The Psychology of Exam Anxiety and Why It Matters

Examinations are intended to evaluate a student's knowledge. However, for many students, examinations can evoke anxiety. The nervousness or apprehension felt by a student prior to an examination is not simply a product of their imagination: it is a genuine physiological and psychological response that can negatively impact a student's ability to perform on an examination and overall mental health.

Anxiety associated with testing represents a form of performance anxiety. In the event that a test appears significant or has "high-stakes" implications for a student's future success, the individual will react to the situation as if there were some form of risk present. At that point, the individual's body will respond to the perceived threat through the activation of its stress response system. Activation of this system causes increased blood flow to the heart and the release of the hormone cortisol into circulation. While a moderate level of stress may provide additional focus when completing tasks, excessive amounts of stress can overwhelm one's brain.

Research indicates that high levels of test anxiety are correlated with reduced academic achievement (even among those individuals who appear to be adequately prepared). One reason for this association involves the effects of anxiety on working memory. Working memory refers to the capacity of an individual to simultaneously retain and utilize information. Work done by researchers such as Ashcraft & Kirk (2001) indicates that anxiety utilizes a portion of the already-limited space in an individual's working memory. Thus, a greater number of an individual's cognitive resources will be utilized to cope with the stress of taking an examination rather than concentrating on successfully answering questions on the examination. These findings explain why so many students report experiencing a mental "blank" during examinations.

In addition to negative impacts on academic achievement, repeated exposure to high levels of test anxiety can have long-term negative consequences for an individual's mental health. Chronic stress related to repeated test anxiety is also associated with insomnia and burnout (Cassady & Johnson, 2002). Repeatedly experiencing anxiety due to tests can alter an individual's perception of attending classes or participating in education-related activities, from viewing these as opportunities for growth and development to viewing these as sources of added stress. This altered perspective can lead to maladaptive behavior patterns (e.g., procrastination, avoidance) regarding educational-related tasks.