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J. Roth/Study Skills Test-Taking Anxiety
Assessments Questionnaire
#1 Choices: Never—0
Seldom—1 Occasionally—2
Often--3 ___1. Fear of failing before arriving to take the exam. ___2. Feeling tension as exam is being passed out. ___3. Physical symptoms: increased
heart rate, shortness of breath, perspiring, dry mouth, muscle tension, and
etc. ___4. Negative thinking such
as: I’m going to fail, I am dumb, and I shouldn’t even bother taking
the exam. ___5. “Blanking out” on information that you studied. ___6. Recalling information upon
leaving the class room or a short period later, that you “blanked out on”
during the exam. ___7. Frustrated with your grade on the exam because you
know you were well prepared. Total:___________ Results for Questionnaire #1: Zero to 7—Not a big problem 8-14—better preparation 15—21—Needs definite attention Questionnaire #2 from Muskingum
College
___ I have visible signs of nervousness such
as sweaty palms, shaky hands, and so on right before a test. ___ I have "butterflies" in my stomach before a test. ___ I feel nauseated before a test. ___ I read through the test and feel that I do not know any of
the answers. ___ I panic before and during a test. ___ My mind goes blank during a test. ___ I remember the information that I blanked on once I get out
of the testing situation. ___ I have trouble sleeping the night before a test. ___ I make mistakes on easy questions or put answers in the
wrong places. ___ I have difficulty choosing answers. Total: _________________ Results: Now add up
your score on all the statements. Scores will range from 10 to 50. A low
score (10-19 points) indicates that you do not suffer from test anxiety. In
fact, if your score was extremely low (close to 10), a little more anxiety
may be healthy to keep you focused and to get your blood flowing during
exams. Scores between 20 and 35 indicate that, although you exhibit some of
the characteristics of test anxiety, the level of stress and tension is
probably healthy. Scores over 35 suggest that you are experiencing an
unhealthy level of test anxiety. You should evaluate the reason(s) for the
distress and identify strategies
for compensating. Questionnaire 3 from East Carolina University Complete by checking Yes, Sometimes,
or No
for each of the twelve statements: WHEN PREPARING
FOR OR TAKING A TEST: Y=yes S=sometimes N=no 1. I think about whether I’m going to pass or fail. Y S
N 2. I keep wishing the exam were over. Y
S N 3. I worry that I am not doing well. Y
S N 4. I can’t stop thinking about how nervous I feel. Y S
N 5. My stomach gets upset. Y S
N 6. My heart beats very fast. Y
S N 7. I often freeze up, and my mind goes blank. Y
S N 8. I feel hot and sweaty. Y
S N 9. I feel very tense. Y
S N 10. I forget information that I really know. Y
S N 11. I often get panicky. Y
S N 12. I tend to breathe faster. Y
S N SCORING – Total your points using the following key: Each Yes = 2 points Each Sometimes = 1 point Each No = 0 points Your total points = _____________________ Results: You’ll have a total score between 0 and 24. The higher your total score on the Test Anxiety
Assessment, the more anxious you are when taking a test. If your score is between 10 and 24, you’ll likely benefit from working on strategies to reduce the worry and anxiety associated
with test taking. Note that items 1-4 on the assessment refer to
those thoughts that negatively affect your test-taking performance. Worry over such things as your
test results, whether you are going to pass the
course, whether you will make it through college, or even your parent’s
reactions can interfere with test performance. Excessive worry can lead to a physical
reaction toward test taking, including sweaty palms, rapid breathing, dizziness, and so on. Assessment items
5-12 refer to this physical response. Thus, apprehension plus a physiological response results in full-blown test anxiety. If you think that you COULD HAVE DONE BETTER
on a test if you weren’t so anxious, then you need to tackle ways to reduce this anxiety. Look at your total score on the test anxiety
assessment. Score less than 10? Why do you think your anxiety is low? How do you approach a test, or how do you
THINK about exams that keep anxiety at a minimum. If you had more than 10, let’s see if any of these might trigger
worry and anxiety: The word “test” on the syllabus or board The night before the exam The morning of the exam Walking into the classroom to take the exam Hearing other students talk about the exam The instructor passing out the exam to the class A test item that you’re not sure how to answer Waiting to get back the results |