Test Anxiety 

1. Anxiety is a basic human emotion characterised by fear and uncertainty that typically appears when an individual perceives an event as being a threat to the ego or self-esteem. In some instances, such as avoiding dangerous situations, anxiety can be helpful. When taken to extremes, however, it may produce undesirable results.
2. One of the most threatening events that causes anxiety in students today is testing. When students develop an extreme fear of performing poorly on an examination, they experience test anxiety. Test anxiety contributes to a variety of negative outcomes, including psychological distress, academic underachievement, academic failure and insecurity. Many students have the ability to do well on exams but may not do so because of high levels of test anxiety. Because of our society’s emphasis on testing, test anxiety could potentially limit these students’ opportunities at school. 
3. Test anxiety is made up of three major elements: cognitive, affective and behavioural. Students who experience test anxiety from the cognitive perspective may be preoccupied with negative thoughts, doubting their academic ability and intellectual competence. Furthermore, they are more likely to overemphasise the potential negative results of testing and feel helpless during testing situations. Some students may feel the need to answer every question on the test correctly. When they are not able to, they may view themselves as incompetent. These students may be overcome by negative thoughts such as, ‘I knew I was not going to pass this test,’ ‘I know I am going to get a bad mark,’ or ‘Everyone knows I am not clever.’ In order for students to have the best opportunity for academic success, they must minimise or control their negative thinking. 
4. From the affective perspective, test anxiety causes some students to experience physiological reactions such as increased heart rate, feelings of nausea, frequent urination, cold hands, dry mouth and muscle spasms. These reactions may be present before, during and even after the test is completed. In conjunction with the physiological reactions, emotions such as worry, fear of failure and panic may be present. When students are not able to control their emotions, they may experience higher levels of stress, thereby making it more difficult for them to concentrate.
5. Finally, there’s the behavioural perspective. Students with test anxiety often express that anxiety by procrastinating and having inefficient study habits and test-taking skills. In addition, some students may physically feel tired or exhausted during test administration because they do not maintain a healthy diet, good sleeping habits or routine exercise. 
6. Admittedly, facing test anxiety head-on is no fun. However, students who do so can make strides to reduce the cognitive, affective and behavioural components that test anxiety brings. As a result, they can make their testtaking experiences more successful and less painful. 

Adapted from ERIC Counselling and Student Services Clearinghouse, ‘Test Anxiety