Credit: Sophia Verma

WSPN’s Sophia Verma discusses her thoughts on test anxiety and how there are changes that need to be made within the testing culture.

Test-taking is a major source of anxiety for many students. From small check-ins to larger exams, tests help determine how well a student does in a class. Students aim to try their best in school, but the testing culture causes self-doubt and raises anxiety levels which leads to poor test grades.  While tests are intended to act as a learning tool, the fear of tests overlooks curiosity and blocks students’ critical thinking. Test taking should empower students to prove their knowledge and encourage self-improvement, and should help students realize their true potential and capabilities.

Test anxiety has been something I’ve struggled with since fourth grade. Dealing with anxious feelings before, during and after exams has never been fun. After a particularly large and stressful test, I often feel fatigued or even get a bad headache. These physical symptoms of my anxiety negatively impact both my mental and physical health after taking a test. Testing can cause panic attacks, and unfortunately, I’ve had some of them during and after tests, whether it be a unit test or a midterm. Over the years, I’ve learned several helpful techniques to make test taking less stressful.

By utilizing strategies, such as positive self-talk, breathing exercises and taking practice exams, managing test anxiety becomes easier. Even though my test anxiety creeps up from time to time, I feel much more in control of it  after undergoing such strategies. Feeling calm while taking a test allows me to fully demonstrate my skills which helps me feel more confident in my work.

Test anxiety affects nearly 10 million children in America and also affects high school students. According to the College Board, about 20% of high school students and young adults experience high levels of test anxiety, and another 15% struggle with moderate test anxiety. This points to deeper issues with testing and grading culture, which is that grades have become more than just letters and numbers on a paper. The grading of tests can  influence a student’s perception of their self-worth and outlook on the future. Test grades can also reflect factors beyond learning, like how well a student handles time pressure or whether they’re struggling with other stressors while taking an exam.

Students hyper-focus on tests, grades and achievement is toxic and a problem. Some teens put way too much pressure on themselves to do the most  they can in school instead of just trying their best and learning from mistakes. According to virginiapolitics.org, students that receive high test scores develop a mentality that grades are more important than curiosity about the subject. This just goes to show that some students are so focused on getting external validation that they don’t remember to explore and learn about the things that they are really interested in. Having a balance between succeeding in school and also taking time to grow knowledge in a variety of areas is important.

I think that finding other ways to test academic aptitude rather than standard paper and pencil tests is something that would help teens to feel more confident, happier and less stressed. Some alternatives could be collaborative tests, group projects, making portfolios, playing a game like Kahoot or Jeopardy and allowing students to choose the way they want to prove their knowledge. These alternatives could give students a way to show what they know in their own way, and are more flexible and fun than strict standardized tests.

Testing anxiety and testing culture go hand in hand. Changing the testing culture would allow students to feel more in control of their emotions when tests come along. While testing is an important part of school, it’s also important to make sure that a student’s mental health does not take a hit in the process. Feeling overloaded in school is not a good feeling, and by finding ways to manage that, students can find better ways to further their critical thinking skills and self-confidence. If students did not crave academic validation so much, they might feel like they can enjoy life without the constant pressure of feeling like they have to be perfect all the time.

If you’re a Wayland High School student that struggles with test anxiety, utilize the academic center. From students, teachers and guidance counselors, everyone in the academic center is there to support you.