'Exam anxiety' can get you out of tests

[Sol Invictus]

Nick Martin
22/01/2010 1:00 AM
Winnipeg Free Press

Exam anxiety can disable students to the point where they're incapable of sitting in a room with other students to write a three-hour test.

Should students suffering "exam anxiety" be offered other forms of evaluation?
It's a recognized condition, says Dr. John Walker, director of the Anxiety Disorder Program at St. Boniface General Hospital.

The University of Manitoba's disability services office last year registered 136 students who have medical certification that they suffer exam anxiety and must be accommodated with some other form of evaluation.

"It's a clinical problem if it causes you a lot of distress or affects functioning," said Walker, who's seen kids as young as six suffer anxiety from school tests. "It's a real problem."

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[nisse]

LOL, I thought I had exam anxiety last semester when I was in the lowest 20% in one of my core courses going into the exam. I couldn't force myself to start studying because every time I looked at a problem all I could think was "I'm gonna fail. I'm gonna fail. I'm gonna fail...". T'was as close to a panic attack as I ever came...1 night of solid cramming and 2.5 hours of exam writing later I finished the course in the top 15%.

These people just need to take the time to fix themselves .