Test anxiety is a type of performance anxiety where people experience extreme distress and anxiety during testing situations. It has physical, emotional, and mental/cognitive components. Common causes include poor study habits, past poor performance, and underlying anxiety problems. People who worry a lot or are perfectionists are more likely to experience test anxiety. Strategies to manage it include effective preparation, relaxation techniques, and not dwelling on mistakes after the test.

1. TEST ANXIETY

2. What is Test Anxiety?
• Type of performance anxiety
• It is a psychological condition in which people
experience extreme distress and anxiety in
testing situations

3. Measurement Scales
• State/Trait Anxiety Inventory
▫ Charles Spielberger
• Westside Test Anxiety Scale
▫ Richard Driscoll
• 10 item Debilitative Anxiety Scale
▫ Alpert-Haber
• Reactions to Tests (RTT) Scale
▫ Irwin. G. Sarason
• Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale
▫ Cassady & Johnson

4. Components of Test Anxiety
• Physical Component (Physiological over-
arousal)
▫ typical bodily reactions to acute anxiety: a knot in
the stomach, wet and trembling hands, nausea or
"butterflies in the stomach," tense shoulders and
back of the neck, dry mouth, and
pounding heart.

5. Components of Test Anxiety
• Emotional Component (Worry & Dread)
▫ involves fear or panic
▫ Can include depression, low self-esteem,
anger and a feeling of
hopelessness

6. Components of Test Anxiety
• Mental/Cognitive Component
(Impairment)
▫ involve problems with attention and memory
▫ "My mind jumps from one thing to another" and
"I think I am certain to fail"
▫ include fidgeting or outright
avoidance of testing situations
▫ Negative self-talk

7. Causes of Test Anxiety
• Mental causes:
▫ Students’ expectations
• Biological causes:
▫ Adrenaline (flight-fight response)
• For many students, it can be a combination of
things...
▫ Bad study habits
▫ poor past test performance
▫ and an underlying anxiety problem can all
contribute to test anxiety.

8. Who’s likely to have Test Anxiety?
• People who worry a lot or
who are perfectionists
• Students who aren't
prepared for tests but who
care about doing well are
also likely to experience
test anxiety

9. What can you do?
• Before the Test
▫ Discuss test content with the instructor and
classmates.
▫ Develop effective study and test preparation skills.
▫ Spread review of class material over several days
rather than cramming.
▫ Intensive review should be done a few days before test.
▫ Review text, notes, and homework problems.
▫ Use 3x5 cards for learning specific concepts or
formulas.
▫ Take a practice test under exam-like conditions.
▫ Continue regular exercise program.
▫ Get sufficient rest and nutrition.

10. What can you do?
• During the Test
▫ Read the directions carefully.
▫ Budget your test taking time.
▫ Change positions to help you relax.
▫ If you go blank, skip the question and go on.
▫ If you're taking an essay test and you go blank on
the whole test, pick a question and start writing. It
may trigger the answer in your mind.
▫ Don't panic when students start handing in their
papers. There's no reward for being the first done.

11. What can you do?
• After the Test
▫ Try not to dwell on all the
mistakes you might have made.
▫ Do not immediately begin
studying for the next test
▫ Indulge in something relaxing
for a little while.

12. References
• http://www.counselingcenter.illinois.edu/?page_i
d=114
• http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/test
_anxiety.html#
• http://psychology.about.com/od/mentalhealth/a/t
est-anxiety.htm
• http://www.utdallas.edu/counseling/testanxiety/