In a study into the effects of pressure on high grades, Martinek, Zumbach, and Carmignola (2022) assert that: “pressure is not only irrelevant for academic performance, but rather, detrimental for students’ perceptions in school.” They stress that educators should make learning an enjoyable environment and avoid unnecessary coercion.

Fear of failure and low self-efficacy

The fear of failure is a common cause of test anxiety. Students may worry about how poor performance could affect their grades, future academic opportunities, or their self-efficacy. This fear can be particularly intense for students who have experienced failure in the past or who have high expectations placed upon them by themselves or others.

If students have encountered difficulties or received low grades on previous tests, they may develop a fear of repeating those experiences. Negative feedback or criticism from teachers or peers can also contribute to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety surrounding exams. The anticipation of failure can lead to negative thoughts and emotions that interfere with performance on exams.

In a study by Zheng, Zhang, and Ran (2023) on academic stress, parental expectations, regulatory emotional self-efficacy, and test anxiety, their findings revealed a significant positive correlation between academic stress and test anxiety, highlighting that, “parental expectations could significantly moderate the impact of academic stress on regulatory emotional self-efficacy”.

In a similar vein, students who doubt their abilities or have low confidence in their academic skills may experience heightened anxiety when faced with exams. Furthermore, the stress and pressure of test anxiety can further erode students' self-efficacy, creating a cycle of negative thoughts and emotions that perpetuates anxiety.

What are the symptoms of test anxiety?

The symptoms of test anxiety likewise vary widely from physical symptoms such as headache and rapid heartbeat to emotional symptoms like fear and depression. These can occur acutely or for days or weeks before a test.

Some of the most troubling and impactful symptoms are the behavioral and cognitive symptoms like difficulty concentrating and blanking out on answers to the test despite thorough preparation, because they create a negative feedback loop of poor test results that lead to more test anxiety. In some cases, test anxiety can become so severe that students will drop out of school in order to avoid failing a test. In some students, behavioral symptoms like substance abuse or self-harm can cause even greater issues.

Researchers in Educational Psychology have determined that, beyond negatively impacting the emotional well-being of students, test anxiety is also a strong predictor of poor long-term academic performance. Furthermore, the researchers found that focusing solely on emotional coping techniques to combat test anxiety–such as mindfulness and relaxation techniques–did not tangibly change those results. However, a more multifaceted approach to combating test anxiety, particularly with the support of instructors, can positively influence results.

Can test anxiety impact academic integrity?

Test anxiety can impact not only students' academic performance but also their integrity and ethical behavior. One of the more troubling outcomes of test anxiety is the temptation for students to take academic shortcuts, typically due to an overwhelming fear of failure and a lack of self-efficacy. When students feel that they cannot succeed through their own efforts, shortcuts often manifest into various forms of exam misconduct, undermining the educational process and academic standards of the institution.

In the traditional classroom setting, misconduct might look like copying from another student’s paper or bringing unauthorized materials. In the online sphere, students may leverage generative AI tools like ChatGPT to obtain accurate exam answers, even during timed assessments. Remarkably, GPT-4 has demonstrated the capability to pass the US bar exam. As a result, educational institutions are fastly exploring innovative strategies to maintain the integrity of assessments.

While misconduct is a serious consequence of test anxiety, educators can help mitigate this issue by creating a supportive environment that reduces the pressure to cheat.

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How can educators prevent test anxiety across the institution?

Openly discuss the prevalence of test anxiety

Anxiety often stems from a sense of isolation—the belief that everyone else has everything under control. Discuss with your students the prevalence of test anxiety with statistics and anecdotes with the aim to normalize and destigmatize; this will help to create a supportive atmosphere where they feel comfortable discussing their concerns.

Odds are that at least a third of your students will have some experience with test anxiety and many may not realize how common that is. Naming and discussing the anxiety can help to dispel its power, effectively communicating it does not reflect a lack of intelligence or capability.

Establish a supportive relationship with students

Building trust and rapport with students is essential. Educators can achieve this by being approachable, empathetic, and responsive to students' needs. Encourage open communication and assure students that seeking help or clarification is not a sign of weakness.

Students generally view assessments as challenges or trials, with their instructor as their adversary. As an instructor, make it clear that you are your students’ partner and guide in their education, not their foe. Let students know that you are available to support them academically and emotionally throughout their learning journey.

Sometimes the simple act of explaining the purpose of an assessment, which can seem obvious to the instructor, can help students reframe the assessment and their attitude toward it. It may also be worth analyzing your students’ responses to your exams to inform your exam design, ensure the format works for them, and uphold inclusivity for fair assessment.

Stay flexible to support students’ differing needs

It’s important to recognize that students have diverse learning styles and abilities.With this in mind, educators should offer flexible assessment options, such as allowing students to choose between different types of assessments (e.g., written, oral, project-based) or providing extended time for exams. This flexibility accommodates a number of learning differences and provides insights into student learning and capability outside of the high-stakes assessment environment.

Accommodations for students with documented disabilities should be readily available and implemented as needed. Often, instructors lean heavily on student disability services to support students with diagnosed test anxiety, but often those resources are overburdened or difficult to navigate, only heightening the experience of anxiety. To resolve this issue, and if the opportunity allows, instructors should aim to accommodate individual differences (including student-specific time limit extensions) to create a more inclusive and less stressful learning environment.

Be transparent about exam expectations

Provide detailed information about exam formats, including the types of questions, time limits, and grading criteria. Offer practice tests or sample questions that closely resemble the actual exam format. This allows students to familiarize themselves with the structure and content of the exam, reducing uncertainty and anxiety. Additionally, provide constructive feedback on practice tests to help students identify areas for improvement.

Engage in positive preparation for exams

To help give students the tools they need for a healthy exam experience, preparation is key. Provide guidance on effective study strategies, such as time management, active learning techniques, and self-regulation skills. Encourage students to create study schedules, break tasks into manageable chunks, and prioritize their workload.

Educators can also emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between studying and self-care activities, such as exercise, relaxation, and socializing. Educate students about the impact of factors like sleep, nutrition, and stress management on their cognitive functioning and overall well-being. By equipping students with comprehensive preparation strategies, educators can empower them to approach exams with confidence and resilience.

Shift students' perspectives on tests

Studies have shown that perception has a marked impact on test anxiety, with perceived difficulty and test consequences leading to higher test anxiety. Instructors can help students by promoting a growth mindset, emphasizing the importance of effort, resilience, and continuous improvement.

Educators can attempt to combat the fear of high-pressure situations by introducing regular low-stakes formative assessments. Formative assessments are designed to monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve teaching and by students to improve their learning. Unlike high-stakes summative assessments, which can contribute to significant stress, formative assessments typically focus on learning rather than grading.

Regular exposure to testing situations can help students become desensitized to the anxiety-inducing aspects of exams. Frequent engagement with low-stakes assessments helps students become more familiar with the testing process, reducing the fear and anxiety they associate with exams.

By encouraging students to view exams as opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, this can help them gain a parallel attitude toward exams, moving away from seeing them as threats to their self-worth. Emphasize that mistakes are part of the learning process and that setbacks can be overcome with perseverance and hard work. By reframing students' perspectives on exams, educators can help alleviate anxiety and foster a more positive attitude towards learning.

Help students get the most out of feedback 

Test anxiety is a pervasive issue affecting a significant portion of students, with far-reaching implications for their academic performance and emotional well-being. By understanding the multifaceted causes and the diverse symptoms of test anxiety, educators can better support their students through targeted interventions.

Ultimately, by fostering an environment that prioritizes student well-being and growth, educators can help students not only manage their test anxiety but also thrive academically and personally. Supporting students in overcoming test anxiety is not just about improving test scores; it's about nurturing their overall development and ensuring they have the tools and confidence to succeed in all aspects of their academic journey.

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