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What Is Test Anxiety?

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk,  "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time.

• Identifying

Test anxiety is a psychological condition in which people experience extreme distress and anxiety in testing situations. While many people experience some degree of stress and anxiety before and during exams, test anxiety can actually impair learning and hurt test performance. Test anxiety is a type of performance anxiety. In situations where the pressure is on and a good performance counts, people can become so anxious that they are actually unable to do their best.

Many people experience stress or anxiety before an exam. In fact, a little nervousness can actually help you perform your best. However, when this distress becomes so excessive that it actually interferes with performance on an exam, it is known as test anxiety.

Identifying Test Anxiety

While people have the skills and knowledge to do very well in these situations, their excessive anxiety impairs their performance. The severity of test anxiety can vary considerably from one person to another. Some people might feel like they have "butterflies" in their stomachs, while others might find it difficult to concentrate on the exam. This can also manifest in the following ways:

• A businessman freezes up and forgets the information he was going to present to his co-workers and manager during a work presentation.
• A high school basketball player becomes very anxious before a big game. During the game, she is so overwhelmed by this stress that she starts missing even easy shots.
• A violin student becomes extremely nervous before a recital. During the performance, she messes up on several key passages and flubs her solo. 

A little bit of nervousness can actually be helpful, making you feel mentally alert and ready to tackle the challenges presented in an exam. The  Yerkes-Dodson law  suggests that there is a link between arousal levels and performance. Essentially, increased arousal levels can help you do better on exams, but only up to a certain point.

Once these stress levels cross that line, the excessive anxiety you might be experiencing can actually interfere with test performance.

Excessive fear can make it difficult to concentrate and you might struggle to recall things that you have studied. You might feel like all the information you spent some much time reviewing suddenly seems inaccessible in your mind.

You blank out the answers to questions to which you know you know the answers. This inability to concentrate and recall information then contributes to even more anxiety and stress, which only makes it that much harder to focus your  attention  on the test. 

Symptoms of Test Anxiety

The symptoms of test anxiety can vary considerably and range from mild to severe. Some students experience only mild symptoms of test anxiety and are still able to do fairly well on exams. Other students are nearly incapacitated by their anxiety, performing dismally on tests or experiencing  panic attacks  before or during exams.​

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, symptoms of test anxiety can be physical, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional.

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of test anxiety include sweating, shaking, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, fainting, and nausea. Sometimes these symptoms might feel like a case of "butterflies" in the stomach, but they can also be more serious symptoms of physical illness such as nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting.

Cognitive and Behavioral Symptoms

Cognitive and behavioral symptoms can include avoiding situations that involve testing. This can involve skipping class or even dropping out of school. In other cases, people might use drugs or alcohol to cope with symptoms of anxiety.

Other cognitive symptoms include memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and negative self-talk .

Emotional Symptoms

Emotional symptoms of test anxiety can include depression, low self-esteem , anger, and a feeling of hopelessness . Fortunately, there are steps that students can take to alleviate these unpleasant and oftentimes harmful symptoms. By learning more about the possible causes of their test anxiety, students can begin to look for helpful solutions.

Is test anxiety a disorder?

Test anxiety is not recognized as a distinct condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). However, it can sometimes occur as a manifestation of another anxiety disorder such as social anxiety disorder , generalized anxiety disorder , or specific phobia .

Causes of Test Anxiety

While test anxiety can be very stressful for students who experience it, many people do not realize that is actually quite common. Nervousness and anxiety are perfectly normal reactions to stress. For some people, however, this fear can become so intense that it actually interferes with their ability to perform well.

So what causes test anxiety? For many students, it can be a combination of things. Poor study habits, poor past test performance, and an underlying anxiety problem can all contribute to test anxiety.

A few potential causes of test anxiety include:

• Fear of failure : If you connect your sense of self-worth to your test scores, the pressure you put on yourself can cause severe test anxiety.
• Poor testing history : If you have done poorly on tests before, either because you didn't study well enough or because you were so anxious, you couldn't remember the answers, this can cause even more anxiety and a negative attitude every time you have to take another test.
• Unpreparedness : If you didn't study or didn't study well enough, this can add to your feeling of anxiety.

Biological Causes

In stressful situations, such as before and during an exam, the body releases a hormone called adrenaline. This helps prepare the body to deal with what is about to happen and is commonly referred to as the  "fight-or-flight" response . Essentially, this response prepares you to either stay and deal with the stress or escape the situation entirely.

In a lot of cases, this adrenaline rush is actually a good thing. It helps prepare you to deal effectively with stressful situations, ensuring that you are alert and ready. For some people, however, the symptoms of anxiety they feel can become so excessive that it makes it difficult or even impossible to focus on the test.

Symptoms such as nausea, sweating, and shaking hands can actually make people feel even more nervous, especially if they become preoccupied with these test anxiety symptoms.

Mental Causes

In addition to the underlying biological causes of anxiety, there are many mental factors that can play a role in this condition. Student expectations are one major mental factor. For example, if a student believes that she will perform poorly on an exam, she is far more likely to become anxious before and during a test.

Test anxiety can also become a vicious cycle. After experiencing anxiety during one exam, students may become so fearful about it happening again that they actually become even more anxious during the next exam. After repeatedly enduring test anxiety, students may begin to feel that they have no power to change the situation, a phenomenon known as learned helplessness .

Three common causes of test anxiety include behavioral, biological, and psychological factors. Behaviors like failing to prepare can play a role, but the body's biological response to stress can also create feelings of anxiety. Mental factors, such as self-belief and negative thinking, can also lead to test anxiety.

How to Overcome Test Anxiety

So what exactly can you do to prevent or minimize test anxiety? Here are some strategies to help cope:

• Avoid the perfectionist trap . Don't expect to be perfect. We all make mistakes and that's okay. Knowing you've done your best and worked hard is really all that matters, not perfection.
• Banish the negative thoughts . If you start to have anxious or defeated thoughts, such as "I'm not good enough," "I didn't study hard enough," or "I can't do this," push those thoughts away and replace them with positive thoughts. "I can do this," "I know the material," and "I studied hard," can go far in helping to manage your stress level when taking a test.
• Get enough sleep . A good night's sleep will help your concentration and memory.
• Make sure you're prepared . That means studying for the test early until you feel comfortable with the material. Don't wait until the night before. If you aren't sure how to study, ask your teacher or parent for help. Being prepared will boost your confidence, which will lessen your test anxiety.
• Take deep breaths . If you start to feel anxious while you're taking your test, deep breathing may be useful for reducing anxiety. Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. Work through each question or problem one at a time, taking a deep breath in between each one as needed. Making sure you are giving your lungs plenty of oxygen can help your focus and sense of calm.

Therapy and Medications Can Also Help

If you need extra support, make an appointment with your school counselor or primary care physician.

Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your physician may also recommend cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) , anti-anxiety medications, or a combination of both. CBT focuses on helping people change both the behaviors and underlying thoughts that contribute to unwanted behaviors or feelings.

Test anxiety can be unpleasant and stressful, but it is also treatable. If you believe that test anxiety is interfering with your ability to perform well, try utilizing some self-help strategies designed to help you manage and lower your anxiety levels.

If you or a loved one are struggling with an anxiety disorder, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area. 

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database .

Doherty JH, Wenderoth MP. Implementing an expressive writing intervention for test anxiety in a large college course .  J Microbiol Biol Educ . 2017;18(2):18.2.39. doi:10.1128/jmbe.v18i2.1307

American Psychological Association. Performance anxiety .

Porcelli AJ, Delgado MR. Stress and decision making: effects on valuation, learning, and risk-taking .  Curr Opin Behav Sci . 2017;14:33-39. doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.11.015

Henderson RK, Snyder HR, Gupta T, Banich MT. When does stress help or harm? The effects of stress controllability and subjective stress response on stroop performance .  Front Psychol . 2012;3:179. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00179

Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Test anxiety .

Chand SP, Marwaha R. Anxiety . In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.

Spielberger, CD, Anton, WD, & Bedell, J. The nature and treatment of test anxiety. In M. Zuckerman & CD. Spielberger (Eds.), Emotions and Anxiety: New Concepts, Methods, and Applications. London: Psychology Press; 2015.

 Cleveland Clinic. How sleeping better can give your brain a big boost (+ tips for making that happen) .

Yusefzadeh H, Amirzadeh Iranagh J, Nabilou B. The effect of study preparation on test anxiety and performance: a quasi-experimental study .  Adv Med Educ Pract . 2019;10:245-251. doi:10.2147/AMEP.S192053

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Test Anxiety

Feeling nervous for exams is a normal feeling among college students. However, extreme feelings of anxiety and stress before and during an exam can have unhealthy results. Anxiety can be problematic when it prevents you from taking or doing your best on an exam, causes you to feel anxious all the time, or becomes extreme.

Test anxiety is a combination of physical symptoms and emotional reactions that interfere with your ability to perform well on tests. Many students experience varying levels of test anxiety for a number of difference reasons. If you’re someone who does, check out these suggestions and resources to reduce your text anxiety and improve your overall testing experience in college.

Symptoms of test anxiety

Test anxiety might look different from student to student, but the following is a list of possible symptoms you might experience:

Physical symptoms: Headache, nausea, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, and feeling faint. Test anxiety can also cause panic attacks, which are the abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort in which you may feel like you are unable to breathe or like you are having a heart attack.

Emotional symptoms: Feelings of stress, fear, helplessness, and disappointment, negative thoughts (rumination about past poor performances, consequences of failure, feeling inadequate, helpless), mind going blank, and racing thoughts.

Behavioral/cognitive symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, thinking negatively, comparing yourself to others, and procrastinating.

Causes of test anxiety

Fear of failure. While the pressure of doing well on an exam can be motivating, it can be detrimental to your self worth if you associate the grade of the test with your value.

Lack of preparation. Waiting until the last minute or not studying at all can leave you feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

Poor test history. Not succeeding on the previous exam can make you anxious for the next exam. It is important to remember to stay in the present moment when taking an exam so you remain focused. Don’t dwell on the past.

High pressure. If you need a certain grade to pass the class, it could increase your test anxiety.

Perfectionism. Perfectionism is having extremely high performance expectations for yourself. Research studies show that students who have high perfectionism and high self-criticism tend to have high test anxiety and do worse on exams. If you struggle with perfectionism, try to let it go. Make sure to take the time to recognize when you have worked hard and allow yourself to make mistakes.

How to reduce test anxiety

Well before the exam.

Be prepared. Start studying a few weeks in advance so that you have enough time to prepare for your test. Space your studying out into smaller chunks over time. Use one of the Learning Center’s weekly calendars to make a schedule. You can also use Learning Center coaching appointments to help you create a study schedule and remain accountable.

Study effectively. Check out the Learning Center’s tips for studying effectively to learn about and use effect study strategies that adequately prepare you for exams and help you learn, understand, and remember material.

Engage in self-care. Take care of your overall health by eating well, getting enough restful sleep, incorporating exercise or movement into your day, and participating in relaxing and fun activities that you enjoy.

Create a calming worksheet. This is a paper that you can carry with you all the time and especially before your exam. On this paper you can put motivational quotes, why you are likely to succeed, breathing techniques, pictures of your supporters, and anything else that will keep you motivated without making you anxious. Create this several days in advance, when you are not stressed and anxious, so that you can turn to it if you do become anxious.

Talk to your professor to get an idea of what is on the exam and what to expect. Look at old exams and practice exams from that class. This can help you better understand what to expect and better prepare. It will also reduce some of the fear and anxiety of the unknown.

Immediately before the exam

Get a good night’s sleep (7-9 hours) the night before the exam. Your ability to think clearly and to deal with anxiety improve with sleep.

Eat something to help with focus and attention. Bring water to stay hydrated.

Avoid too much caffeine. If you’ve been hitting the caffeine hard to stay awake and study or to stay focused, know that it can also have a negative effect on your nerves.

Gather all of the materials you need in advance, including a pencil, eraser, or calculator, so that you are not rushing around before the exam.

Play calming or familiar music to help you relax.

Arrive to the exam early enough to find a seat that will help, not hinder your focus. (Do you focus best up front? Near a window? Know yourself.) Bring ear plugs if you get distracted by noise.

Don’t let the exam define you. Remember that your self-worth and intelligence does not depend on your performance on this one exam.

Give yourself a pep talk to reframe your anxiety as excitement. Actually telling yourself you’re excited will help you see the exam more positively and experience more positive emotions.

During the exam

Calm your body.

• Breathe deeply from your belly.
• Tighten various muscle groups, and then relax them.
• Stand and stretch or shrug shoulders.
• Close your eyes and count to ten.

Sit comfortably.

• Sitting up, relaxing your shoulders, and being mindful of your posture can help you feel more powerful, confident, and assertive. It makes you less stressed, sluggish, and anxious.
• Research shows that slouching and hunching poses decrease people’s persistence and creativity when trying to solve complex problems and increase negative self-thoughts.
• Research shows people have higher self-esteem and think of themselves more positively when they sit upright rather than hunched.

Calm your emotions and thoughts.

• Focus only on present moment to help you stay grounded.

Example: “I am sitting at a desk in Carroll Hall. It is 2:00 pm on Tuesday.”

• Avoid thoughts about the future or past.

Example: “I need an A on this test in order to improve my g.p.a.”

Example: “I should have done more practice problems.”

• Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

Example: “It’s okay if I can’t answer this question—I can answer another question instead.”

• Stay focused on the current task, which is to complete the test, not on how you believe it relates to your self-value.
• Keep realistic expectations. Often times it is not realistic to expect a 100% on an exam. Be okay with doing well, not perfectly.
• Focus on yourself and what you are doing. Ignore other people around you and don’t compare yourself to others.

Make an appointment with an academic coach at the Learning Center to discuss your test anxiety, study strategies, time management, or any other factor one-on-one.

Attend office hours to talk with your professor about ways to best prepare for the exam.

Visit CAPS. If you believe you need more help with your anxiety, consider visiting CAPS.

Works consulted

Arana, F. and Furlan, L. (2015). Groups of perfectionists, test anxiety, and pre-exam coping in Argentine students. Science Direct. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886915300222

Cuddy, Amy (2015). Presence: Bringing your boldest self to your biggest challenges. New York: Little, Brown, & Co.

Downs, C. Managing test anxiety. Brown University. Retrieved from https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/support/counseling-and-psychological-services/index.php?q=managing-test-anxiety

Eum, K., & Rice, K. G. (2011). Test anxiety, perfectionism, goal orientation, and academic performance. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 24 (2), 167-178.

Holschuh, J. and Nist, S. (2000). Active learning: Strategies for college success. Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon.

10 ways to overcome test anxiety. The Princeton Review. Retrieved from https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/test-anxiety.

Szafran, R. (1981). Question-pool study guides. Teaching Sociology, 9, 31-43.

Kondo, D. S. (1997). Strategies for coping with test anxiety. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 10, 203-215.

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By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., 10 ways to overcome test anxiety.

Has this ever happened to you? You’ve been studying hard for your chemistry midterm, but when you walk into your exam, your mind goes blank. As you sit down to start your test, you notice your sweaty palms and a pit in your stomach. 

If these classic signs of test anxiety sound familiar, your grades and test scores may not reflect your true abilities. Learn ways to manage test anxiety before and during a stressful test.

What is Test Anxiety?

While it’s completely normal to feel a bit nervous before a test, some students find test anxiety debilitating. Racing thoughts, inability to concentrate, or feelings of dread can combine with physical symptoms like a fast heartbeat, headache, or nausea. Whether it’s the ACT , an AP exam , or an important history final, test anxiety has the power to derail weeks and months of hard work. 

Test Anxiety Tips

According to the ADAA , causes of test anxiety may include a fear of failure, lack of adequate prep time, or bad experiences taking tests in the past. You're not alone! Here's what you can do to stay calm in the days leading up to and during your test.

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1. Be prepared.

Yes, this seems obvious, but it bears repeating. If you feel confident that you’ve prepped thoroughly, you’ll feel more confident walking into the test. Need help reviewing tough concepts or question types? The test prep experts at The Princeton Review can provide that extra boost you need to feel cool and collected.

2. Get a good night’s sleep.

Cramming is never the answer, and pulling an all-nighter can exacerbate your nerves. Having adequate rest (9–10 hours per night) is likely to be more beneficial than rereading a text until dawn (But if you ARE up late studying and have a question, our on-demand tutors are there for you.)

3. Fuel up.

Eat a nutritious breakfast before the test and pack smart snacks for ongoing energy. Look for foods that offer a steady stream of nutrients, rather than a sugar high followed by a crash.

4. Get to class—or the testing site—early .

Feeling rushed will only amp up the anxiety. Pack everything you need for the exam the night before and set the alarm, so you can get out the door on time.

5. Have a positive mental attitude .  

Bring a picture of your happy place or come up with a morale-boosting mantra like “I can do this” or “I worked hard and deserve this.” Peek at your picture or recite your mantra, right before the test begins.

6. Read carefully.

Read the directions thoroughly and read all answers before making a choice or starting the essay. There is nothing worse than putting time into a question and realizing you are not solving for x, or the essay is off target. Slowing down can help you stay focused.

7. Just start.   

The blank page can maximize your anxiety. After you’ve read the directions, dive right in by making an outline for an essay answer. Or, find some questions you can ace to build up your confidence and momentum. You can always go back and change things later if needed, but a few quick answers can get the ball rolling.

Read More: 5 Signs You Need a Tutor

8. Don’t pay attention to what other people are doing.

Everyone else is scribbling away? Ack! What do they know that you don’t? It doesn’t matter. Pay attention to your own test and pace, and forget about the other students in the room.

9. Watch the clock .

Realizing that time is almost up and there are lots of test questions left can make it hard to do anything useful in those final minutes. Stay on pace by scoping out the whole test before getting started. Mentally allocate how much time you’ll spend on each section. If there’s time to recheck, even better.

10. Focus on calm breathing and positive thoughts .

Deep breathing can slow down a beating heart or a racing mind, so practice these techniques at home. The very act of concentrating on breathing and thinking can biometrically alter those anxious feelings.

Sometimes just remembering that some  test-taking anxiety is a normal part of school can help make it easier to handle. If you need a confidence boost, try a session with an online tutor. From PhDs and Ivy Leaguers to doctors and teachers, our tutors are experts in their fields, and they know how to keep your anxiety at bay.

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• Test Anxiety

Test anxiety can appear before, during, or after an exam. When it rears its ugly head, remember to practice self-compassion, to focus on helpful strategies for success, and to seek help when needed.

Ahead of an exam , students experience test anxiety for many reasons.  Perfectionism  leads some students to believe that their test performance won’t be good enough to meet their exacting standards. For other students, they are not familiar enough with the test material, resulting in a lack of confidence about their abilities. Some students might not have studied at all because their belief that they will never understand the material well enough has led to procrastination.

While there are many contributors to test anxiety, arming yourself with strategies can help you work your way through it. Preparation, organization, and practice can boost confidence by helping you focus on what you have control over rather than on the “unknowns” posed by your exam. 

Below are some strategies for dealing with anxiety before an exam:

Add test dates to your calendar.

Get ahead of anxiety with early studying..

When a test is still a long way out, studying is less likely to make you feel anxious because the stakes of your learning don’t feel as intense or immediate. Even just knowing that you’ve started studying early can do a lot to relieve test anxiety. 

Check out the ARC webpage on Memory and Attention for some memorization tips; practicing some of these memorization strategies can help you feel more confident about the effectiveness of your studying.

Take practice tests.

Attend office hours, course question centers, and review sessions., take advantage of arc peer tutoring..

During an exam , it’s natural to feel the effects of increased adrenaline as you try to complete your work. Negative thoughts might circulate, your mind might go blank, or you might fear that you’ll run out of time. To mitigate the impact of these events, come prepared with some strategies to enact in the moment.

Below are some strategies for dealing with anxiety during an exam:

Visualize a successful outcome.

View the test as a game., practice mindful breathing., recite a positive academic affirmation in your head..

After a test , it’s not uncommon for students to dwell in uncertainty about their grade, experience regret about a lack of preparation, or beat themselves up for a mistake. 

Below are some ways to tackle post-test anxiety:

Identify what is in your control.

Reframe how you think of exams., seek additional feedback., accordion style.

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• UTHealth Houston

What is test anxiety and how can we support students when they experience it?

Written by: Leslie K. Taylor, PhD

As the first day of school approaches, parents and children gather their backpacks as educators finalize lesson plans and ready their classrooms. The new school year offers a fresh start for students as well as an opportunity for academic success. However, up to 40% of students [1] suffer from test anxiety, which contributes to lower grade point averages and decreased scores in standardized tests. Test anxiety is a multi-dimensional experience associated with cognitive (excessive worry about performance the night before or during the test; worry just after taking the test), physiological (heart racing, difficulty sleeping before the test), and behavioral components (avoidance of study) [2] . The cognitive dimension of test anxiety can be exceptionally difficult for students to cope with and reconcile. For example, despite preparing, students may believe that, while taking the test, they aren’t ready for it, and that the content is too challenging for them. Experiencing these thoughts during tests can result in diminished concentration on test material, making it more difficult for students to retrieve the information that they have studied [3] and do well on the test.

Students can experience text anxiety for a number of reasons. Some children have difficulty learning or struggle with paying attention, which intensifies anxiety about tests. Children who seem more concerned about making mistakes, such as playing poorly in sports, or performing in front of others, may also be at risk for test anxiety.

Fortunately, there are several actions parents and educators can take to support students experiencing test anxiety. Many children may not know how to study for tests and do not allow themselves enough preparation time. Helping children balance their schedules to accommodate study and providing education on the importance of multiple nights of study can result in substantial improvements. In addition, exposing children to practice tests through simulated test administration can also lessen anxiety. Both study and practice tests should mirror the format of the test. For example, studying for an essay test requires different preparation than study for multiple choice, and there are different test taking strategies for these items. Finally, educating children on how to notice signs of anxiety, relax their bodies and practicing them in the days and weeks prior to a test can also reduce anxiety and nervousness. Additional resources for having problem solving conversations with elementary [4] and upper school students [5] about test anxiety prevention, practice tests, and school accommodations are accessible through these websites. Discussion of how to learn from any setbacks in test taking can be used to develop and improve study strategies.

[1] Gregor, A. (2005). Examination anxiety: Live with it, control it or make it work for you? School Psychology International, 26, 617–635.

[2] see Lowe, P. A., Lee, S. W., Witteberg, K. M., Prichard, K. W., Luhr, M. E., Cullinan, C. M., . . . Janik, M. (2008). The Test Anxiety Inventory for Children and Adolescents (TAICA). Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 26, 215–230. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282907303760

[3] Cassady, J. C. (2004). The influence of cognitive test anxiety across the learning–testing cycle. Learning and Instruction, 14, 569–592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2004. 09.002

[4] https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/six-ways-to-help-kids-tackle-test-anxiety

[5] https://childmind.org/article/tips-for-beating-test-anxiety/

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

How to reduce test anxiety and academic procrastination through inquiry of cognitive appraisals: a pilot study investigating the role of academic self-efficacy.

• Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany

Background and Objectives: Test anxiety can impair learning motivation and lead to procrastination. Control-value theory of achievement emotions ( Pekrun, 2006 ) assumes test anxiety to be a result of students’ appraisals of the testing situation and its outcomes. Modification of cognitive appraisals such as low self-efficacy beliefs is thus assumed to reduce test anxiety and subsequent procrastination. In the present study, we tested the effects of an inquiry-based stress reduction (IBSR) intervention on students’ academic self-efficacy, their test anxiety, and subsequent procrastination in the final stages of an academic term.

Design: Longitudinal quasi-randomized intervention control trial.

Methods: University students identified worry thoughts regarding a specific and frightening testing situation. Intervention participants ( n = 40) explored their worry thoughts with the IBSR method. Participants of an active waitlist control group ( n = 31) received the intervention after the study was completed. Dependent variables were assessed before and after the intervention as well as at the end of the term.

Results: Data-analyses revealed that the IBSR intervention reduced test anxiety as well as subsequent academic procrastination in comparison to the control group. The effect on test anxiety was partly due to an enhancement of self-efficacy.

Conclusion: Our findings provide preliminary evidence that IBSR might help individuals to cope with their test anxiety and procrastination.

Introduction

Test anxiety is a phenomenon well known to many students of different ages. For example, Putwain and Daly (2014) reported 16.4% of English secondary students to suffer from test anxiety. Further, according to Ergene (2003) , up to 20% of college students are test anxious. Roughly similar rates were reported by Thomas et al. (2018) who found about 25% of undergraduate university students to be highly test anxious. These prevalence rates are alarming because test anxiety may debilitate academic performance and impair subjective well-being (e.g., Steinmayr et al., 2016 ). Test anxiety is experienced in achievement contexts that are perceived as potentially threatening to one’s self-esteem (e.g., important exams). Test anxiety is a multidimensional construct ( Pekrun, 2006 ): On a physiological level, test anxious students might experience sweating, palpitations, trembling, and nausea. Cognitively, test anxiety comes along with specific worry thoughts including negative cognitive self-statements regarding academic failure. Additionally, test anxious individuals might experience social worry thoughts as they fear to be negatively judged by teachers, parents, and others ( Lowe et al., 2008 ). On an affective level, test anxiety is associated with unpleasant feelings of agitation, insecurity, and helplessness, which may evoke certain motivational consequences such as avoidance tendencies.

Test anxiety is often accompanied by academic procrastination (e.g., Van Eerde, 2003 ) – the voluntary delay of important and intended actions or decisions against one’s better knowledge and despite the expected negative consequences of the delay and subjective discomfort (e.g., Ferrari et al., 2005 ). In academic contexts, procrastination occurs for tasks like learning for an exam or writing an essay ( Patzelt and Opitz, 2014 ). It can have serious consequences for students’ academic achievement such as lower grades, longer study periods, as well as premature study drop-out. Helping students to deal with their test anxiety and subsequent procrastination hence seems an effort worth taking. Studies show that self-efficacy ( Bandura, 1977 ) – the appraisal of one’s own capabilities to accomplish a specific task (e.g., studying successfully for an exam) – might play an important role in the causation of test anxiety and subsequent procrastination (e.g., Yerdelen et al., 2016 ). Based on these ideas, the aim of the present paper is to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention in reducing students’ test anxiety and subsequent procrastination by enhancing students’ academic self-efficacy.

The Relationship Between Test Anxiety and Self-Efficacy

According to control-value theory of achievement emotions ( Pekrun, 2006 ), test anxiety results from an interaction of cognitive control and value appraisals regarding a specific achievement situation (e.g., an upcoming exam). While value appraisals refer to the value students subjectively attribute to achievement activities (e.g., learning for the exam) and their outcomes (e.g., passing the exam), control appraisals refer to students’ assessment of their subjective control regarding these achievement activities and their respective outcomes. In particular, test anxiety is assumed to arise when students focus on a pending achievement situation of high personal value (e.g., a final exam) while only feeling medium in control of their achievement activities. Such anxiety-causing control appraisals can be a consequence of low self-efficacy expectations: As students with low self-efficacy expectations do not believe that they can accomplish a specific learning task ( Bandura, 1977 ), their control expectancy regarding the respective achievement situation is also assumed to be negatively affected. This theoretical notion is supported by empirical studies showing that students with lower self-efficacy expectations also report higher levels of test anxiety ( Haycock et al., 1998 ; Yerdelen et al., 2016 ).

The Relationship Between Procrastination and Self-Efficacy

According to temporal motivation theory (TMT; Steel, 2007 ), procrastination is (just as test anxiety) a function of expectancy and value appraisals regarding the respective learning task and its outcomes. In particular, procrastination is assumed to be more likely for tasks of low value and low expectancy. Further, the expectancy component of procrastination is theoretically predicted to be most strongly influenced by students’ self-efficacy expectancies. In line with these assumptions, empirical studies show that procrastination is more likely for students who do not believe to have the capabilities to study successfully for an exam ( Yerdelen et al., 2016 ).

To sum up, both control-value theory ( Pekrun, 2006 ) as well as TMT ( Steel, 2007 ) assume that low self-efficacy expectancies – amongst other variables – might cause test anxiety and procrastination as they strongly influence students’ perceived control over achievement activities and their outcomes.

The Causal Relationship Between Test Anxiety and Procrastination

Test anxious students experience increased states of unpleasant physical arousal as well as aggravating worry thoughts ( Pekrun, 2006 ). As a consequence, test anxious students often feel the desire to withdraw from the situation ( Geen, 1987 ; Matthews et al., 1999 ). Accordingly, meta-analytical studies find a moderate positive association between test anxiety and procrastination ( Van Eerde, 2003 ; Steel, 2007 ) – students experiencing higher test anxiety also report higher levels of procrastination. However, these results stem from correlational studies, in which test anxiety and procrastination were only measured at single points in time. From a longitudinal perspective (i.e., over the course of an academic term), the causal interplay between test anxiety and procrastination might be more complex ( Pekrun et al., 2007 ). In particular, TMT ( Steel, 2007 ) suggests that procrastination is not always a mandatory consequence of test anxiety. In particular, TMT assumes students to procrastinate primarily when deadlines and exams are still far ahead (e.g., at the beginning of an academic term). The validity of this assumption is supported by results of longitudinal studies. For example, Tice and Baumeister (1997) found procrastinators to report lower stress than non-procrastinators, but only in the early stages of the academic term. Further, Yerdelen et al. (2016) found a negative association between students’ individual trajectories of test anxiety and procrastination throughout 8 weeks of an academic term. While participants’ anxiety significantly decreased over these weeks, their procrastination significantly increased over the same time interval. The authors concluded that the participants might have used procrastination as an emotional coping strategy to help them deal with their initial test anxiety. Unfortunately, the study of Yerdelen et al. (2016) does not provide any information about the causal interplay of test anxiety and procrastination at the last stages of the academic term. However, according to TMT, for this time period, students are assumed to procrastinate less : As deadlines approach, they are forced to engage in more active coping strategies (such as studying for the exam) if they want to avoid failing due to poor preparation. In line with these assumptions, studies found students to experience higher levels of anxiety ( Lay et al., 1989 ) and stress ( Tice and Baumeister, 1997 ) before exams when they had delayed studying earlier in the semester. Summing up, delaying learning activities (i.e., procrastination) might help students to emotionally cope with their test anxiety in the short run. However, students’ procrastination should decrease at the last stage of an academic term when deadlines and exams are approaching.

Interventions to Reduce Test Anxiety and Procrastination

There is a wide variety of interventions focusing on test anxiety and/or procrastination. In their review of recent test anxiety interventions, Von der Embse et al. (2013) found that students with high test anxiety can be best supported by multi-method cognitive-behavioral interventions as well as more specific cognitive or behavioral interventions. With regard to procrastination interventions, recent meta-analyses ( Rozental et al., 2018 ; Van Eerde and Klingsiek, 2018 ) showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy may help students showing high rates of procrastination. From the perspective of control-value theory ( Pekrun, 2006 ) and TMT ( Steel, 2007 ), a cognitive modification of low self-efficacy expectancies seems promising in order to reduce both test anxiety and procrastination. Accordingly, some interventions for test anxiety and procrastination focus on the change of (irrational) beliefs and thought patterns ( Pekrun and Stephens, 2009 ). For example, in rational-emotive behavioral therapy ( Ellis, 2002 ), students are encouraged to question their own thinking patterns with techniques such as direct cognitive debate and logical persuasion in order to replace dysfunctional and irrational beliefs with more realistic ones. However, a permanent modification of cognitive appraisals (such as low self-efficacy expectancies) should not be restricted to rational (i.e., conscious, logical, and reason oriented) debate only. Rather, dual-process models such as cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST; Epstein, 2003 ) assume that rational information processing is always – mostly preconsciously and automatically – influenced by implicit schemas learned from past experiences. Thus, cognitive appraisals are never completely based on rational considerations but always biased by experience-based information processing. In accordance with these assumptions of CEST, self-efficacy theory ( Bandura, 1977 ) posits that self-efficacy beliefs stem not only from verbal persuasion, but also from experiential knowledge such as (vicarious) mastery experiences and the current experience of physical arousal. Consequently, the successful modification of cognitive appraisals (such as low self-efficacy beliefs) needs to include rational debate as much as new (self-efficacy enhancing) experiences.

A standardized method that combines an experiential and a rational approach to modify cognitive appraisals is inquiry-based stress reduction (IBSR; Mitchell and Mitchell, 2003 ). The IBSR method uses a specific set of questions to allow for the identification and exploration of stressful cognitions (e.g., “I am not able to study sufficiently”). In a first step, participants reflect on the emotions (e.g., test anxiety), effects (e.g., procrastination), causes (e.g., negative experiences in school), benefits (e.g., short-term relief from anxiety), and dysfunctionality (e.g., lower achievement) of their stressful cognition in an experiential manner. In a second step, participants are encouraged to imagine reality without the distortions caused by the stressful cognition, this way allowing for a new and potentially more positive experience (e.g., feelings of relief or curiosity). In a last step of the IBSR method, participants are guided to find concrete evidence for the validity of the opposite of their stressful cognitions (e.g., “I am able to study sufficiently”) and to explore whether the opposite could also be true. This is done in order to help them overcome the tendency to seek or interpret evidence in ways that are biased by already existing beliefs (i.e., the confirmation bias; Nickerson, 1998 ). This approach can be assumed to be effective as the new-found arguments are self-created and this way more convincing ( Briñol et al., 2012 ). In sum, IBSR should allow for a debate of stressful cognitions through experiential self-exploration and rational persuasion.

First empirical evidence points to the potential of IBSR to reduce anxiety. In a single-group study ( Leufke et al., 2013 ), participants of a non-clinical sample received an IBSR intervention. Results revealed that participants’ anxiety (amongst other psychopathological symptoms) declined for at least 3 months after the intervention. Similarly, Smernoff et al. (2015) found participants’ anxiety to decline after an IBSR intervention. However, in both studies a control group and randomization were missing. Thus, it remains unclear if the anxiety-reducing effects were caused by the IBSR intervention or if they were due to other factors. Further, in all the reported studies participants received a 9-day IBSR intervention, making participation very time-consuming. This could be a possible obstacle preventing individuals from attendance. These hindrances were overcome in a study by Krispenz and Dickhäuser (2018) , who assessed the effects of a short computer-based IBSR intervention on test anxiety in a sample of university students. Using a short-term longitudinal randomized control trial, the treatment group received a 20-min IBSR intervention in which they investigated one individual worry thought regarding an upcoming exam. Results showed that individuals who had received the IBSR short intervention demonstrated significantly lower thought-related test anxiety than participants from the pooled control groups who had either reflected on their worry thought or were distracted from it. However, the study did not allow to test if the effects hold longer than 2 days. Also, some IBSR participants reported difficulties in applying the IBSR method via computer and without further assistance.

The Present Research

The present research overcomes the impediments of previous studies. In an experimental control trial with a longitudinal design, for the first time, we investigate the effects of a short IBSR intervention on test anxiety and procrastination over the last part of an academic term in a sample of university students suffering from both phenomena. While all study participants learned to identify their worry thoughts regarding their most frightening exam, intervention participants were additionally taught to use the IBSR method to explore and investigate their worry thoughts. Participants’ test anxiety, procrastination, and self-efficacy were assessed immediately before and after the intervention (i.e., in the middle of the academic term) as well as immediately before exams (i.e., at the end of the academic term).

For participants of the intervention group (who did receive an IBSR intervention), we firstly expected an increase in self-efficacy (H 1 ) as compared to the control group. This increase in self-efficacy in the intervention group was expected to emerge immediately after the IBSR intervention and to last until the end of the semester for the following reasons: Self-efficacy theory ( Bandura, 1977 ) assumes that a permanent modification of low self-efficacy beliefs may follow from rational debate (i.e., verbal persuasion) as well as from new – self-efficacy-enhancing – experiences. Self-efficacy should thus increase for IBSR participants (but not for control participants) due to the IBSR intervention as IBSR allows for a debate of cognitive appraisals such as low self-efficacy beliefs through experiential self-exploration (e.g., by imagination of the testing situation without the distortions caused by participants’ low self-efficacy beliefs) and rational verbal persuasion (e.g., through exploration of the validity of high self-efficacy beliefs). Second, based on the assumptions of control-value theory ( Pekrun, 2006 ) and TMT ( Steel, 2007 ), the predicted increase in self-efficacy was expected to decrease participants’ test anxiety (H 2 ) and – as a consequence – their procrastination (H 3 ).

In contrast, for participants of the control group (who did not receive any real intervention), we had the following predictions: Regarding the last part of the academic term, we expected an increase in test anxiety and a corresponding decrease in procrastination (H 4 ). These predictions were based on the theoretical rationales of TMT ( Steel, 2007 ). According to TMT, students should use more active coping strategies than procrastination at the late stages of an academic term to deal with their test anxiety. This notion is further supported by empirical results which show students to experience higher levels of anxiety before exams when they had delayed studying earlier in the semester ( Lay et al., 1989 ). To sum up, we expected a reduction in procrastination for both groups, but through different underlying mechanisms: For the intervention group, the reduced procrastination was assumed to be caused by a decrease in test anxiety, while for the control group the reduced procrastination was expected be a consequence of an increase in test anxiety.

Materials and Methods

Participants.

The IBSR intervention seminars were held on the campus of the University of Mannheim (Germany). Therefore, participants were recruited via posters, flyers, lecture announcements, and mass-emails at different German universities either in or close to Mannheim (Germany). The study was explicitly announced as an intervention study for students with test anxiety and/or academic procrastination. In total, 84 students were interested in participating. These individuals were pre-screened via telephone in order to provide them with all the necessary information (e.g., possible intervention dates, basic information about the intervention, participants’ chances of being assigned to the waitlist control group). Ultimately, N = 71 students ( M age = 21.85, SD = 2.94, range = 18–36 years, 63.1% women) with different study subjects decided to actually participate in the study. Regarding this sample, most participants studied economic sciences (47.6%). Participants’ mean study duration was M = 3.76 terms ( SD = 2.00). Participants indicated to have at least one academic exam at the end of the actual term ( M = 3.95 exams, SD = 1.23).

The study had a 2 × 3 mixed-factors design with the between-subjects-factor intervention (IBSR vs. an active control group). Measures of self-efficacy, test anxiety, and procrastination were taken pre-intervention (time 1), post-intervention (time 2) 1 , and immediately before exams (time 3, follow-up).

By the time we conducted the study and acquired the data, it was neither compulsory nor customary at the University of Mannheim to seek explicit ethical approval for an experimental study including only participants’ self-reports on test anxiety and procrastination. Nevertheless, we carefully ensured that the study was conducted in line with the ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA) and in full accordance with the ethical guidelines of the German Association of Psychologists (DGPs): (1) We did not induce test anxiety/procrastination or any other negative states in the participants but merely assessed their thoughts and affect regarding their upcoming exams. We thus had no reasons to assume that our study would induce any negative states in the participants exceeding the normal risks of studying at a university and preparing for exams. (2) The first author is now working at a Swiss university. At this university, she conducted a follow-up study, which explicitly targeted participants with test anxiety and/or procrastination. The human research ethics committee of the respective Swiss university approved this new study. This can be considered as a clear sign that there are no ethical concerns with regard to the procedure of the present study. (3) The study exclusively made use of pseudonymized questionnaires. The data was matched for the analyses using codenames only. Written informed consent was obtained according to the guidelines of the German Psychological Society. Informed consent included information about (a) research object, (b) study and intervention procedure, (c) duration and allowance, (d) possible benefits of participation, (e) anonymity of data collection, and (f) possible risks of participation. Also, participants were explicitly informed that participation was voluntary and could be terminated at any time without any reason or negative consequences for the participant. Participants had to declare that they were at least 18 years old, had read the informed consent, and agreed to the rules of participation.

Participants were pre-screened via telephone interview to ensure they had time to participate on one of the four pre-determined intervention dates. For the first two dates, the control group treatment was scheduled. For the second two dates, the IBSR intervention treatment was scheduled. Participants were assigned to the conditions (IBSR vs. control group) by choosing from the four possible dates without knowing, which treatment was scheduled for the respective dates. Therefore, participants assignment to experimental groups was quasi-randomized. Baseline measures were taken in the middle of the academic term (time 1) and lasted about 45 min. All measures and instructions were paper-pencil based. Assessed were participants’ demographic data as well as study related variables. Then, participants were asked to think of the upcoming academic exams and to consider which of these exams frightened them the most. Next, participants were asked to describe their most frightening exam in detail. Also, participants were asked to rate the exams’ personal value to ensure that participants had actually chosen an exam that was relevant to them. Then, initial levels of self-efficacy, test anxiety, and procrastination regarding the most frightening exam were assessed. One to 2 weeks after baseline-measures were taken, participants of both groups attended a first 3-h group seminar held by the first author and another certified IBSR coach. This way, all study participants were given personal attention by the IBSR coaches and participated in social interactions with other participants. In this first 3-h seminar, participants focused on a specific frightening testing situation and in a systematic way wrote down their individual beliefs (e.g., “I am not able to study sufficiently”).

Additionally, participants of the intervention group attended another 3-h IBSR seminar (i.e., the actual intervention) and learned to investigate their stressful cognitions with the IBSR method by means of the four questions and several sub-questions (see Table 1 ). In a first sub-step, the validity of the stressful cognitions was questioned (Questions 1 and 2). Guided by Question 3 and the respective sub-questions, participants reported the mental pictures they associate with the stressful cognitions, their emotions, and bodily sensations. Also, they reflected on the belief’s specific effects, causes, and benefits as well as its functionality. Guided by Question 4, participants were then enabled to perceive reality without the distortions caused by the stressful cognitions and to experience, how they would feel without them. In the third step, participants learned to explore the opposite of their initial beliefs by turning them around to possible opposites. For example, the initial belief “I am not able to study sufficiently” may be turned around to the opposite “I am able to study sufficiently.” by omitting the word “not” included in the initial belief. Then, participants were asked to find genuine proof of how the opposite could also be true for them.

Table 1. IBSR instructions.

After the respective seminars, participants of both groups received a diary. While participants of the control group were asked to further identify stressful situations and respective cognitions on a daily basis for 7 days, intervention participants were asked to explore their worry thoughts with the IBSR method for the same time interval. After the 7 days (i.e., approximately 1 week after the seminars; time 2) as well as immediately before the exams (time 3), dependent variables were measured again. After the exams, participants of the control group also received the IBSR intervention. All participants were debriefed and received additional information and materials regarding IBSR.

To test if participants had chosen an exam that was actually important to them, we assessed the most frightening exams’ value with one item (“How important is this exam for you?”). Ratings were made using a 10-points scale ranging from 1 ( not at all important ) to 10 ( extremely important ).

Academic self-efficacy was assessed with a slightly modified version of the German Scale for the Assessment of Study Specific Self-Efficacy ( Jerusalem and Schwarzer, 1986 ) using seven items (e.g., “Even though a test might be difficult, I know that I will pass it”). According to Bandura (1977) , self-efficacy should be measured with a scale indicative of the academic behaviors necessary to accomplish the specific task at hand (i.e., passing a specific exam). The scale was thus modified to address students’ self-efficacy beliefs regarding a specific exam (e.g., “Even though the test might be difficult, I know that I will pass it“). All statements were rated using a 4-point scale from 1 ( absolutely not correct ) to 4 ( absolutely correct ). A mean self-efficacy score was calculated with high scores indicating high levels of self-efficacy. The items showed satisfactory internal consistencies (Cronbach’s α time 1 = 0.81, time 2 = 0.79, time 3 = 0.77).

Test anxiety was assessed with the German short version of the state scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-SKD; Bertrams and Englert, 2013 ). The STAI-SKD allows for the assessment of state test anxiety with five items (e.g., “I am tense”). Ratings were made using four-point scales from 1 ( not at all ) to 4 ( very much ). We used a mean score including all five items, with high scores indicating a high level of test anxiety. The items showed good internal consistencies (Cronbach’s α time 1 = 0.84, time 2 = 0.86, time 3 = 0.89).

Academic procrastination was measured with the German version of the Academic Procrastination State Inventory (APSI-d; Patzelt and Opitz, 2014 ). With its 23 items, the APSI-d asks how often certain procrastination thoughts and behaviors occurred during the previous week (e.g., “I have stopped learning prematurely to do something more pleasurable”). Participants rated these statements using a five-point scale from 0 ( never ) to 4 ( always ). A mean procrastination score was calculated with high scores indicating a high level of academic procrastination. The items showed excellent internal consistencies (Cronbach’s α time 1 = 0.90, time 2 = 0.93, time 3 = 0.93).

Attrition Rate and Missing Data

Seventy-one participants completed baseline measures and attended the training modules ( n IBSR = 40 vs. n control = 31). At the post-intervention measure, data of 66 participants ( n IBSR = 38 vs. n control = 28) was assessed, while at the follow-up measure data of 57 participants was attained ( n IBSR = 33 vs. n control = 24). Overall, there was an attrition rate of 19.7%. To test if the dropout was systematic, we created a dummy variable (code 1 = dropout, 0 = no dropout). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with exam’s personal value, initial self-efficacy, initial test anxiety, and initial procrastination as dependent variables revealed a statistically non-significant overall multivariate effect of the dummy variable, F (4, 66) = 0.77, p = 0.550, η 2 partial = 0.04. Also, there were no statistically significant univariate effects of the dummy variable, all p s > 0.160. A statistically insignificant χ 2 -test further showed, that dropout rates did not systematically differ between intervention group and control group, χ 2 (1) = 0.28, p = 0.593. These results indicate that the dropout was non-systematic.

Allover, 17.25% of data values were missing. Missing data ranged from a low of 1.2% to a high of 32.1% (e.g., for items assessing test anxiety at follow-up). To analyze the pattern of missing data, we calculated Little’s (1988) MCAR test, which resulted in a χ 2 (635) = 434.31, p = 0.999, indicating that data values were missing completely at random. In the following analysis, missing data was handled with the Full Information Maximum Likelihood Imputation (FIML) provided by Mplus ( Muthén and Muthén, 1998-2012 ) for two reasons. First, the FIML procedure is preferable to listwise or pairwise deletion of missing data, which generally create biased parameter estimates as well as biased significance testing ( Schlomer et al., 2010 ). Second, using the FIML procedure allows to retain the maximum amount of possible statistical power despite missing data.

Data Analyses

Based on the theoretical assumptions of control-value theory ( Pekrun, 2006 ) and TMT ( Steel, 2007 ), we expected participants of the intervention group to report less test anxiety (H 2 ) and less procrastination (H 3 ) due to specific causal mechanisms (i.e., increased self-efficacy; H 1 ). However, instead of investigating separate mediation models, we chose to use a path analysis including all variables and mediation paths (see Figure 1 ) due to the following reasons. Firstly, there is evidence that structural equation models perform better than simple regression models when it comes to investigate causal mechanisms via mediation analyses ( Iacobucci et al., 2007 ). Secondly, the path analysis used in the present study allowed us to embed the focal mediation models into a longitudinal and nomological perspective. As a consequence, the path analysis was conducted with the software Mplus ( Muthén and Muthén, 1998-2012 ). For the analysis, we applied the ML-estimator. When investigating the model fit, we relied on the guidelines given by Schermelleh-Engel et al. (2003) (acceptable model fit: RMSEA ≤ 0.08, CFI ≥ 0.95, SRMR ≤ 0.10; good model fit RMSEA ≤ 0.05, CFI ≥ 0.97, SRMR ≤ 0.05).

Figure 1. Path model of academic self-efficacy, test anxiety, and academic procrastination for all times of measurement. Depicted in gray color are first- and second-order autoregressive paths. Depicted in black color are direct effects of the IBSR intervention (dummy coded IBSR = 1 vs. control group = 0) on the dependent variables at time 2 and time 3, causal paths from academic self-efficacy measured at time 2 on test anxiety and academic procrastination measured at time 3, and from test anxiety measured at time 2 on academic procrastination measured at time 3. For increased readability, correlations between (residuals of) dependent variables were omitted in the graphical presentation of the model. Model fit: χ 2 (19) = 19.817, p = 0.406; CFI = 0.997; RMSEA = 0.025; SRMR = 0.081. All continuous variables were z -standardized. All reported parameter estimates are unstandardized. N = 71. † p ≤ 0.10, ∗ p ≤ 0.05, ∗∗ p ≤ 0.01, ∗∗∗ p ≤ 0.001. Reported are significance levels based one-tailed p -values.

To account for the longitudinal design, we first included respective first order autoregressive paths for all three dependent variables and additionally second order autoregressive paths for the dependent variables between measures at time 1 and time 3 as suggested by Geiser (2013) and Newson (2015) . Regarding time 1 and in accordance with previous empirical studies (e.g., Van Eerde, 2003 ; Steel, 2007 ) we further assumed positive correlations between test anxiety and procrastination as well as negative correlations between test anxiety/procrastination and self-efficacy. Additionally, we included correlations between residuals for time 2 and time 3 to account for individuals’ tendency to evaluate themselves as less effective (in terms of less self-efficacy and higher procrastination) when reporting higher test anxiety (and vice versa) at the same time of measurement (see Geiser, 2013 ).

To test for the experimental effects of the IBSR intervention, we coded a dummy variable (d) for which the control group was selected as the reference group (coded 0), while the IBSR group (coded 1) was contrasted with this reference group. In a first step, to investigate the immediate direct effects of IBSR on self-efficacy, test anxiety, and procrastination, we allowed for paths from the dummy variable (d) on all dependent variables measured at time 2. Secondly, to test the predicted causal interplay of self-efficacy, test anxiety, and procrastination between time 2 and time 3, we used a half longitudinal mediation design ( Kline, 2016 ). To account for the direct effects of IBSR on all dependent variables immediately before the exams, we allowed for paths from the dummy variable d on all dependent variables measured at time 3. To investigate the expected indirect effects of IBSR on test anxiety (H 2 ) before the exams via an increase in self-efficacy (H 1 ), we included a path between self-efficacy measured at time 2 and test anxiety measured at time 3. To test for the expected indirect effects of IBSR on procrastination (H 3 ) before the exams via an increase in self-efficacy and a decrease in test anxiety, we further included respective paths between self-efficacy/test anxiety measured at time 2 and procrastination measured at time 3.

Additionally, as we expected test anxiety to decrease for IBSR participants (due to the intervention) but to increase for control participants (due to approaching exams) at the last stages of the academic term (H 4 ), we further included the two-way interaction of Group × Test Anxiety (measured at time 2) as a moderating variable for the path between test anxiety (time 2) and procrastination measured at time 3. To avoid the problems associated with multicollinearity between the predictor variable (i.e., Group), the moderator variable (i.e., Test Anxiety measured at time 2) and the respective interaction term (i.e., Group × Test Anxiety), all continuous variables were z -standardized as suggested by Frazier et al. (2004) .

Descriptive Statistics

Participants indicated the personal value of their most frightening exam to be very high ( M = 8.15, SD = 1.52;

M intervention = 8.21, SD = 1.27; M control = 8.06, SD = 1.81). The respective frequency distribution was negatively skewed (–1.41, SE 0.029). Before the intervention, participants reported test anxiety of M = 2.80 ( SD = 0.67), self-efficacy of M = 2.49 ( SD = 0.56), and procrastination of M = 2.95 ( SD = 0.64). Corresponding to the quasi-randomization, a multivariate analysis of variance with the factor Group (IBSR vs. control group) as independent variable revealed a non-significant overall multivariate effect, F (4, 66) = 0.87, p = 0.490, η 2 partial = 0.05 on exam’s value, self-efficacy, test anxiety, and procrastination as dependent variables. Further, there were only non-significant univariate effects (all p s > 0.184), indicating that conditions did not differ regarding baseline levels of the analyzed variables. Zero-order correlations for the variables used in the path analyses are depicted in Table 2 . As expected and in line with previous studies ( Van Eerde, 2003 ; Steel, 2007 ), at all three times of measurement, these correlations suggest negative associations between self-efficacy and test anxiety, positive associations between procrastination and test anxiety, as well as negative relationships between self-efficacy and procrastination. Descriptive statistics for the dependent variables are reported separately for conditions and all points of measurement in Table 3 .

Table 2. Zero-order correlations of dependent variables.

Table 3. Means and standard deviations for academic self-efficacy, test anxiety, and academic procrastination for IBSR intervention and control group.

Preliminary Data Analyses

We had expected the IBSR intervention to increase participants’ self-efficacy, to reduce participants’ test anxiety as well as their procrastination in comparison to the control group. Thus, as preliminary analyses, we conducted three separate analyses of covariance with Group (IBSR vs. control group) as between-subjects factor and with self-efficacy, test anxiety, and procrastination measured after the intervention as respective dependent variables. As recommended by Van Breukelen (2006) , we also included the baseline values of each respective dependent variable as a covariate. Results revealed a statistically significant effect of the IBSR intervention on participants’ self-efficacy, F (1/63) = 5.49, p = 0.022, η 2 partial = 0.08, on participants’ test anxiety F (1/63) = 6.56, p = 0.013, η 2 partial = 0.09, and their procrastination F (1/62) = 5.85, p = 0.019, η 2 partial = 0.09. These results provide first preliminary evidence for the expected effects of the IBSR intervention.

Data Screening Procedure

As structural equation modeling procedures are susceptible to abnormalities in the data ( Kline, 2016 ), we examined if the data met the necessary requirements. To identify potential outliers, we first inspected the frequency distribution of the z -scores for all variables used in the statistical analyses. Applying the rule of | z | > 3.29 ( Tabachnick and Fidell, 2014 ), we did not detect any outliers in the data. Second, we relied on the variance inflation factor (VIF) to test for extreme collinearity. VIF values for all variables were lower than the threshold of 10.00 (all VIFs < 5.15). Therefore, extreme collinearity did not occur in the data. Third, to ensure the requirement of multivariate normality, we inspected the univariate frequency distributions for all variables (for all results see Table 4 ). Shapiro–Wilk tests were statistically non-significant for all variables except for test anxiety measured at time 2. However, visual inspection of the respective frequency distribution showed that it was close to normality. Based on the suggestion by Kline (2016) we proceeded to analyze that data using structural equation modeling without transformation of the respective variable.

Table 4. Univariate statistics for academic self-efficacy, test anxiety, and academic procrastination.

Direct and Indirect Effects of IBSR

The fit statistics of the model were acceptable to good, χ 2 (19) = 19.817, p = 0.406; CFI = 0.997; RMSEA = 0.025; SRMR = 0.081. Following the suggestion of Hayes (2013) , we only report unstandardized coefficients for all paths as standardized coefficients are not meaningful due to the dichotomous character of the group variable d (IBSR vs. control group). In the following, we report one-tailed p -values. Results provide evidence for the stability of all three dependent variables over time. With the exception of the second order autoregressive path for self-efficacy time 3 ( b = 0.158, SE = 0.118, p = 0.091), all other coefficients of first and second order autoregressive paths were statistically significant at a p -level of 0.05. As expected and in line with previous studies ( Van Eerde, 2003 ; Steel, 2007 ), at all three times of measurement, we found self-efficacy and test anxiety to be negatively correlated (time 1: b = –0.334, SE = 0.123, p = 0.004; time 2: b = –0.213, SE = 0.062, p < 0.001; time 3: b = –0.208, SE = 0.074, p = 0.003), procrastination and test anxiety to be positively associated (time 1: b = 0.439, SE = 0.137, p < 0.001; time 2: b = 0.273, SE = 0.089, p = 0.001; time 3: b = 0.126, SE = 0.052, p = 0.008), and negative relationships between self-efficacy and procrastination (time 1: b = –0.428, SE = 0.136, p = 0.001; time 2: b = –0.172, SE = 0.065, p = 0.004; time 3: b = –0.122, SE = 0.046, p = 0.004).

Direct and Indirect Effects of IBSR on Self-Efficacy (H 1 )

Right after the intervention, in line with our prediction, IBSR participants reported statistically significantly enhanced self-efficacy ( a 1 = 0.458, SE = 0.190, p = 0.008) in comparison to the control group. At the end of the term, the IBSR intervention no longer directly affected self-efficacy ( c 1 ’ = –0.192, SE = 0.173, p = 0.133). However, participants who had reported higher self-efficacy immediately after the intervention also reported higher self-efficacy at the end of the academic term ( b 11 = 0.669, SE = 0.120, p < 0.001). A bias-corrected 95% bootstrap confidence interval (BCI) for the indirect effect ( a 1 b 11 = 0.306) based on 10.000 bootstrap samples was entirely above zero (0.069 to 0.613). This indicates the IBSR intervention indirectly enhanced self-efficacy and that this effect lasted until the end of the term.

Direct and Indirect Effects of IBSR on Test Anxiety (H 2 )

Right after the intervention, IBSR participants reported statistically significantly less test anxiety ( a 2 = –0.545, SE = 0.221, p = 0.007) than participants of the control group. At the end of the term, the IBSR intervention no longer directly affected test anxiety ( c 2 ’ = –0.215, SE = 0.225, p = 0.170). However, we found an indirect effect of the IBSR intervention. Firstly, participants who had reported less test anxiety after the intervention also reported less test anxiety at the end of the academic term ( b 22 = 0.311, SE = 0.121, p = 0.005). A bias-corrected 95% BCI for the indirect effect ( a 2 b 22 = –0.169) was entirely under zero (–0.453 to –0.030). Secondly and as expected, participants who reported more self-efficacy after the intervention also reported statistically significant less test anxiety later on ( b 21 = –0.206, SE = 0.118, p = 0.040). A bias-corrected 90% BCI for the indirect effect ( a 1 b 21 = –0.094) was entirely under zero (–0.252 to –0.013). The total indirect effect of IBSR on test anxiety was also statistically significant ( b 2 = –0.264, SE = 0.115, p = 0.011), with its 95% BCI completely under zero (–0.542 to –0.078). Thus, the IBSR intervention reduced test anxiety at the end of the academic term indirectly via an immediate increase in self-efficacy and an immediate decrease in test anxiety.

Direct and Indirect Effects of IBSR on Procrastination (H 3 )

Right after the intervention, IBSR participants reported statistically significantly less procrastination ( a 3 = –0.520, SE = 0.199, p = 0.005) than participants of the control group. Even though the IBSR intervention no longer directly affected procrastination ( c 3 ’ = 0.085, SE = 0.146, p = 0.279) at the end of the term, we found an indirect effect of the IBSR intervention on procrastination, which is – as predicted – more complex in its nature. Firstly, the initial reduction of procrastination resulted in a lasting reduction of procrastination as participants who had reported less procrastination after the intervention also reported less procrastination at the end of the term ( b 33 = 0.680, SE = 0.107, p < 0.001). A bias-corrected 95% BCI for this specific indirect effect of IBSR ( a 3 b 33 = –0.354) was entirely under zero (–0.682 to –0.104). Secondly, and in contrast to our hypotheses, results revealed that participants with increased self-efficacy did not report statistically significant less procrastination at the end of the academic term ( b 31 = –0.035, SE = 0.088, p = 0.348). Accordingly, the specific indirect effect ( a 1 b 31 = –0.016) was statistically non-significant as confirmed by the bias-corrected 90% BCI (–0.107 to 0.040).

Thirdly, we predicted IBSR to indirectly reduce procrastination via an immediate reduction of test anxiety for participants of the intervention. Also, we had predicted that participants of the control group should demonstrate an increase of test anxiety and this increase in test anxiety to reduce procrastination (H 4 ). Thus, a significant coefficient was expected for the two-way interaction of Group × Test Anxiety (time 2). Results revealed that participants who had reported more test anxiety at time 2, reported statistically significant less procrastination at the end of the academic term ( b 32 = –0.296, SE = 0.098, p = 0.002). This effect was qualified by the predicted effect of the interaction of Group × Test Anxiety ( b 34 = 0.301, SE = 0.156, p = 0.027) which shows that experimental conditions had a differential effect on the causal relationship between test anxiety measured at time 2 and procrastination measured at time 3 (see Figure 2 ). For the control group, simple slopes analyses revealed a statistically significant effect of test anxiety (time 2) on procrastination (time 3) [ b 34 ( 0 ) = –0.296, SE = 0.098, p = 0.002, 95% BCI (–0.491 to –0.103)], while there was no effect for the IBSR group [ b 34 ( 1 ) = 0.005, SE = 0.145, p = 0.487, 90% BCI (–0.233 to 0.232)]. Altogether, for the IBSR group, we found a statistically significant total indirect effect of IBSR on procrastination [ b 3 ( 1 ) = –0.372, SE = 0.169, p = 0.014, 95% BCI (–0.751 to –0.083)], but not for the control group [ b 3 ( 0 ) = –0.208, SE = 0.130, p = 0.055, 90% BCI (–0.423 to 0.005)]. Thus, the IBSR intervention reduced procrastination at the end of the academic term indirectly, mainly via an immediate reduction of procrastination. For all results of the mediation analyses see Table 5 .

Figure 2. Conditional Parallel Multiple Mediation Models for Academic Procrastination Measured at Time 3. All continuous variables were z -standardized. All reported parameter estimates are unstandardized. N = 71. † p ≤ 0.10, ∗ p ≤ 0.05, ∗∗ p ≤ 0.01, ∗∗∗ p ≤ 0.001. Reported are significance levels based one-tailed p -values.

Table 5. Regression coefficients, standard errors, and model summary information for the conditional parallel multiple mediation models for academic procrastination measured at time 3.

In the present research, we investigated the effects of an IBSR short intervention on test anxiety, procrastination, and self-efficacy as well as their causal interplay in the last part of an academic term in a sample of university students suffering from test anxiety and procrastination. We had predicted the IBSR intervention to enhance self-efficacy (H 1 ) and this increase in self-efficacy – subsequently – to reduce test anxiety (H 2 ) and procrastination (H 3 ) for participants of the IBSR intervention. In contrast, we had also expected a decrease in procrastination for participants of the control group, but this decrease rather to be a consequence of an increase in test anxiety due to the approaching exams and deadlines (H 4 ). Results of the data analyses mostly support our hypotheses. Firstly, in accordance with our first hypothesis, results showed that the IBSR intervention increased participants’ self-efficacy and this effect to be stable until the end of the academic term. We interpret these results in accordance with the theoretical assumptions of CEST ( Epstein, 2003 ) and self-efficacy theory ( Bandura, 1977 ). Based on the rationale of both theories, we assume that information processing leading to cognitive appraisals (such as self-efficacy beliefs) is not only informed by conscious and rational reasons (i.e., verbal persuasion), but also by experience-based information stemming from experiential schemas and knowledge such as (vicarious) mastery experiences and current experience of physical arousal. Following from this, a permanent modification of cognitive appraisals (such as low self-efficacy beliefs) is assumed to follow from rational debate as well as from new – efficacy-enhancing – experiences. As IBSR allows for a debate of cognitive appraisals such as low self-efficacy beliefs through experiential self-exploration (e.g., by imagination of the testing situation without the distortions caused by participants’ low self-efficacy beliefs) and rational persuasion (e.g., through exploration of the validity of high self-efficacy beliefs), individuals should show increased self-efficacy after participation in an IBSR intervention. Secondly, we found a stable decrease in test anxiety for participants of the IBSR intervention, which was partly due to increased self-efficacy. This result is in line with control-value theory ( Pekrun, 2006 ), which states that test anxiety is caused by cognitive appraisals including (low) self-efficacy beliefs and matches existing empirical evidence showing the potential of IBSR to reduce test anxiety ( Krispenz and Dickhäuser, 2018 ). Thirdly, and for all participants, we found a lasting decrease in academic procrastination. However, in line with our assumptions, data analyses revealed this decrease in procrastination to be caused by different mechanisms for the respective groups. For the control group and as predicted by our fourth hypothesis, the reduction of procrastination was due to an increase in test anxiety [ b 34 ( 0 ) = –0.296, SE = 0.098, p = 0.002]. We interpret this effect in line with studies which found students to experience higher levels of anxiety ( Lay et al., 1989 ) before exams when they had delayed studying earlier in the semester and in accordance with TMT ( Steel, 2007 ), which assumes students to procrastinate less in the last stages of an academic term – as deadlines approach, students are forced to study for their exams if they want to avoid failing due to poor preparation. For intervention participants, results also revealed a long-term decrease in procrastination. However, this effect was – contrary to our third hypothesis – neither caused by an increase in self-efficacy nor by a (subsequent) decrease in test anxiety. Rather, the decrease in procrastination was caused by an immediate effect of the IBSR intervention on procrastination. In particular, we found the relationship between test anxiety and procrastination to completely vanish for IBSR participants in the time between the intervention till the end of the academic term [ b 34 ( 1 ) = 0.005, SE = 0.145, p = 0.487]. From this, we conclude that the IBSR method might have provided participants of the IBSR intervention with new means for emotional coping: As test anxiety is accompanied by states of unpleasant physical arousal and worry thoughts ( Pekrun, 2006 ), students often feel the desire to withdraw from the anxiety-causing situation ( Geen, 1987 ; Matthews et al., 1999 ). However, during the IBSR intervention seminars, test anxious students were taught to investigate their worry thoughts and to explore any accompanying unpleasant feelings and sensations with the IBSR method (Question 3; see Table 1 ). Additionally, students were enabled to mentally experience the anxiety-causing situation without the distortions caused by their worry thoughts (Question 4; see Table 1 ), which should allow them a new and potentially more positive experience (e.g., feelings of relief or curiosity). Therefore, when confronted with the unpleasant state of test anxiety after the IBSR intervention, IBSR participants might have no longer felt the need to withdraw from the situation through procrastination. Rather, they might have applied the IBSR method as an alternative coping strategy to deal with unpleasant physical arousal and worry thoughts. Nevertheless, additional data is needed to confirm this assumption.

The results of our study significantly contribute to the literature on IBSR. For the first time, they show that IBSR is potent not only in reducing test anxiety ( Krispenz and Dickhäuser, 2018 ), but also in enhancing academic self-efficacy and reducing academic procrastination. Our research also demonstrates that these effects last longer than 2 days and remain stable especially in the last stage of an academic term. The present study also overcomes the limitations of previous studies on IBSR. On the one hand and in contrast to Krispenz and Dickhäuser (2018) , we assisted IBSR participants in their first practice of IBSR, thereby avoiding any difficulties participants unfamiliar with IBSR might encounter when applying the IBSR method for the first time. On the other hand, in previous studies (e.g., Smernoff et al., 2015 ), participants usually attended a 9-day IBSR intervention making participation extremely time-consuming. In our study, the IBSR intervention lasted only 3 h which shows that participants can be trained to use the IBSR method more effectively.

Limitations

There are limitations to the present study which need to be acknowledged. Firstly, and even though we found IBSR to decrease procrastination, we did not find this decrease to be caused by the found increase in self-efficacy as TMT ( Steel, 2007 ) would predict. This result might be due to the fact that participants were not explicitly instructed to investigate only (low) self-efficacy beliefs but anxiety causing worry thoughts per se . Hence, future studies interested in further investigating the positive effects of IBSR on procrastination via an enhancement in self-efficacy could profit from guiding participants in identifying and exploring self-efficacy beliefs only. Also, at first view, the causal interpretation of the found effects is limited due to the fact that the present study did use a quasi-randomized control trial. Due to practical reasons, participants were assigned to the conditions (IBSR vs. control group) by choosing from the four possible intervention dates without knowing on what dates the IBSR intervention was actually scheduled. However, there is no reason to assume that participants preferences for dates was systematically associated with one of the outcome variables. This is also confirmed by the results showing that experimental groups did not statistically differ in their initial levels of the dependent variables. Further, the design of the present study allows for a rather conservative estimation of the effects of IBSR. We included an active control group instead of a neutral inactive control group. In particular, participants in the control group were completing activities (i.e., a 3-h seminar and a diary) which could have helped them to increase their self-efficacy and reduce their test anxiety and procrastination long-term. This might explain why some of the long-term direct effects of the IBSR intervention were not statistically significant when compared to the control group. To exclude this alternative explanation of the present results, future studies should use a 3-group design including an intervention group, an active control group, and a neutral control group. Also, instead of a general student population (see Krispenz and Dickhäuser, 2018 ), the present study explicitly addressed university students suffering from test anxiety and/or academic procrastination. Nevertheless, the IBSR intervention was given to all students who were interested in participating regardless of their initial levels of test anxiety. Future studies should investigate if the effects found in the present study are replicable in a sample of highly test anxious students.

Another important limitation of the present study is that we used complex path analysis to investigate the relationships among the variables of interest by using a sample of N = 71. As a consequence of the sample size, we were not able to specify latent variables in the model. Thus, future research should replicate the results of the present study by repeating the procedure with a larger sample to allow for analyzes of both observed and latent variables. Furthermore, the measurement of the dependent variables was restricted to the second part of an academic term. Accordingly, future studies should on the one hand investigate the causal interplay between self-efficacy, test anxiety, and procrastination over the course of a whole academic term. On the other hand, they should include an even longer follow-up period to investigate if the found effects hold even over a longer time period. Finally, future research should include additional measures related to self-efficacy, test anxiety, and procrastination such as academic performance (e.g., grades).

The present study provides preliminary evidence that IBSR is potent in enhancing self-efficacy as well as in reducing test anxiety and procrastination in a sample of university students suffering from test anxiety and procrastination. These findings have important practical implications for educational settings as students suffering from both phenomena might easily profit from learning the IBSR method considering that the method is guided by a simple and clear defined set of questions, allowing for a structured way of self -inquiry. As a consequence, the practice of IBSR does not require a therapeutic setting. This makes the IBSR method easily available and potentially helpful to anyone who wants to change their negative thinking.

Data Availability

The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author.

Ethics Statment

Ethical review and approval was not required for the study on human participants in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author Contributions

AK, CG, and LS developed the study concept and design, and collected the data. AK and OD analyzed and interpreted the data. AK drafted the manuscript. OD, CG, and LS critically revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final version to be published, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

The publication of this article was funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg and the University of Mannheim, Germany.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Keywords : educational psychology, test anxiety, academic self-efficacy, academic procrastination, cognitive appraisals, inquiry-based stress reduction

Citation: Krispenz A, Gort C, Schültke L and Dickhäuser O (2019) How to Reduce Test Anxiety and Academic Procrastination Through Inquiry of Cognitive Appraisals: A Pilot Study Investigating the Role of Academic Self-Efficacy. Front. Psychol. 10:1917. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01917

Received: 14 June 2019; Accepted: 05 August 2019; Published: 20 August 2019.

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Copyright © 2019 Krispenz, Gort, Schültke and Dickhäuser. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Ann Krispenz, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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• Test Anxiety (PDF)

What is Test Anxiety?

How does test anxiety affect you, what causes test anxiety, how do you know if you have test anxiety, what can you do about test anxiety, what to do at least a week before the exam, what to do during the exam, what to do after the exam, works cited, test anxiety.

Test anxiety is a feeling of agitation or distress. Test anxiety may be a physical or mental response you experience, such as feeling “butterflies in your stomach,” an instant headache, or sweaty palms before or during an exam. It is normal to feel some anxiety before a test, but too much anxiety may be harmful to your exam performance.

Anxiety may cause you to have a physiological, behavioral, or even a psychological effect.

• Physiological – rapid heartbeat, knot in stomach, headache, tension, profuse perspiration.
• Behavioral – indecisive about an answer, “going blank”, inability to organize your thoughts.
• Psychological – feelings of nervousness, restlessness, or continual doubt.

Test anxiety has many sources; most commonly it is caused by a lack of exam preparation. Cramming the night before the exam, poor study habits, poor time management, lack of organization of the text, notes, and homework are examples of being unprepared. Test anxiety can also be caused by worrying about past test performance, how others are doing on the test and the consequences if you don't do your best. These feelings may intensify if you are already on academic probation.

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Test anxiety has many symptoms which include loss of sleep or appetite, sweaty palms, food cravings, and an inability to concentrate to name a few. Below are examples; select the statements that you identify with most. If you select more than five symptoms you may experience test anxiety. Most people experience these symptoms and they are not harmful; however, if you experience ten or more you may be suffering from severe test anxiety.

__ I do not sleep well the night before a test. __ I am always afraid that I will run out of time. __ I get sick if I eat anything before a test. __ I check the time constantly; noises bother me. __ I am irritable and hard to be around before a test. __ I get easily frustrated during the test. __ I see the test as a measure of my worth as a student. __ I have a negative attitude about testing. __ I blank out during the test and can't recall information. __ I think about not taking the test. __ I worry when others are still testing and I am finished. __ I always average my grades before the test. __ I worry when others finish and I am still testing. __ My body sweats, heart pounds; feel nauseous.

The mind is a powerful tool that may work either for you or against you. Test anxiety can be controlled with an attitude adjustment. Visualizing success can take you a long way. If you tell yourself you can't succeed, then you won't. If you tell yourself you can succeed and do well, you will. Start by preparing before, during, and after an exam.

• Give yourself enough time to review the material – start at least a week early.
• Ask your professor what the format of the test will be: multiple choice, essay, fill in the blank, true or false, etc.
• Ask your professor questions such as: How long will the test be (amount of questions)? Is there a time limit? Will there be a study guide? Will there be a review session?
• Make a list of the topic/chapters/materials that will be on the exam. Write down any formulas, definitions or key facts that you need to know. Look for these in your lecture notes, textbooks, sample tests, quizzes, and handouts.
• If it helps you, make flash cards, outlines, drawings, etc. that will help you learn and remember the material. Visual aids such as these can help during the test.
• Pay attention to the areas your professor spends a lot of time on in class. If your professor spent two weeks emphasizing a subject, then assume it will be on the exam. Ask your professor if out of class reading material will be included on the test.
• DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. Don't worry about the amount of material you need to know: that's wasting time. Instead, start studying! Give each topic enough review time and spend the most time on subjects emphasized by the professor.
• Test yourself on the material. As you write problems on the board, talk out loud about what you are doing. (Give the lecture!) If you can talk and write about it, you know it.
• The night before the exam, gather any materials that you might need: pencil, pen, calculator, scantron, etc. Then, get a good night's sleep.
• Avoid cramming. Cramming requires a great deal of energy, contributes to stress and tension, and does not last. Cramming is one of the reasons you may “blank out.”
• Eat a healthy breakfast. Some foods that are recommended to reduce stress include fresh fruits and vegetables. In general, high carbohydrate foods won't sustain you while proteins will. Figure out what's best for you to eat in the mornings.
• Be on time. Start out early, get a good parking spot, walk relaxed; slow things down.
• Don't talk to other students before the exam because you might just get confused. Other students may be suffering from test anxiety and they can make you feel anxious if they start asking you questions. Remember: it's a solo experience.
• READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY. Directions include vital information such as where to write your answers, how to write your answers, whether spelling counts, if you need to show all your work, etc. You may lose vital points because you didn't follow directions.
• Pace yourself and budget your time. Avoid looking at the clock – just focus on the test.
• If you blank on a question, skip it and move on. Sometimes reading other test questions will help you remember answers to those questions you skipped.
• If others are turning in their tests, don't panic. There's no prize for finishing first. Stay focused.
• Remember to relax, breathe, and don't think about fear or the consequences of the exam. Just put your best foot forward and do your personal best.
• FORGET ABOUT IT. Yes! It's all over. Go home and relax.
• Don't talk to others about what was on the exam. Asking questions such as “What did you get for #35?” will not help you or the other person. Many professors give different versions of the exam (i.e., Version A, B, C) so you might not be asking about the same question. Worrying about an answer after the test is over contributes to test anxiety.
• Treat yourself. If you have no other commitments (i.e., other exams or class), spend some time relaxing and doing a whole lot of nothing.
• After a couple of hours, try to list some factors that you think improved your test taking and reduced your test anxiety. Even if you list only a few, it's still a starting point that will lead to success of overcoming your test anxiety.

University of Buffalo, C. S. (n.d.). Test Anxiety. Retrieved from Counseling Services:  http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/stresstestanxiety.shtml

Walter Pauk, R. J. (2005). How to Study in College. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

University of Western Ontario, Student Development Centre. Managing Test Anxiety.  http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/mcanx.html

George Washington University, University Counseling Center. Test Anxiety.  http://gwired.gwu.edu/counsel/index.gw/Site_ID/5176/Page_ID/14095/

Rhonda J. Montgomery, P. G. (1997). Cornerstone Building on Your Best. Needham: Allyn and Bacon

Landsberger, J. (1996). Overcoming Test Anxiety. Retrieved from Study Guides and Strategies:  http://www.studygs.net/tstprp8.htm

Ellis, D. (2003). Becoming a Master Student. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

kidshealth.org. (1995-2010). What is Test Anxiety? Retrieved from Teens Health:  http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/test_anxiety.html

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Tips for beating test anxiety.

Study strategies and coping skills transform attitudes

Writer: Rachel Ehmke

Clinical Experts: Matthew Cruger, PhD , Ken Schuster, PsyD

What You'll Learn

• Why do some kids feel anxious when taking tests?
• What are some ways kids can prepare for a test to feel less anxious?
• How can kids stay calm while taking a test?

Lots of kids get stressed out by taking tests. This is especially true of kids who have anxiety, ADHD or learning disabilities, who may feel less confident in school. Worrying that they won’t do well can make it harder to focus in the moment, but learning strategies to manage anxiety can help.  

Reducing anxiety starts with preparing for the test by using study techniques that will boost their confidence. Reviewing the specific test format and taking practice tests, if they can, will make them feel calmer. So can guessing the questions that might come up and practicing answering them. Looking for big themes in the material is another active way of studying that can help kids remember information.  

It’s important to make a plan of attack for the test itself. Kids can remind themselves that it’s okay to skip questions and come back to them. Avoiding spending too long on one question is usually a good idea too. Calming techniques like using a stress ball or taking deep breaths can also help. If your child has especially bad test anxiety, they may even qualify for accommodations like extra time or taking a break partway through.   

Finally, encourage kids to remember that it’s okay if they don’t know the answer. Sometimes the best way to manage anxiety is to accept when they don’t know something and move on to the next question.  

When athletes are called upon to perform in high-pressure situations many of them describe having peaked senses that they use to their advantage. They’re able to quiet their minds, zone out the audience, and make the catch. Kids with test anxiety have the opposite reaction.

“Anxiety also has the potential to shut you down,” explains neuropsychologist Ken Schuster, PsyD. “When kids are having test anxiety they can’t think clearly, they can’t judge things the way they could if they weren’t anxious. All of your other abilities get clouded up by anxiety.”

Why some kids get test anxiety

There are a number of different reasons why some kids might be more susceptible to anxiety. Test anxiety often goes hand-in-hand with learning issues. Children who have ADHD or a learning disability are often already feeling anxious about schoo l, and when it’s time to take a test that sense can be heightened. “If I have ADHD and I am prone to inattention, if I start feeling anxious on top of that I’m going to have a lot more difficulty,” notes Dr. Schuster.

Likewise, when a student has a limited amount of time to take a test and knows that he processes things slowly, he’s probably going to start feeling anxious.

Kids worried that they won’t do well, for whatever reason, are prone to more anxiety. Kids with an anxious temperament who worry about making mistakes or performing in general—from singing in music class to going up to bat at baseball—tend to feel more test anxiety. Kids who believe that they won’t do as well in a particular subject—like girls influenced by the stereotype that boys are better at math —may also be more prone to test anxiety in that subject.

Feeling more confident

The common denominator is that if you think you aren’t going to do well, you’re going to feel more anxious going in. “What I have seen when I work with kids who have test anxiety is they tend to say, ‘I’m so stupid,’ ” says Matt Cruger , PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. “That can’t be a helpful mindset to have when taking tests. In a more general way I’m really trying to rehabilitate kids’ sense of themselves as competent learners .”

Learning strategies to bolster your confidence going into the test is a good approach. Often that starts with changing how you study. Dr. Cruger says that 90% of the students he works with don’t have an effective model of studying. “What they end up doing most often is rely on their memory of what they heard in class, or review their notes by reading them over,” he says. He helps them try other more active methods that give them more mastery over the material.

Better study strategies

– Know the test format . “Imagine if you took the SAT but you never did any SAT prep. That could happen to a kid all the time,” says Dr. Cruger. “They studied the content but they didn’t know what the format was going to be, so they don’t feel like they are prepared.” So kids should try to find out what format the test will be. Multiple choice? True or false? Essay? A combination? Just knowing the format will help them feel more prepared and take away the shock they might feel when they are handed the test. And if it is possible to take some practice tests, do it.

– Reorganize the material. Try to think about what the main ideas are in what the class has been studying.  Outline the big events and issues, and think about the themes that unite them. This is a more active style of studying that helps kids think about what they have been learning in a different way from how it was presented, which will give them a richer understanding of it.  And the better you understand something, the harder it will be to stump you.

– Think about possible questions. Predicting and answering questions ahead of time helps kids gain more mastery over the material and feel more confident. But try to think flexibly. “We like our tests to require people to solve the problem, but often not in the way we taught them the problem,” warns Dr. Cruger. So if you know you will have some essay questions to answer, try to predict what the topics might be and practice writing your answer ahead of time. If you know there will be some word problems, think about how the things you’ve learned in class might be turned into a word problem. Look at the word problems that already came up on homework assignments.

During the test

Even after having done all you can to prepare, it’s still good to be armed with some strategies for getting through the test and putting the brakes on any anxiety you might start feeling in the moment.

– Have a plan: Dr. Schuster says that kids who learn and use basic test-taking strategies tend to feel more confident. For example he recommends:

• Don’t spend too much time on any one question.
• If it’s a multiple choice test, read each answer and then cross out the ones you know aren’t right to help yourself narrow it down.
• Pick an answer and stick with it—we all have the tendency to second-guess ourselves and it can lead to wasted time and wrong answers.

– Break things up: When you start to feel panicked, look for a way to change the focus. For example, Dr. Cruger says that if he sees a question that really throws him off during a test—the kind of question that makes him think, “Is this written in English?!”—he will sometimes turn to the last page and answer the last question first. “Somehow breaking up the routine seems to be helpful for getting things done,” he says. “Other people have told me they do this, too.”

– Practice calming techniques: Sometimes kids like to bring things like worry stones into tests that they can use almost like a stress ball. Practicing deep breathing and using mindfulness techniques can also be effective.

– Accept when you don’t know something. Sometimes the best way to manage your anxiety is to accept that you don’t know the answer to a question and move on. If you feel like the test was unfair and didn’t give you a chance to show your knowledge, you can advocate with the teacher later.

– Accommodations Some kids who really struggle with test anxiety may also be eligible for accommodations during test time. For example, some kids might need to get up and take a break during a test if they are really starting to panic and need to calm themselves down. Sometimes kids get more time because they aren’t working at an optimal speed because they’re experiencing low grade panic throughout the test. Kids may even be eligible for a modified version of the test.

Finding success

Sometimes it can be hard to convince kids to start using new study or test-taking strategies. “You always need to sort of sell kids on the idea of trying something different,” warns Dr. Cruger. This can be frustrating for parents and teachers, who only want to help, but Dr. Cruger points out that “Kids are being asked to learn lots and lots of stuff from very well intentioned adults all the time.”

If they don’t understand the rationale behind a new study method, they probably aren’t going to adopt it, so parents and professionals working with kids should be explicit about how a new technique might be helpful.

But when kids start feeling like they’ve studied well and they know the material and they have strategies to fall back on if they need them, their attitudes going into a test will transform. And having the right attitude is important. “I think the best test-taking mindset is something along the lines of ‘I’m a monster, I’m going to kill this test. There’s no way I can be fooled or do badly,’ ” says Dr. Cruger.

Frequently Asked Questions

The best ways to cope with test anxiety include planning and practice. Reviewing the specific test format and taking practice tests will make kids feel calmer. So can guessing questions that might come up and practicing answering them.

Strategies to help text anxiety include reminding yourself that it’s okay to skip questions and come back to them, and avoiding spending too long on one question.

If a kid has especially bad test anxiety, they may qualify for accommodations like extra time or taking a break partway through.

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10 ways to manage and overcome test anxiety

What is test anxiety?

It’s normal to feel nervous about upcoming tests. 

However, if you experience overwhelming or debilitating levels of stress or anxiety before, during or after a test, you may have ‘test anxiety.’ 

Test anxiety is a type of performance anxiety that can be triggered by high expectations, previous test outcomes, fear of failure, pressure to perform or perfectionism. This type of anxiety can be particularly problematic when it impacts your ability to study, make it to your exams or answer test questions. 

Test anxiety typically manifests as a combination of physical and emotional symptoms that can interfere with your ability to concentrate or perform well.  

Here are a few signs and symptoms to be aware of. 

• Excessive sweating 
• Nausea, vomiting or digestive issues 
• Rapid heartbeat 
• Shortness of breath 
• Lightheaded or faint 
• Panic attacks, which can feel like a heart attack 
• Self-doubt, insecurity 
• Fear, helplessness 
• Hopelessness 
• Feelings of inadequacy 
• Anger or irritability 
• Negative self-talk 
• Racing thoughts 
• Difficulty concentrating 
• Restlessness, fidgeting 
• Procrastination, avoidance 
• Frequently comparing yourself to others 
• Difficulty sleeping 

If you experience any of these symptoms, you’re not alone.  

Here are some ways you can manage and overcome test anxiety. 

1. Get a head start

Start studying for your exams as early as possible. Test anxiety is often exacerbated when we feel underprepared or don’t know what to expect. Set yourself up for success by reaching out to your instructors, creating study guides, rereading class notes, reviewing presentations and practicing homework problems well in advance. 

2. Change the narrative

Negative self-talk may cause you to feel like you're trapped in a downward spiral, especially when you feel anxious. If this sounds like you, try to catch yourself in the moment and change the narrative. Take a few deep breaths and practice replacing negative thoughts with more productive ones. 

Here are some examples. 

Instead of saying…

• I should have studied more; I don’t know what I’m doing.
• I feel stupid.
• I have to do well or else XYZ will happen.
• I studied as best as I could for this exam, and it’s okay if I can’t answer every single question. 
• I am smart and capable, even if my test results don’t reflect those qualities. 
• I am doing my best, and if I don’t do as well as I want to, it’s not the end of the world. 

3. Prioritize taking care of yourself 

High anxiety can sometimes cause people to forget about other important things in life, like basic needs, hobbies, relationships and rest. As you prepare for exams, try to schedule times to study, eat, take breaks, spend time with friends and take care of your own mental health. This can help you avoid feeling burned out or completely drained when it comes time to sit down for your tests. 

4. Arrive early 

Running late can increase anxiety before you even make it to your exam. Instead of leaving at your usual time, set an alarm 10 to 15 minutes early, so you can arrive with plenty of time to spare. Getting there early means you may have more time to review your notes, prepare your materials and settle your mind before the exam starts. 

5. Use calming techniques 

If you’re feeling anxious before or during an exam, try practicing quick calming techniques to help you recenter and refocus. 

Here are two you can try that won’t take up too much time. 

Square breathing

This technique can help you slow your breathing and heart rate to ease anxiety.  

Start by closing your eyes and focus on your breathing.  

Gently inhale through your nose, counting to four.  

Breathe out slowly, exhaling all your air while counting to four again.  

Repeat this process as many times as you need to calm down.  

As you start to feel better, open your eyes and return to your study session or exam. 

45-second body scan

This technique can help you stay present and calm racing thoughts.  

Close your eyes and tune in to the sensations of your body.  

Start at the bottoms of your feet, feeling the weight of your feet against your shoes.  

Slowly move up your body by feeling the sensations of your legs, hips, back, abdomen, shoulders, neck, arms, hands and head.  

When you’re done with your body scan, take a deep breath and return to your study session or exam. 

Practicing these techniques when you don’t need them will make them easier to use when you do. It can also help you determine which one suits you best. 

6. Avoid comparisons 

Looking at how others are doing around you can increase your anxiety, especially if you notice that you’re not as far along or that you’ve spent more time on a question compared to your classmates. That’s why it’s important to focus on your own work and progress. Remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can, and it doesn’t matter what others are doing around you. You will make progress on your own terms. 

7. Set a timeline 

If you struggle with time management during exams, try to set a timeline. For instance, it can be helpful to review how much time you have to complete an exam and how many questions you’ll need to answer. 

This can help you plan out how much time you have per question. Keep in mind that some questions may come more easily than others. It’s also important to leave yourself enough time to complete written or long-form questions, which usually take longer than multiple choice questions. 

Remind yourself that it’s okay to skip questions if you feel like you’re running behind. You can always come back to them later. Just make sure to keep track of the question numbers on your scantron to avoid potential errors.  

8. Allow yourself to relinquish control 

Once you’ve submitted an exam, that’s it. 

Remind yourself that the outcome is now in your instructor’s hands and out of your control. Relinquish control over what you might have gotten wrong or problems you didn’t finish. Instead, allow yourself to breathe a sigh of relief that the exam is over.  

9. Review your scores on your own terms 

Some people like to view their scores right away or talk about them in class. Others may prefer to review their grades privately or wait until they have a chance to calm down. Regardless of what others prefer, allow yourself to see how you did on your own terms. 

If you’re feeling anxious or worried about your test results, consider asking a close friend to review them for you. You can also ask them to share your results in a supportive and non-judgmental way. 

10. Use campus resources 

Campus resources are available to help you prepare for exams and get additional support for test anxiety. Here are a few to check out.  

Academic resources

Tutoring services.

CU Boulder offers a wide variety of tutoring services. Some are specific to classes, departments or groups of students, while others are available campus-wide. Many of these services are free to use. If you’re not sure where to begin, try checking your syllabus or asking your instructor for help and referrals. 

Writing Center

The Writing Center provides free one-to-one tutoring sessions with professionally trained writing consultants, individualized guidance and feedback, and time-saving skills for writing and presentation projects. The Writing Center is free to all CU Boulder undergrad and graduate students. 

Disability Services

Disability Services provides students with disabilities reasonable academic accommodations, support and other services. They also offer free workshops that are open to all students. If you need help navigating test accommodations, Disability Services can help. 

Grade Replacement Program

This program allows degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students to retake a course in which they earned a low grade to improve their cumulative GPA. 

Wellness resources

Finals website.

Check out the finals website for free events, tips, information about additional resources and more. 

Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) offers free workshops to help you prepare for finals, including:  

• Anxiety Toolbox  
• Feel Better Fast  
• Skills for Thriving 

Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) provides free drop-in consultations through Let’s Talk. Counselors are available in person at multiple campus locations to help provide insight, solutions and information about additional resources. 

Peer Wellness Coaching

Meet one-on-one with a trained peer wellness coach to get help creating a study plan, managing stress, practicing self-care and more. 

AcademicLiveCare

All students can schedule free telehealth counseling and psychiatry appointments online through AcademicLiveCare. 

Free Finals Week at the Rec

Physical activity is a great way to take a break from studying and manage stress. The Rec Center will be offering a variety of free activities during Free Finals Week. 

Figueroa Wellness Suite

The Wellness Suite is a great place to rest and reset. Whether you need a nap, want to pick up free health and wellness supplies, or if you just want to find a quiet place to study, the Wellness Suite provides a place to get away at the end of the year. 

Mental health crises

If you’re experiencing a possible mental health crisis or need urgent, same-day support, Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is here to support you 24/7 over the phone at 303-492-2277. Calling ahead allows providers to triage your concerns so they can address them more quickly and effectively. 

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Impact of Test Anxiety

How it works

Test Anxiety can have a negative impact on academic performance as well as mental and physical health among college students. According to Damer and Melendres (2011), the pressure to perform well is increasing for students because test performance has become a deciding factor in admittance to a specific class, major, program, or school. Studies show that a large portion of students develop some level of test anxiety (Dan et al., 2014). Those who are affected do not perform up to their potential, and test scores misrepresent their level of knowledge and understanding (Damer & Melendres, 2011).

In addition, test anxiety also affects mental and physical health, causing depression, hopelessness, and increased alcohol consumption. For these reasons, it is important to find suitable and effective treatment, as it is essential to overcome fears of anxiety (Reiss et al., 2017).

Test anxiety is defined as a perceived arousal, reported worry, self-degenerating thoughts, tension, and reports of somatic symptoms before and during exams or similar evaluative situations (Damer & Melendres, 2011). Group treatments constitute an effective method of treating test anxiety (e.g. university settings) (Reiss et al., 2017). The group, Managing Test Anxiety (MTA), is designed for college students who feel overwhelmed during test preparation and/or in test settings, but who still want to achieve. This group is for college students who want to learn the skills and strategies needed to manage their test anxiety utilizing cognitive-behavioral anxiety techniques in a supportive group environment. The purpose and outcome of this group is not to eliminate test anxiety, but to identify and develop new strategies that will not affect test performance yet also promote a change in cognitive behavior.

• 1 Goals & Objectives
• 2 Organization
• 3 Theoretical Orientation
• 4 Ethical Statement
• 5 Multicultural Awareness
• 6 Outline of Content & Exercises
• 7 Identify causes of Test Anxiety: Mini Group Breakout Exercise
• 8 Cognitive Restructuring List Exercise
• 9 Here and Now: Relaxation Imagery Exercise
• 10 Establishing a “test day routine” & Mock Exam Exercise

Goals & Objectives

If anxiety exceeds a certain threshold (as is the case with test anxiety) it results in decrease performance (Damer & Melendres, 2011). Students do not exactly know beforehand what the exam and its outcome are like (Lotz & Sparfeldt, 2017). This group will provide a safe and supportive environment for college students with test anxiety to address common issues and strategies that have been tried that results in an decrease or increase of anxiety. Identifying mechanisms for enhancing student coping with stressors inherent to college life, is an important goal (Nelson & Knight, 2010). The goals of the group are discussed below:

• To develop an awareness of the possible causes of test anxiety
• Addressing the different ways that test anxiety can develop
• Participants will reveal the thoughts they have associated with test taking and test preparation and identify how that impacts their daily life
• Group leaders will use CBT to help participants identify how their thinking influences behavior
• To identify strategies that can be used prior and during test taking that can decrease feelings of anxiety
• Participants will participate in exercises that include strategies for managing test anxiety
• Participants will gain knowledge and strategies from one another on decreasing feelings of anxiety
• To develop relaxation techniques to cope with test anxiety
• Participants will target positive emotions and thoughts through group discussion and exercises
• Deep breathing and guided imagery techniques will be used to promote relaxation and participants will develop an array of skills as a result that can promote maintaining test anxiety

Organization

Recruiting: Since this group will take place in a college setting, there are a number of recruiting strategies that can be implemented to inform students of the Managing Test Anxiety (MTA) group. Advertisements on the counseling center website, flyers across campus, and emails to academic advisors and other campus departments (Damer & Melendres, 2011) can assist in getting the word out to college students who are not aware of the opportunity to be a part of the group. The group description will highlight students’ interest by presenting questionnaires in a Yes/No question format. For example, there will be questions such as, “Do you experience fear, anxiety, or helplessness before or during a test? Do you “blank out” or have trouble concentrating during a test? and Do you experience nausea, sweating, racing heart, shortness of breath, or dizziness during a test?”. These specific questions will help to identify the college students who actually go through these emotions and not students who are just doing poorly in school for reasons unrelated to test anxiety.

Next, information sessions will be held before the formation of the group. This will help the college students learn more about the group itself and determine if it is the best option for them. Participants will choose to participate in this study with the knowledge that it includes content related to test anxiety (O’Donnell, 2017). In these information sessions, students will complete an information form that describes the how test anxiety affects them and what would they would like to gain as a result of being a part of the group. Once the group information session is completed, each potential group member will then meet with one of the group leaders individually to further discuss information about what he/she wants to gain from being in the group, whether any other factors may hinder the group process (e.g. depression, schedule), and whether or not the student will be able to participate.

Group Size, length, & Format: The Managing Test Anxiety group will run for 4 weeks and will last 1.5 hours per session/One session a week. 6 to 10 group members will participate in the MTA group. Since this is a brief group settings and college students’ schedules are so unpredictable, this group will hold sessions several times a semester to serve a greater number of students (Damer & Melendres, 2011). Each group session will be led by a lead and co-lead (e.g. licensed staff member or trainee). As stated by Damer & Melendres (2011), each group will be involved in psychoeducation and skill building regarding test anxiety. Also, throughout each session, group members will be encouraged to share their own experiences and provide feedback to fellow group members to facilitate support and cohesion. In relation to the research of Damer & Melendres (2011), the skills and topics that will be incorporated into this intervention will include: cognitive restructuring, study skills, study habits, self-care, mindfulness, relaxation and breathing techniques.

Theoretical Orientation

Cognitive Theory: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Group leaders will design the group focus on Cognitive-behavioral therapy by helping the students identify, challenge, and adjust current beliefs and behaviors relating to test anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which was developed by Beck, explores the links between thoughts, emotions and behavior in a time limited setting (Fenn & Byrne, 2013). According to Reiss et al. (2017), treatments combining skill focused approaches with behavioral and cognitive interventions seem to be the most effective in reducing test anxiety. By identifying the negative thoughts associated with test anxiety, “those in positive thought condition-were more likely to experience positive emotion and optimism, and less likely to experience negative emotions and test anxiety” (Nelson & Knight, 2010).

The cognitive aspects of test anxiety include worry, negative thoughts that intrude into one’s mind before or during the test and cognitive deficits in memory, retrieval, or attention (Dan et al., 2014). As the behavioral aspects of test anxiety may appear in an unseemingly unrelated manifestation, such as low motivation for studying or procrastination (Dan et al., 2014). According to Fenn & Byrne (2013), Cognitive behavioral therapy will teach participants to be their own therapist by focusing on the “here and now” and helping participants understand their current way of thinking and equipping them with tools to change these patterns.

Ethical Statement

This group, Managing Test Anxiety, will be constructed with full compliance of research ethical norms. Different interventions may be required to address different perceptions so it is an ethical responsibility to understand the test anxiety experience from the test takers’ perspective (Bonaccio & Reeve, 2010). The research involves human participants in a face-to-face interaction(s) in a group setting. The research in relation to this group ensures that this group therapy setting should make a positive contribution to those who participate in the group, and it does not cause harm to society or any of the participants. Benefits and risks of the group will be well assessed in advance of the creation of the group. In addition, during screening, participants will be well aware of the overview of the group and are given details regarding informed consent to allow them to make a decision to participate in this group setting.

Participants have a right to agree to participate or not participate in the group. Group participants are also informed that they can terminate the session(s)/therapy whenever they decide to and participants are informed that the information they provide is confidential. Participants will also be informed of the guidelines of confidentiality and when confidentiality must be broken. Group leaders will respect confidentiality of each participant. Although it is highly favored in a group setting, participants must understand that though group leaders can discuss the importance of confidentiality throughout the group process, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in a group setting.

Multicultural Awareness

This group, Managing Test Anxiety, will be constructed with the inclusion of the ADRESSNG model. The focus of this group highlights Test Anxiety and how to manage it. This group is open for anyone interested and prospective participants are encouraged to first attend the information session and then must go through the screening. Group leaders will also take into account the different cultural identities, experiences, and history of each group member. Group leaders and members must be respectful of each other regardless of age, disability, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, indigenous heritage, national origin, and gender. The ADRESSING model will also help gain complete understanding of one’s cultural identity and how that influences the group process.

Outline of Content & Exercises

Identify causes of test anxiety: mini group breakout exercise.

Group members will break up into smaller groups of 2/3 participants (depending on the larger group size) and discuss questions that have been created by group leaders related to test anxiety. Once complete, group members will get back in the larger group and go around the group circle and identify their responses to the possible causes of Test Anxiety. Once completed, Group leaders will facilitate connections by “pointing out connection between members”. This exercise will allow group members to become comfortable within the group setting by sharing with a smaller group before the larger group (Damer & Melendres, 2011). This will also help participants identify that they are not alone and acknowledge that they all share a common concern. This exercise also gives group leaders the opportunity to gauge the needs and expectations of the group members (Damer & Melendres, 2011).

Cognitive Restructuring List Exercise

This exercise will reduce negative and/or irrational thoughts associated with test taking and test preparation. Group leaders will present a list of common thinking errors along with test anxiety specific examples (Damer & Melendres, 2011). Participants will identify which errors resonate with them and why. Participants will works as a group to change the negative thinking errors to positive coping responses. To process, group leaders will ask participants to share their reactions to completing this exercise and how they are feeling about their test anxiety before the exercise and after. Next group leaders will explain the reasoning for the exercise. For homework participants will journal in a notebook to monitor test anxiety thoughts and thinking errors that occur throughout the week until the next session.

Here and Now: Relaxation Imagery Exercise

Group members are introduced to a guided imagery technique that will help them focus on the here and now. This will help participants learn to manage and cope with their anxiety before, during, or after an exam (Damer & Melendres, 2011). Group members are asked to close their eyes and imagine a safe environment that they can experience relaxation while incorporating deep breathing. Next, participants will imagine themselves in a testing environment while using the relaxation strategy of self-control desensitization (Damer & Melendres, 2011). Participants will imagine themselves effectively managing the distractions and successful tackling their test. Once completed, the group will process feelings toward the exercise, likes or dislikes, and how it can be applied to their life. Next group leaders will explain the reasoning for the exercise. Homework is given for participants to continue to practice these relaxation strategies and deep breathing , to determine which is the most efficient for them.

Establishing a “test day routine” & Mock Exam Exercise

It is widely believed that Test Anxiety increases as an exam draws near (Lotz & Sparfeldt, 2017). Group leaders will introduce the group with basic test strategies and how establishing a test routine can help Manage Test Anxiety. Group members will then engage in a discussion that is focused around a “test day routine” and participants are encouraged to engage in what they would consider an effective test day routine. This can include their sleep and eating habits, managing time on that day, transportation on exam day. This exercise will give participants the opportunity to learn from one another. In addition to the group discussion, group leaders will introduce a “Mock Exam Exercise” that is highly encouraged for participation. This will provide exposure to a test taking setting that results in test anxiety. Group leaders encourage participants to use all they have learned throughout the sessions (e.g. strategies, deep breathing, cognitive restructuring, guided imagery etc.). Group leaders will act as professors and hand out a test. During test taking, group leaders will engage in distracting behaviors. Once testing is over, group members will process their experience and share their thoughts and feelings as a result of being in a mock exam setting.

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Impact Of Test Anxiety. (2019, Mar 06). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/impact-of-test-anxiety/

"Impact Of Test Anxiety." PapersOwl.com , 6 Mar 2019, https://papersowl.com/examples/impact-of-test-anxiety/

PapersOwl.com. (2019). Impact Of Test Anxiety . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/impact-of-test-anxiety/ [Accessed: 1 May. 2024]

"Impact Of Test Anxiety." PapersOwl.com, Mar 06, 2019. Accessed May 1, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/impact-of-test-anxiety/

"Impact Of Test Anxiety," PapersOwl.com , 06-Mar-2019. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/impact-of-test-anxiety/. [Accessed: 1-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2019). Impact Of Test Anxiety . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/impact-of-test-anxiety/ [Accessed: 1-May-2024]

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