Tests Anxiety

Students face a lot of pressure in school. Some of the excellent sources of stress and anxiety of students are the dreaded examinations and evaluation tests. Usually, the anxiety felt by students serves as a good motivator to study and perform well. However, there are times when some students worry more than they should regarding their exams. Test anxiety is a psychological condition which mostly affects students of all ages. The person affected by this condition experiences distress and discomfort prior to, during and after the examination. Before the exam, the student experiences distress on how the exam will be. During the exam, the student may experience stress and tends to have mental blockage. After the exam, the student will worry about what the examination results will be.
A common mistake that people make is that they do not consider test anxiety as a problem that should be acted upon. This is unfortunate because test anxiety affects the students’ personality and academic performance. Its prevalence among high school and college students is steadily increasing dramatically. Five years ago, studies show that students who are affected by the condition is a mere 10%. Now, the figures have increased at an alarming rate. Recent studies show that test anxiety affects almost 50% of students in the country.
Early detection and treatment is necessary in order to avoid physical and psychological complications in the future. In order to do this, one needs to recognize the early signs and symptoms of test anxiety. It is not surprising that only a few people know the wide range of effects that test anxiety can give. Test anxiety affects the physical aspect of a person by psychogenic symptoms such as frequent episodes of headache, nausea, vomiting, gastric upsets and even diarrhea. Shortness of breath and excessive perspiration are also observed among patients with test anxiety. Some of the more serious physical effects include light headedness, tachycardia or fast heart rate, extreme alterations in body temperature, dry mouth, which may lead to fainting and shock. Test anxiety affects the emotional aspect of a person by excess fear and disappointment. The person may have short bursts of anger, shouting and violent tendencies. Sometimes, test anxiety affects the person so badly that they may have lowered self-esteem with statements such as “everybody is better than I am” and the likes. If this is left untreated, the patient may succumb to helplessness, depression and may have an increased tendency for self mutilation. Test anxiety affects the behavioral aspect, in which the person may always feel fidgety, and have an increased risk for substance abuse and avoidance. The person may also develop unusual mannerisms such as nail biting. Test anxiety affects the cognitive aspect. This is commonly noticed by teachers when they see the grades of their students drop into a spiral. Increased frequency of mental blockages is also common during exams and recitation.
Test anxiety has truly taken its toll on a significant number of students. Don’t let the next one be you or your friend or loved one. With this knowledge on hand, you will be able to recognize the problem before it gets really serious.