Test Anxiety
Test anxiety is a psychological condition in which extreme distress is experienced in testing situations. 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 learning, performance on an exam, or find yourself so nervous that you blank out the answers to even the easiest questions, this is known as test anxiety. Some students with a history of severe anxiety where learning or academic performance is affected may qualify for classroom accommodations and services. Never ignore anxiety symptoms in children. Studies have shown untreated childhood anxiety can often lead to depression which can carry on into adulthood. Call us (813)468-6528 for a consultation.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, symptoms of test anxiety can be:
- Physical symptoms: Milder cases of test anxiety can cause a sense of “butterflies” in the stomach, while more severe cases can actually cause students to become physically ill including: headache, sweating, nausea, dry mouth, diarrhea, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, light-headedness, racing heartbeat, shakiness, nausea and feeling faint can all occur. Test anxiety can lead to a panic attack, which is the abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort in which individuals may feel like they are unable to breathe or having a heart attack.
- Emotional symptoms: Emotional symptoms of test anxiety can include depression, low self-esteem, anger, and a feeling of hopelessness and disappointment.
- Behavioral/Cognitive symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, thinking negatively, difficulty concentrating and comparing yourself to others, sense of helplessness, fear, anger, and disappointment or outright avoidance of testing situations. In some cases, test anxiety can become so severe that students will drop out of school in order to avoid the source of their fear. Substance abuse can also occur since many students attempt to self-treat their anxiety by taking downers such as prescription medications and alcohol. Many people with test anxiety report blanking out on answers to the test, even though they thoroughly studied the information and were sure that they knew the answers to the questions. Negative self-talk, trouble concentrating on the test and racing thoughts are also common cognitive symptoms of test anxiety.
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.
Other examples of performance anxiety:
-A high school basketball player becomes very anxious before a big game. During the game, he is so overwhelmed by this stress that he 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.
-During a work presentation, a businessman freezes up and forgets the information he was going to present to his co-workers and manager.
While people have the skills and knowledge to do very well in these situations, their excessive anxiety impairs their performance.
Read below for more information on anxiety
Causes of Test Anxiety
While test anxiety can be very stressful for students who suffer from 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:
- A history of poor testing outcomes. 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.
- Being unprepared. If you didn’t study or didn’t study well enough, this can add to your feeling of anxiety.
- Being afraid 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.
Biological Causes of Test Anxiety
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 of Test Anxiety
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.
Students with history of anxiety may qualify for testing accommodations such as extra time allocation or separate testing area. Call us (813)468-6528 for more information.
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