tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/exam-stress-19454/articlesExam stress – The Conversation2023-05-22T11:56:10Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2056872023-05-22T11:56:10Z2023-05-22T11:56:10ZGCSEs: what to say and what to avoid if you want to help teenagers combat exam anxiety<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526865/original/file-20230517-21-nc96za.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C5251%2C3487&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/anxious-teenage-student-sitting-examination-school-774167662">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>GCSE exams <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zw27tcw">are under way</a> and many students will be <a href="https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1080/713651566">feeling the pressure</a> to get the grades they need to pursue their education or employment goals. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03055698.2014.953914">They may be experiencing</a> <a href="https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/we-should-just-be-told-try-our-best">exam anxiety</a>, which is linked to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032717303683">lower performance in exams</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10608-021-10211-x">lower wellbeing</a>.</p>
<p>Teachers and parents want students to perform at their best and be emotionally well. So it’s useful to know there are ways to encourage students and ease anxiety during this time – and things to avoid saying.</p>
<p>My colleagues and I have carried out research on the different things that teachers say to students about GCSE exams. We have found that the language used is important, and how students perceive communication about GCSEs has <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2215091920300018?via%3Dihub">important consequences</a>.</p>
<h2>What teachers say matters</h2>
<p>Some students react badly to communication about GCSE exams when the messages are focused on the potential negative outcomes. For example, a teacher might say: “If you do not work hard, you will not get into college.” When teachers emphasise the risk of failing or not getting the grades they need, some students feel threatened, and this <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1041608010001640">increases their anxiety</a> and feelings of hopelessness about the exams. </p>
<p>Students who react in this way to failure-focussed messages usually value their GCSEs but <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-014-9249-7">do not feel capable</a> of getting the results they need. After hearing messages like this, students may withdraw from study-related activities both <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjep.12334">emotionally</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0361476X15000594">behaviourally</a>, meaning that, for instance, they might not try hard in class. Research has found that they ultimately receive <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fedu0000741">lower GCSE grades</a>. </p>
<p>Fortunately, teachers also have the power to encourage their students with their communications about exams. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2530380521000228">Emphasising the possible positive outcomes</a> that could result from exams, such as “If you work hard, you will get the grades you need” is a more beneficial route and might encourage students to be proactive in their preparation strategies.</p>
<p>In 2023, GCSE exams run until June 21 – so students will be revising for some time yet. In light of our findings, if you are a parent trying to encourage your teenager to study, you could try pointing out the benefits of working hard, rather than the outcomes of failure.</p>
<h2>Helping students to cope</h2>
<p>When students suffer from exam anxiety, they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032717303683">perform worse</a> in exams, compared to students of the same ability. One explanation for this, supported by research, is that anxiety and thoughts of failure distract the student and place an additional <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjop.12009">load on their working memory</a> during their exam. In effect, this uses up the cognitive capacity that could otherwise be used for remembering the required information.</p>
<p>If your teenager holds unrealistic and negative self-beliefs, such as “I will fail no matter how hard I try”, simply telling them that everything will be okay is not particularly helpful. Instead, you could point out that if things do go wrong, they will be able to cope and respond effectively.</p>
<p>There are options available if they do not do as well as they hoped – for instance, they could retake their exams at a later date and gain some work experience in the meantime.</p>
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<img alt="Girl revising for exams in room" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Time to focus.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-focused-school-college-girl-pen-2243491889">Raushan_films/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>You can also help your teenager to challenge their negative beliefs. You could ask them what evidence they have to support the beliefs and to think about times in the past when they succeeded rather than failed. If they continue to cite previous failures, you could point out that this may be because they have only been thinking about information that is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0079742108603151">consistent with their beliefs</a>. Encourage them to replace their beliefs with more positive statements, such as: “Chances are I probably won’t fail”. This <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-006X.46.1.32">has been shown</a> to reduce exam anxiety.</p>
<p>When people have anxiety, they try to avoid the things that make them anxious – in this case, exams. This avoidance tendency can manifest in procrastination about revising and making less effort out of a fear of failure. This further <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-psychologists-and-counsellors-in-schools/article/abs/academic-procrastination-and-test-anxiety-a-crosslagged-panel-analysis/8825B16F00D505E9327CE07435D466BF">increases exam anxiety</a>. </p>
<p>One way to help could be to encourage your teenager to reflect on their revision and preparation strategy. If they believe their approach to be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959475204000714">ineffective</a>, they could be helped to try a different method. When students <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/000709909X466082">feel more confident</a> in their knowledge, their worries about exams reduce.</p>
<p>Helping your teenager to learn relaxation techniques such as <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/#:%7E:text=Whatever%20position%20you%27re%20in,Breathe%20in%20gently%20and%20regularly.">breathing exercises</a>, <a href="https://www.utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/counseling/anxietytoolbox/pmr.html">muscle relaxation</a> and <a href="https://www.rbht.nhs.uk/our-services/clinical_support/rehabilitation-and-therapies/psychological-medicine/relaxation-exercises">guided visualisation</a> could also help to reduce the physiological symptoms of anxiety directly before, and during, the exam.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02667363.2014.964392">Research has found</a> that using the above strategies is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29094957/">effective in reducing exam anxiety</a> in GCSE students. </p>
<p>A further, very simple approach could be to ask students who are anxious about exams to <a href="https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/we-should-just-be-told-try-our-best">write down</a> their thoughts and feelings about the exam just before they take it. This might help to get distracting thoughts and emotions out of their minds. Writing worries down like this has been shown to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10503300701691664">reduce distress</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40986499">increase performance in exams</a> in people who are highly anxious.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205687/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Nicholson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Positive messages and relaxation techniques can help.Laura Nicholson, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Edge Hill UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1707082021-11-09T18:21:46Z2021-11-09T18:21:46ZUnis are using artificial intelligence to keep students sitting exams honest. But this creates its own problems<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430657/original/file-20211107-23-jmgtfe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C5168%2C3445&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tumisu/Pixabay </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Universities are increasingly using computer programs to supervise university students sitting their exams. Is this the future of testing?</p>
<p>Due to the pandemic, institutions worldwide have rapidly adopted exam <a href="https://www.softwaresuggest.com/blog/best-online-exam-proctoring-software/">software</a> like Examplify, ExamSoft and ProctorU. </p>
<p>Proctoring technology allows exam-takers to be monitored off-campus. They can sit exams in their homes, instead of a person having to watch them in a traditional exam room. Some programs simply enable a person to supervise students remotely. </p>
<p>More sophisticated, automated proctoring software hijacks the student’s computer to block and monitor suspicious activity. These programs often use artificial intelligence (AI) to scrutinise exam conduct.</p>
<p>Our recent <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13347-021-00476-1">research paper</a> explored the ethics of automated proctoring. We found the promise of the software alluring, but it carries substantial risks.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-exam-monitoring-is-now-common-in-australian-universities-but-is-it-here-to-stay-159074">Online exam monitoring is now common in Australian universities — but is it here to stay?</a>
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<p>Some educational institutions claim proctoring technologies are needed to prevent cheating. Some other institutions and students are concerned about hidden dangers.</p>
<p>Indeed, students have launched <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/11/12/test-monitoring-student-revolt/">protests</a>, <a href="https://www.change.org/p/australian-national-university-tell-anu-students-say-no-to-proctorio">petitions</a> and <a href="https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/Florida_Middle_District_Court/6--20-cv-01294/Prado-Galarza_v._Examsoft_Worldwide_Inc/1/">lawsuits</a>. They condemn online proctoring as discriminatory and intrusive, with overtones of <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2017/05/10/online-exam-proctoring-catches-cheaters-raises-concerns">Big Brother</a>. Some proctoring companies have responded with attempts to stifle protest, which include <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2017/05/10/online-exam-proctoring-catches-cheaters-raises-concerns">suing</a> their critics. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IdnsqR0YOo0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A student’s complaint that test proctoring AI wrongly flagged her as cheating attracted millions of views on TikTok.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>What does the software do?</h2>
<p>Automated proctoring programs offer tools for examiners to prevent cheating. The programs can capture system information, block web access and analyse keyboard strokes. They can also commandeer computer cameras and microphones to record exam-takers and their surroundings.</p>
<p>Some programs use <a href="http://www.fullerton.edu/it/services/software/proctorio/Canvas%20Proctorio%20Gradebook.pdf">AI</a> to “flag” suspicious behaviour. Facial recognition algorithms check to make sure the student is still seated and no one else has entered the room. The programs also identify whispering, atypical typing, unusual movements and other behaviours that could suggest cheating.</p>
<p>After the program “flags” an incident, examiners can investigate further by viewing stored video and audio and questioning the student.</p>
<h2>Why use proctoring software?</h2>
<p>Automated proctoring software purports to reduce cheating in remotely administered exams — a necessity during the pandemic. Fair exams protect the value of qualifications and signal that academic honesty matters. They are a key part of certification requirements for professional fields like medicine and law. </p>
<p>Cheating is unfair to honest students. If left unchecked, it increases incentives for these students to cheat.</p>
<p>The companies selling proctoring software claim their tools prevent cheating and improve exam fairness for everyone — but our work calls that into question.</p>
<h2>So what are the problems?</h2>
<p><strong>Security</strong></p>
<p>We evaluated the software and found simple technical tricks can bypass many of the anti-cheating protections. This finding suggests the tools may provide only limited benefits.</p>
<p>Requiring students to install software with such powerful control over a computer is a security risk. In some cases the software surreptitiously remains even after students uninstall it.</p>
<p><strong>Access</strong></p>
<p>Some students may lack access to the right devices and the fast internet connections the software requires. This leads to technical issues that cause stress and disadvantage. In one <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/i-sort-panicked-tech-problems-hit-remote-bar-exam-2021-07-28/">incident</a>, 41% of students experienced technical problems.</p>
<p><strong>Privacy</strong></p>
<p>Online proctoring creates privacy issues. Video capture means examiners can see into students’ homes and scrutinise their faces without being noticed. Such intimate monitoring, which is recorded for potential repeat viewings, distinguishes it from traditional in-person exam supervision. </p>
<p><strong>Fairness and bias</strong></p>
<p>Proctoring software raises significant fairness concerns. Facial recognition algorithms in the software we evaluated are not always <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-facial-recognition-algorithms-cant-be-perfectly-fair-142608">accurate</a>.</p>
<p>A forthcoming paper by one of us found the algorithms used by the major US-based manufacturers do not identify darker-skinned <a href="http://gendershades.org/">faces</a> as accurately as lighter-skinned faces. The resulting hidden discrimination may add to societal biases. Others have reported <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2020/1117/Online-exams-raise-concerns-of-racial-bias-in-facial-recognition">similar</a> <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2021/04/06/proctoring-tool-failed-recognize-dark-skin-students-say">concerns</a> in proctoring software and in facial recognition technology generally.</p>
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<img alt="Young African American woman looking at laptop with facial recognition mapping superimposed on her face" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430662/original/file-20211107-10550-13coow3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430662/original/file-20211107-10550-13coow3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430662/original/file-20211107-10550-13coow3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430662/original/file-20211107-10550-13coow3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430662/original/file-20211107-10550-13coow3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430662/original/file-20211107-10550-13coow3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430662/original/file-20211107-10550-13coow3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Proctoring software uses facial recognition technology, which has well-documented problems of ethnic bias.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-facial-recognition-algorithms-cant-be-perfectly-fair-142608">Why facial recognition algorithms can't be perfectly fair</a>
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<p>Also of concern, the proctoring algorithms may falsely flag atypical eye or head movements in exam-takers. This could lead to unwarranted suspicions about students who are not neuro-typical or who have idiosyncratic exam-sitting styles. Even without automated proctoring, exams are already stressful events that affect our behaviour.</p>
<p><strong>Investigating baseless suspicions</strong></p>
<p>Educational institutions can often choose which automated functions to use or reject. Proctoring companies may insist AI-generated “flags” are not proof of academic dishonesty but only reasons to investigate possible cheating at the institution’s <a href="https://proctorio.com/faq">discretion</a>.</p>
<p>However, merely investigating and questioning a student can itself be unfair and traumatic when based on spurious machine-generated suspicions.</p>
<p><strong>Surveillance culture</strong></p>
<p>Finally, automated exam monitoring may set a broader precedent. Public concerns about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/oct/04/shoshana-zuboff-surveillance-capitalism-assault-human-automomy-digital-privacy">surveillance</a> and automated <a href="https://www.robodebtclassaction.com.au/">decision-making</a> are growing. We should be cautious when introducing potentially harmful technologies, especially when these are imposed without our genuine consent.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-exam-monitoring-can-invade-privacy-and-erode-trust-at-universities-149335">Online exam monitoring can invade privacy and erode trust at universities</a>
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<h2>Where to from here?</h2>
<p>It’s important to find ways to fairly administer exams remotely. We will not always be able to replace exams with other assessments.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, institutions using automated proctoring software need to be accountable. This means being transparent with students about how the technology works and what can happen to student data. </p>
<p>Examiners could also offer meaningful alternatives such as in-person exam-sitting options. Offering alternatives is fundamental to informed consent. </p>
<p>While proctoring tools seemingly offer a panacea, institutions must carefully weigh the risks inherent in the technology.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170708/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Coghlan receives funding from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jeannie Marie Paterson receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Communication Consumers Action Network.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shaanan Cohney receives funding from the Algorand Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tim Miller receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Defence Science and Technology Group.</span></em></p>The pandemic has driven the rapid uptake of programs that use artificial intelligence to monitor students sitting exams remotely. New research highlights the need for caution in its use.Simon Coghlan, Senior Research Fellow in Digital Ethics, Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of MelbourneJeannie Marie Paterson, Professor of Law, The University of MelbourneShaanan Cohney, Lecturer in Cybersecurity, The University of MelbourneTim Miller, Associate Professor of Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence), The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1245172019-10-15T18:59:28Z2019-10-15T18:59:28ZDon’t calm down! Exam stress may not be fun but it can help you get better marks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297003/original/file-20191015-98670-1hqjd22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=57%2C73%2C5406%2C3563&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If you let it work for you, stress can be your secret weapon.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Two-thirds of young people <a href="https://about.au.reachout.com/economic-uncertainty-driving-exam-stress-2018/">experience levels of exam stress</a> that mental health organisation ReachOut describes as “worrying”. </p>
<p>Research shows high levels of exam stress can interfere with attention and reduce <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318357947_Stress_Induction_and_Visual_Working_Memory_Performance_The_Effects_of_Emotional_and_Non-Emotional_Stimuli">working memory</a>, leading to lower performance. Early experiences of anxiety and stress can also set a precedent for <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/189668">mental-health problems</a> in adulthood. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/study-confirms-hsc-exams-source-of-major-stress-to-adolescents-46812">Study confirms HSC exams source of major stress to adolescents</a>
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<p>But how we see stress can actually make a difference to the way it affects us. Research shows if we believe stress is a helpful response that will increase our performance in a challenging event, it can be a tool that works to our advantage.</p>
<h2>From good stress to bad stress</h2>
<p>Stress is a normal experience when we have a challenging event. We can experience stress when learning something new, starting a new job or being in a race. </p>
<p>Our experience of “stress” is actually our body getting us ready to take on the challenge. A stress response is helpful as it can increase <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED566260.pdf">oxygen to the brain</a> and improve attention, focus, energy and determination. </p>
<p>The runner in a race needs to be “stressed” to compete successfully. The young person sitting in an exam room needs it too. </p>
<p>Studies show people who are clear about their feelings are <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-23925-006">more likely to thrive</a> on anxiety and stress and possibly use these to achieve their goals and find satisfaction at work. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297015/original/file-20191015-98670-1tt2u06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297015/original/file-20191015-98670-1tt2u06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297015/original/file-20191015-98670-1tt2u06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297015/original/file-20191015-98670-1tt2u06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297015/original/file-20191015-98670-1tt2u06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297015/original/file-20191015-98670-1tt2u06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297015/original/file-20191015-98670-1tt2u06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297015/original/file-20191015-98670-1tt2u06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The runner needs stress to succeed, and so does the student doing an exam.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Stress and anxiety can work for you. But they become bad when we evaluate events as a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10615806.2018.1442615?casa_token=cCuOccEUBmoAAAAA:ruaRaQh3l6q9ggNFEKS330CKXg_2tYiyAfz_vlVo-ChOfL3ACDabcBuFIpUGHAm2LCQuUIxwLPXQPQ">threat rather than a challenge</a> and when we believe we don’t have enough resources to cope. </p>
<p>Exams are often treated as a threat because there is potential harm or loss related to our <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1992-98861-002">self-worth, identity, and commitments, goals and dreams</a>. If we fail, we think we are a failure and we may never get the future we had hoped for. Our whole life is at stake. </p>
<h2>How do we make stress good?</h2>
<p>To put it simply, stress can be good if we believe it’s good. It’ll work for us if we develop <a href="https://goodthinkinc.com/wp-content/uploads/CrumSaloveyAchor_RethinkingStress_JPSP2013.pdf">a mindset</a> that stress helps our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10615806.2018.1442615?casa_token=cCuOccEUBmoAAAAA:ruaRaQh3l6q9ggNFEKS330CKXg_2tYiyAfz_vlVo-ChOfL3ACDabcBuFIpUGHAm2LCQuUIxwLPXQPQ">performance, health and well-being</a> (rather than seeing it as debilitating). </p>
<p>In <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED566260.pdf">a study from the United States</a>, one group of young people were given information about stress before sitting an exam. The reading material explained stress was not harmful, but that it had evolved to help us cope and perform better. Another group were told to just ignore stress and suppress their emotions. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-we-teaching-children-to-be-afraid-of-exams-116741">Are we teaching children to be afraid of exams?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Researchers found the first group performed significantly better in the exam (average five marks improvement) than the group who used the ignore-and-relax approach. </p>
<p>In another <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10615806.2014.931942?journalCode=gasc20">study of exam stress</a>, students who saw stress as an opportunity and used it for self-growth had increased performance and decreased emotional exhaustion. But students who saw stress as a threat showed decreased <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262931977_Exams_why_worry_The_relationship_between_interpreting_anxiety_as_facilitative_stress_appraisals_emotional_exhaustion_and_academic_performance">effort and performance</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297020/original/file-20191015-98653-5yzc7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297020/original/file-20191015-98653-5yzc7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297020/original/file-20191015-98653-5yzc7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297020/original/file-20191015-98653-5yzc7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297020/original/file-20191015-98653-5yzc7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297020/original/file-20191015-98653-5yzc7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297020/original/file-20191015-98653-5yzc7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297020/original/file-20191015-98653-5yzc7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Study will improve your resources, so you have them to draw on when the stress hits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These studies didn’t examine how to eliminate exam stress. Instead they examined a change in the way students responded to it. Here are some tips for you use stress to your advantage.</p>
<h2>Four ways to make stress work for you</h2>
<p><strong>1. Read your body differently</strong></p>
<p>Start to read your stress response as being there to help you prepare for the challenge. Instead of seeing it as a threat, try to see it <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED566260.pdf">as a coping tool</a>. When you are experiencing stress, you can say to yourself:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I am feeling a little uncomfortable; my heart is beating faster, but my body is getting me ready to compete. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>2. Reframe the meaning of the event</strong> </p>
<p>Rather than framing exams as a threat, try to frame them as a challenge. Part of the reason they are seen as a threat is because your whole future, identity and worth appear to be at stake. This is not true. Exams are one very small part of your life that does not decide your whole future.</p>
<p>There are always other options, different pathways and opportunities. Vera Wang failed to get into the Olympic ice-skating team and became a world famous dress designer. Sometimes the path we imagine looks a little different. </p>
<p>Not all journeys are straight, and the best ones can have diversions. </p>
<p><strong>3. Accept stress and negative emotions</strong></p>
<p>Some common ways people approach stress is to try to relax, ignore stress and try to reduce it. These <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10615806.2018.1442615?casa_token=cCuOccEUBmoAAAAA:ruaRaQh3l6q9ggNFEKS330CKXg_2tYiyAfz_vlVo-ChOfL3ACDabcBuFIpUGHAm2LCQuUIxwLPXQPQ">approaches actually reinforce that stress is “bad”</a> rather than accepting it as a natural and helpful response. These approaches also lead <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10615806.2014.931942?scroll=top&needAccess=true&journalCode=gasc20">to poorer performance and emotional exhaustion</a>. </p>
<p>Rather than ignoring the emotions, it’s better to feel them, accept them, and then try to use them to your advantage. You can say to yourself:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I feel this way because this goal is important to me, and my body is responding this way because it is getting me ready to perform. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>4. Add to your resources</strong></p>
<p>Clearly, changing your mindset is only helpful if you have the resources to cope. It would be like an athlete who is about to compete but has not trained. Put time into study, study in different ways (read, write ideas in your own words, talk about the ideas, draw them) and give yourself time to practise these ideas. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/studying-for-exams-heres-how-to-make-your-memory-work-for-you-124586">Studying for exams? Here's how to make your memory work for you</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>When you have done this, your stress response then draws on these resources. </p>
<p>Stress will always be present in our lives as we take on new challenges and grow as a person. When we see low-level stress as a threat it becomes one. It becomes a red flag that we are not coping, that these feelings are wrong and we should retreat. This is not true. </p>
<p>However, if you are feeling severe stress and anxiety in different settings and for an extended period of time you should see your GP and get support.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-overcome-exam-anxiety-67445">How to overcome exam anxiety</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124517/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mandie Shean does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Stress is actually our body getting us ready to take on a challenge. A stress response can increase oxygen to the brain and improve attention, focus, energy and determination.Mandie Shean, Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1222892019-09-05T11:15:38Z2019-09-05T11:15:38ZEven more tests for most tested children in the world<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290744/original/file-20190903-175691-1evpdz6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/side-view-tired-businessman-resting-head-663897193">Peshcova/shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s that time of year again when thousands of children start school for the first time. Alongside the new pencil cases, bags and school uniforms, children as young as four will also need to get used to the idea of tests and exams. Because from September this year, a pilot of <a href="https://www.nfer.ac.uk/for-schools/participate-in-research/information-about-the-201920-reception-baseline-assessment-pilot">new baseline assessment</a> for four-year-olds will be introduced in almost <a href="https://schoolsweek.co.uk/9600-schools-sign-up-to-baseline-assessment-pilot/">10,000 primary schools</a>. </p>
<p>This baseline will test children within the first six weeks of starting school and will be used to measure the effectiveness of the school by identifying progress made seven years later when the child leaves primary education. </p>
<p>The baseline assessment is not designed to benefit individual children. It is purely to be used for accountability purposes to judge the school’s future performance. There will be no incentive for teachers to score children highly on these tests as high results will make progress more difficult to achieve. </p>
<p>The assessment will be <a href="http://www.teachers.org.uk/files/baseline-assessment--final-10404.pdf">meaningless</a> to teachers, but not to children – because rather than focusing on settling into the early years classroom, attention will instead be focused on the test. Indeed, <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/809737/TALIS_2018_research.pdf">a small-scale survey</a> by University College London found 86% of headteachers were negative about the reception baseline assessment. </p>
<h2>Pressure from day one</h2>
<p>League tables and performance indicators can make or break a school. So it’s maybe no surprise that, despite <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/apr/25/parents-and-children-march-against-plans-test-four-year-olds">outrage from parents, teachers and education experts</a>, these baseline assessments are going ahead. </p>
<p>But children in the UK are already some of <a href="https://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2016/07/english-children-are-most-tested-in-the-world-our-new-education-secretary-could-change-that">the most tested in the world</a>. As each child enters school, they are already measured against a set of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2">age-related norms</a>. These measurements continue as the child progresses through school. Data from assessments is entered into <a href="https://www.optimumotrack.co.uk/">online tracking systems</a>, which identify gaps in knowledge, set targets and predict future attainment. This data is used to judge not only the child’s performance but the effectiveness of the teacher and the school. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-ideal-school-would-put-childrens-development-before-league-tables-102418">The ideal school would put children's development before league tables</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The OECD has <a href="https://www.oecd.org/els/family/CWBDP_Factsheet_GBR.pdf">previously warned</a> schools there is too much emphasis on test results in England and that this risks negative consequences. And there have also been <a href="https://www.morethanascore.org.uk/">concerns raised</a> that such an emphasis on tests and data in schools is simply producing “<a href="https://schoolsimprovement.net/schools-produce-exam-robots-says-cbi-chief/">exam robots</a>”.</p>
<p>Indeed, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35940084">a poll by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers</a> found that almost half of those who responded said pupils in their school had self-harmed – and 89% said testing was the main source of stress. Some staff said they were aware of pupils attempting suicide and that children as young as six are “stressed” about exams and tests.</p>
<h2>Not good enough</h2>
<p>This focus on data and exam results rather than the child impacts how children see themselves. Prior to coming to school, children’s <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deconstructing-Developmental-Psychology-Erica-Burman/dp/0415395623">sense of self</a> is primarily influenced by their relationships with family members. They are not yet aware of educational expectations and how they compare to other children of their age. But as soon as they enter the school system, they begin to be compared with age-related expectations. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290747/original/file-20190903-175700-1v5xb0w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290747/original/file-20190903-175700-1v5xb0w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290747/original/file-20190903-175700-1v5xb0w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290747/original/file-20190903-175700-1v5xb0w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290747/original/file-20190903-175700-1v5xb0w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290747/original/file-20190903-175700-1v5xb0w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290747/original/file-20190903-175700-1v5xb0w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Four-year-olds should be playing not worrying about their performance in exams.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happiness-group-cute-adorable-children-playing-618225854">Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>They may, for example, have been previously unaware that they should be expected to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2">count to ten</a> or know the letters of the alphabet. And each time they are asked to do these things in school they see themselves as others see them – in comparison to the age-related expectation. Some will compare well, while others will become increasingly aware of their failures. </p>
<p>This awareness of the self compared to others is like a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14681366.2019.1653357?journalCode=rpcs20">mirror</a>, which reflects back to the child a new version of themselves based on how they compare to the norm. This leads the child to form a new idea of who they are and, for many, this is a demoralising process which impacts on the child’s self-confidence and self-esteem. It’s maybe no surprise then that <a href="https://theconversation.com/schools-need-to-teach-pupils-skills-to-maintain-good-mental-health-heres-how-95885">mental health among young people</a> is deteriorating. </p>
<p>Indeed, four-year-olds shouldn’t be worrying about tests and exams. In other countries, such as <a href="https://leftfootforward.org/2013/12/why-is-the-finnish-school-system-so-good/">Finland</a>, children don’t start school until the age of seven. They spend the first few years at preschool focusing on learning through play – and yet Finland is ranked much higher in international education <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2016/12/06/oecd-pisa-report-does-uk-rank-international-school-league-tables/">league tables</a>. The idea that it’s better to learn things earlier is not always right. And in the case of four-year-olds, what they really need is play, not tests.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122289/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mandy Pierlejewski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Testing times ahead for four-year-olds as new starters face ‘harmful’ assessments within six weeks of starting school.Mandy Pierlejewski, Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education, Leeds Beckett UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1167412019-05-13T20:16:45Z2019-05-13T20:16:45ZAre we teaching children to be afraid of exams?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273989/original/file-20190513-183112-c7etfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Reports suggests many Australian children are forgoing Year 12 exams because they are too stressful.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Some Australian students are reportedly <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/no-dirty-little-secret-why-more-vce-students-are-shunning-exams-20190506-p51kmd.html">shunning Year 12 exams</a> in favour of more favourable, and less stressful, pathways to finishing school. These reports come amid warnings of <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/stressful-vce-exams-could-be-making-depression-and-anxiety-worse-among-kids-20190507-p51l0e.html">rising rates</a> of anxiety and depression among young people, with <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/stressful-vce-exams-could-be-making-depression-and-anxiety-worse-among-kids-20190507-p51l0e.html">psychologists calling</a> for better mental health support services in schools. Experts say exam stress could be making depression and anxiety worse for vulnerable young people.</p>
<p>Websites set up to support youth mental health use words such as “<a href="http://resources.beyondblue.org.au/prism/file?token=BL/1292">survive</a>” when it comes to Year 12. Others refer to <a href="https://au.reachout.com/everyday-issues/exam-stress">exam time = stress time</a>. </p>
<p>Exams are certainly challenging. But our rhetoric may be having an impact on the way young people perceive exams. In our efforts to support young people, we may be teaching them to be afraid rather than encouraging them to see exams as a positive challenge.</p>
<h2>Anxiety in adolescence</h2>
<p>Researchers have for decades considered adolescence to be a <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1957-02624-001">stressful time</a>, but it appears the mental health of young Australians has worsened in <a href="https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/news-blog/news-media/mission-australia-releases-annual-report-2017">recent years</a>. Just over 40% of Australian youth indicated mental health was their greatest issue in the 2018 <a href="https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/publications/youth-survey">youth survey</a> conducted by Mission Australia. One in four had a probable serious mental-health issue. </p>
<p>Mission Australia’s survey relies on self-reports of young people aged 15-19. The 2018 survey <a href="https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/publications/youth-survey">also showed</a> young people’s main concerns were coping with stress (43%) and school (34%). In <a href="https://about.au.reachout.com/economic-uncertainty-driving-exam-stress-2018/">another survey</a> conducted by mental-health organisation ReachOut, 65.1% of youth reported worrying levels of exam stress in 2018, compared to 51.2% in 2017.</p>
<p>Despite these troubling reports, an <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/da.22230">analysis of several studies</a> on the prevalence of anxiety actually suggests there has been no such increase. The authors note:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The perceived ‘epidemic’ of common mental disorders is most likely explained by the increasing numbers of affected patients driven by increasing population sizes. Additional factors that may explain this perception include […] greater public awareness, and the use of terms such as anxiety and depression in a context where they do not represent clinical disorders.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This means while some young people have serious anxiety issues, others may be perceiving normal levels of stress as anxiety. And this may have some significant side effects.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-overcome-exam-anxiety-67445">How to overcome exam anxiety</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Perception matters</h2>
<p>In psychology, <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=i-ySQQuUpr8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=isbn:0826141927&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi6lom8w5fiAhXUheYKHRqNCQ0Q6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q&f=false">appraisal theory</a> posits that our emotional response to an event is determined by our evaluation, or appraisal, of it. Knowing what our appraisal is of a situation helps us determine if it is a threat, if we have sufficient resources to deal with it and, ultimately, if something harmful or bad will happen to us. </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1948550616644656">2016 US study</a> of appraisals, students in one group were told emotional arousal before an exam was normal and would better help them face a challenge. Another group, the control group, wasn’t provided with any strategies.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274023/original/file-20190513-183086-89lweb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274023/original/file-20190513-183086-89lweb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274023/original/file-20190513-183086-89lweb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274023/original/file-20190513-183086-89lweb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274023/original/file-20190513-183086-89lweb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274023/original/file-20190513-183086-89lweb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274023/original/file-20190513-183086-89lweb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274023/original/file-20190513-183086-89lweb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Our appraisal of a situation in many ways determines how we will feel in that situation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite all students sitting the exam, researchers found the first group experienced less anxiety and performed better than the second group. They argued the reduced stress was due to the first group appraising their elevated heart rates and other anxiety signs as functional, rather than threatening. So this showed it was the appraisal of students’ feelings that determined how stressed they actually were rather than the event itself.</p>
<p>Appraisals are influenced by the things we value and what we believe to be at stake. Exams might be appraised as “stressful” because <a href="https://about.au.reachout.com/economic-uncertainty-driving-exam-stress-2018/">youth perceive</a> them as a threat to their future, such as their ability to get a job. </p>
<p>In some cases, exams can be a threat to students’ self-worth. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06241.x">Self-worth</a> is the belief our life has value and is a strong predictor of well-being. If self-worth is tied to academic success <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06241.x">it is at risk</a>, as academic success becomes critical for the young person – almost a matter of life or death. This increases their perception of exams and academic measures as threatening.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/parents-are-you-feeling-the-pressure-too-heres-how-to-help-your-child-cope-with-exam-stress-49587">Parents, are you feeling the pressure too? Here's how to help your child cope with exam stress</a>
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<h2>We need challenges</h2>
<p>Challenges are an <a href="https://ico.org.uk/media/2260255/child-development-expert-b-additional-attachment-r17-00633_q5.pdf">essential and normal part</a> of our development. Drawing a parallel with immunity, <a href="https://ico.org.uk/media/2260255/child-development-expert-b-additional-attachment-r17-00633_q5.pdf">resistance to infections</a> doesn’t come from avoiding all contact with germs. On the contrary, avoidance is likely to increase vulnerability rather than promote resilience. </p>
<p>While we should protect young people from high risk situations, such as abuse and trauma, low-level manageable challenges, such as exams, are known as <a href="https://ico.org.uk/media/2260255/child-development-expert-b-additional-attachment-r17-00633_q5.pdf">“steeling events”</a> – they help develop young people mentally and emotionally. Allowing students to avoid exams so they avoid stress might be robbing children of the opportunity to deal with the emotions evoked by the challenge. It also teaches them we don’t think they are capable of meeting the challenge. </p>
<p>Young people need to understand study is <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=i-ySQQuUpr8C&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=lazarus+and+folkman+model+of+stress+and+coping&ots=DfHTmtegLi&sig=E5Kw2cJ01zkQaTukM1pW5wlzenM#v=onepage&q=lazarus%20and%20folkman%20model%20of%20stress%20and%20coping&f=false">something they do</a>, not who they are, or they will be vulnerable in this area. </p>
<p>Young people with a diagnosis of anxiety need clinical support to help them succeed through exam periods. But young people experiencing “normal” exam stress should be provided with <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/exam-stress">strategies to help</a> manage stress. These include <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/six-relaxation-techniques-to-reduce-stress">self-soothing</a> (such as breathing and listening to music) and acknowledging that negative feelings are a normal response to challenges. </p>
<p>Life can be stressful, but it is how we see this stress that creates anxiety. Adults could do well helping your people believe they are <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1979-11212-001">not passive recipients</a> of stress, but can decide how they view challenges. They also need to help young people believe they have inner resources to manage stressful situations, and that they are worth something, whatever number they get in exams.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/high-anxiety-how-i-use-mental-exercises-to-ease-my-fear-of-flying-44759">High anxiety: how I use mental exercises to ease my fear of flying</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116741/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mandie Shean does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In our efforts to support young people, we might be teaching them to be afraid rather than encouraging them to see exams as a positive challenge.Mandie Shean, Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1058492018-10-31T04:43:58Z2018-10-31T04:43:58ZI have an exam tomorrow but don’t feel prepared – what should I do?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243159/original/file-20181031-76399-sblg92.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If you're really stressed you might not retain the information you're cramming anyway, so an early night might be better for you. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>You have an exam tomorrow and you’re not feeling prepared. With only a few waking hours to go, how is it best you spend your time?</p>
<p>To pass tomorrow’s exam, cramming might help you write more on the paper than you would have without doing any form of study, depending on how stressed out you are. But it certainly won’t help you learn the information deeply. You will have forgotten most of what you crammed within a week.</p>
<h2>Cramming doesn’t work for retaining information</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19883130">Research shows</a> we overestimate our ability to remember information and underestimate the importance of actively learning information. Students will often say they don’t need to take notes because they have great memories. But this research suggests we assume we’ll remember things forever as well as we do now (we won’t). We underestimate our need to learn and relearn information to be able to recall it when we need it.</p>
<p>As an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html">article in The New York Times</a> put it, cramming is like jam-packing your brain:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>But hurriedly jam-packing a brain is akin to speed-packing a cheap suitcase, as most students quickly learn — it holds its new load for a while, then most everything falls out.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So if your exam is tomorrow then cramming might help, but <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html">research shows</a> when students see the same material again at a later date, it’s like they have never seen it before.</p>
<h2>Cramming and stress</h2>
<p>If you’re feeling anxious, it might be better to put the books down and not attempt to cram. Cramming can <a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140917-the-worst-way-to-learn">clog working memory</a> and that can result in cognitive overload, making you feel overwhelmed. </p>
<p>Going to bed late because of a cramming session, overstimulated from too many energy drinks, then tossing and turning with an overloaded brain, could be worse for you than just giving up now and going to bed.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243157/original/file-20181031-76402-1m3jvwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243157/original/file-20181031-76402-1m3jvwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243157/original/file-20181031-76402-1m3jvwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243157/original/file-20181031-76402-1m3jvwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243157/original/file-20181031-76402-1m3jvwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243157/original/file-20181031-76402-1m3jvwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243157/original/file-20181031-76402-1m3jvwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243157/original/file-20181031-76402-1m3jvwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Information is more likely to be retained by your brain if you put it in there slowly over time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Four study strategies that are better than cramming</h2>
<p>It’s never too late to adopt good study habits that will improve your exam success and relieve your exam anxiety.</p>
<h3>1. Get organised</h3>
<p>A major reason for cramming is poor organisation of time. Time-poor students should use a planner to identify the times available for study and block out those times in the planner. Then actually be disciplined and use that time to study. </p>
<p>Get a study binder – electronic or hard copy – and keep it organised. Use it regularly to store and review your study notes and materials. </p>
<p>Being organised with your study materials helps you to be organised in your thinking, too, as you can easily access the materials you need to help you study in the time you have prioritised to study.</p>
<h3>2. Take, make, interact with and reflect on notes</h3>
<p>Taking notes is important. An active note-taking process is important to help you transfer new information from short-term memory and then recall it more easily after it is stored in the long-term memory.</p>
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<p>
<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-best-most-effective-way-to-take-notes-41961">What's the best, most effective way to take notes?</a>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-best-way-to-take-notes-on-your-laptop-or-tablet-43630">What's the best way to take notes on your laptop or tablet?</a>
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<h3>3. Keep interacting with the content</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/dynamics-of-long-term-forgetting/oclc/465335708&referer=brief_results">Research</a> has found the rate you forget information is minimised if you interact with (reread/discuss/write) new information within 24 hours of first receiving it. A second, shorter repetition within 24 hours brings recall back up to 100%. A third repetition within a week for an even shorter time brings recall back to 100%.</p>
<p>Going back to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html">suitcase analogy</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When the neural suitcase is packed carefully and gradually, it holds its contents for far, far longer. An hour of study tonight, an hour on the weekend, another session a week from now: such so-called spacing improves later recall, without requiring students to put in more overall study effort or pay more attention, dozens of studies have found.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When cramming, students often concentrate on one thing intensively for a long period of time. That doesn’t work either. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5126970/">Research shows</a> learning is more effective if the type of material being studied is mixed and study periods are spaced out over time. </p>
<p>That’s why athletes, musicians and students should mix up their training/rehearsal/study sessions by practising <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279601888_The_Effects_of_Spacing_and_Mixing_Practice_Problems">different skills over different time periods</a>, rather than focusing on just one thing for an extended time.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning-102909">Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning</a>
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<h3>4. Self-testing</h3>
<p>So once you have a good set of notes, what is the best way to interact with them? <a href="http://learninglab.psych.purdue.edu/downloads/2006_Roediger_Karpicke_PsychSci.pdf">Self-testing</a> is a powerful way to study and learn. </p>
<p>Other tools you can use to help you self-test are to use mnemonics and flash cards. Mnemonics are memory devices that help you to recall information. An example of a well-known mnemonic is “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue”. </p>
<p>Flash cards are a great way to self-test. Good organisation of where you store your flash cards and effective use of them are essential to maximise their study potential. It’s good to mix up sets of flash cards and study them in short bursts. </p>
<h2>For tomorrow…</h2>
<p>If all you want to do is retain the information until after your exam tomorrow, a bit of cramming now might help. But if you’re feeling highly anxious your brain might not retain new information anyway. It might be a better idea to eat a nutritious dinner, go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep. </p>
<p>When you wake up, take a few deep breaths and remind yourself you can only do as well as you can do, and it will all be over in a few hours anyway. </p>
<p>But next time save yourself the stress and take the time to engage with the content frequently. Only this will ensure it’s locked up tight in your brain for a long time. And, finally, good luck!</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hsc-exam-guide-maximising-study-and-minimising-stress-31476">HSC exam guide: maximising study and minimising stress</a>
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</em>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/105849/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Claire Brown receives funding for AVID in Australia from the Sidney Myer Fund and the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust. </span></em></p>If all you want to do is retain the information until tomorrow, cramming might help. But you will have forgotten it in a week.Dr Claire Brown, Associate Director, The Victoria Institute; National Director, AVID Australia, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1009082018-08-14T13:22:50Z2018-08-14T13:22:50ZA-levels: how to stop stressing over exam results<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231907/original/file-20180814-2891-hnayb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=58%2C87%2C6507%2C4237&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Exams are an almost unavoidable part of young people’s lives – and, inevitably, some people perform better than others. But what is more important than taking exams is how students manage the results of their exams – especially if they aren’t what was expected.</p>
<p>When the results are negative, it can be easy to come up with automatic thoughts such as “I will never succeed in my life”, “I’ve disappointed my parents”, or “everyone is better than me”. And although it might feel like these thoughts are valid and very real at the time, most of these statements are contaminated with thinking errors. </p>
<p>One example of a thinking error is what’s known as “dichotomous thinking”. This happens when people perceive things in black or white terms – it’s either a success or a failure. There’s also “fortune telling”, this is expressed when people believe they know what is going to happen: “I will fail again.” Another type of thinking error is “catastrophising”, which is where you think the worst possible outcome will occur – so it might be something like: “If I fail the exams, I will be unemployed for the rest of my life.” </p>
<p>In these situations, it’s also easy to start “overgeneralising”, where you extend any conclusions you reach about one thing to cover everything. People do this by using absolute terms – “always” or “never” – such as: “Since I failed this exam, I will always fail in everything.” It’s common, too, for people to “discount the positives” and underestimate their strengths – thinking along the lines of: “The last time I did a good job was only because I was lucky.”</p>
<h2>Fixing your thoughts</h2>
<p>To fix these types of thoughts, you can engage in a process, which is known as “<a href="https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/Cognitive_Restructuring_leaflet.pdf">cognitive restructuring</a>”. This technique has been used by psychologists who adopt the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264932879_Cognitive_Behavioural_Therapy">cognitive behavioural approach</a> in their practice to help people who experience anxiety or depression. </p>
<p>According to this approach, people experience such problems because they keep dwelling on negative thoughts to the extent that they become addicted to such a thinking pattern. Negative thoughts, then, lead to specific bodily symptoms – such as butterflies in the stomach, as well as negative emotions, such as excessive worrying. </p>
<p>They can also lead to avoidance behaviours – for example when students do not want to resit exams – all of which traps people, eventually, into a vicious circle.</p>
<h2>The technique</h2>
<p>Cognitive restructuring can be used to fix any harmful thoughts and protect students against experiencing negative feelings. This technique involves a series of steps. To start, you can use a <a href="https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/ThoughtRecordSheet7.pdf">Thought Record Sheet</a> to record your feelings. </p>
<p>This might include ranking your feelings and thoughts over a particular day – such as sadness, 80% and irrational thoughts such as: “I will always fail.” This can then help <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0105956">to identify</a> any <a href="https://content-calpoly-edu.s3.amazonaws.com/hcs/1/documents/counseling/Common%20Cognitive%20Errors.pdf">thinking errors</a> you make – such as overgeneralising or catastrophising.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231296/original/file-20180809-30455-1cvda24.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231296/original/file-20180809-30455-1cvda24.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231296/original/file-20180809-30455-1cvda24.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231296/original/file-20180809-30455-1cvda24.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231296/original/file-20180809-30455-1cvda24.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231296/original/file-20180809-30455-1cvda24.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231296/original/file-20180809-30455-1cvda24.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You can learn to change the way you think.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>You can also use some <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/counselling/files/counselling/20_questions_to_challenge_negative_thoughts_0.pdf">challenging questions</a> to test the validity of your thoughts – such as: “Do I have a crystal ball in front of my hands that allows me to see the future?” You can then use all of this to hopefully come up with more adaptive responses, such as: “Passing A-level exams is not the only route to success.”</p>
<h2>Moving forward</h2>
<p>Using this technique can feel like a battle between the irrational and the rational aspects of one’s self – where each side tries to convince the other about its rightness. That’s why by focusing on the evidence you can test the validity of these automatic thoughts based on facts. </p>
<p>The battle between the irrational and the rational selves is ongoing for most people, but knowing how to challenge the validity of one’s thoughts can help you to remain realistic most of the time. These techniques can hopefully help you calm your nerves ahead of results day, but should also help you with any decision making you have to do once the results are in.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100908/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Constantine Mantis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Beat exam stress with these top tips.Constantine Mantis, Lecturer in Health/Exercise Psychology, University of HullLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/972112018-06-01T09:52:03Z2018-06-01T09:52:03ZExam stress: What is it and how can I manage it?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221145/original/file-20180531-69487-1adotj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.shutterstock.com%2Fgatekeeper%2FW3siZSI6MTUyNzc4NzA2MiwiYyI6Il9waG90b19zZXNzaW9uX2lkIiwiZGMiOiJpZGxfNTcyNjkxNDc1IiwiayI6InBob3RvLzU3MjY5MTQ3NS9odWdlLmpwZyIsIm0iOjEsImQiOiJzaHV0dGVyc3RvY2stbWVkaWEifSwiK2pQcEVpbE1DWHVOWk9RVE5sdjl2Qm9lTmZNIl0%2Fshutterstock_572691475.jpg&pi=33421636&m=572691475&src=e0nAhTltwTyWpDFuWb1FbA-2-45">shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A little stress around exam time can be a good thing, as it motivates you to put in the work. But sometimes stress levels can get out of hand, particularly at the end of an academic year.</p>
<p>When you become stressed, the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system <a href="https://www.jkp.com/uk/challenging-stress-burnout-and-rust-out.html">gets switched on</a>. Initially this is a good thing, because it is the activation of this system that releases the neurochemical adrenaline – and this stimulates you to <a href="https://www.jkp.com/uk/challenging-stress-burnout-and-rust-out.html">get going and focus on your work</a>. But the problem starts when periods of stress become prolonged. </p>
<p>When this happens, the sympathetic branch stays permanently on, pouring adrenaline into the body and keeping you on high alert. This causes you to worry more, experience anxiety and depression, lose sleep, become forgetful, irritable, overwhelmed, exhausted and <a href="https://www.jkp.com/uk/challenging-stress-burnout-and-rust-out.html">feel out of control</a>.
This can really impact on your ability to prepare for your assignments and exams, as well as negatively affect your levels of performance and sense of well-being. </p>
<h2>What can you do?</h2>
<p>A simple and very practical step is to develop a plan of action by preparing well and organising your time and workloads. This will help address that “out-of-control feeling”. A second step is to begin to understand the physiological responses going on in your body and try to adjust them. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221146/original/file-20180531-69521-1g349sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221146/original/file-20180531-69521-1g349sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221146/original/file-20180531-69521-1g349sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221146/original/file-20180531-69521-1g349sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221146/original/file-20180531-69521-1g349sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221146/original/file-20180531-69521-1g349sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221146/original/file-20180531-69521-1g349sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Exam stress can make it hard to think straight.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.shutterstock.com%2Fgatekeeper%2FW3siZSI6MTUyNzc4Njc2MSwiYyI6Il9waG90b19zZXNzaW9uX2lkIiwiZGMiOiJpZGxfNzY5NTI4MDg0IiwiayI6InBob3RvLzc2OTUyODA4NC9odWdlLmpwZyIsIm0iOjEsImQiOiJzaHV0dGVyc3RvY2stbWVkaWEifSwiclRBVlQyT3pjbVdneFZkMnNXRjllbGpUa1h3Il0%2Fshutterstock_769528084.jpg&ir=true&pi=33421636&m=769528084&src=5ZzH_A_uQPSbryjgr8y79w-1-78">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As its name suggests, the automatic nervous system is not under your direct control. But you can learn techniques to help you manage how you are feeling and to relax or calm down. If you can do this, then the second branch of the automatic nervous system, the parasympathetic branch, can switch on. </p>
<p>This branch works in opposition to the sympathetic branch and releases neurochemicals into the body that can support and maintain a sense of calm – facilitating a relaxed and focused state. Practising mindfulness, mediation, yoga, thought stopping and breathing techniques can all help to keep this system healthy and switched on. </p>
<p>Breathing techniques offer a quick and effective method. They are easy to learn and can be practised any time, any place, anywhere – because your breath is always with you. The trick is to learn to breathe deeply by drawing your breath down into the abdomen. This stops shallow breathing which is linked to stress and panicking. </p>
<p>You can try <a href="https://teenaclouston.wordpress.com/mindfulness/">simple breathing techniques</a> and practice them when you feel you are beginning to feel stressed out. You might be surprised about how quickly you start to feel more in control of your stress and anxiety.</p>
<h2>What about mindfulness?</h2>
<p>Mindfulness is a more advanced technique, focused on being fully present in the moment and experiencing what is going in and on around you <a href="http://institutpsychoneuro.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Kabat-Zinn-2003.pdf">as that moment unfolds</a>. When you learn how to do this, you find you are able to focus your attention on the task at hand – in this case your assignments or exams. Mindfulness also helps you to practise feeling calm in the mind and the body by releasing those neurochemicals that switch on the parasympathetic branch of the automatic nervous system. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221150/original/file-20180531-69487-kp9n4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221150/original/file-20180531-69487-kp9n4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221150/original/file-20180531-69487-kp9n4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221150/original/file-20180531-69487-kp9n4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221150/original/file-20180531-69487-kp9n4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221150/original/file-20180531-69487-kp9n4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221150/original/file-20180531-69487-kp9n4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Stress reduction techniques can help in the lead-up to your exams.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.shutterstock.com%2Fgatekeeper%2FW3siZSI6MTUyNzc4ODIyMSwiYyI6Il9waG90b19zZXNzaW9uX2lkIiwiZGMiOiJpZGxfNTQ2MzkwODYyIiwiayI6InBob3RvLzU0NjM5MDg2Mi9odWdlLmpwZyIsIm0iOjEsImQiOiJzaHV0dGVyc3RvY2stbWVkaWEifSwiSEdPVjI0c21neCtwT1lTa3lnTW9TcXBHcDhvIl0%2Fshutterstock_546390862.jpg&pi=33421636&m=546390862&src=9RYJI9h4oDSr204DVsSBUQ-1-85">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Studies have shown this can actually enhance your <a href="https://www.lkca.nl/%7E/media/downloads/portals/onderzoek/20160225_flow%20experience.pdf">performance and sense of well-being</a>. Try <a href="https://teenaclouston.wordpress.com/mindfulness/">simple mindfulness meditation</a> and practice it at least once a day to give yourself the opportunity to see if it makes a difference. Pay attention to how you feel before the practice and after you practice. This will help you to decide whether it’s an effective tool for you.</p>
<h2>What else can I do?</h2>
<p>A real positive of all these techniques is that they teach you to become aware of what you are actually thinking at any one time. Thoughts are frequently negative harbingers of failure and fear. Once you are aware of this, you can learn to adjust negative thinking into a more positive stance or to let them <a href="https://www.jkp.com/uk/challenging-stress-burnout-and-rust-out.html">flow over you rather than control you.
</a></p>
<p>Balancing how you spend your time is also important. Eating well, engaging in physical exercise, taking breaks from study and getting enough sleep all ensure that your stress levels are kept under control. </p>
<p>You also need to try and balance your drive for performance in your exams and assignments with doing things that are personally meaningful to you in your life. This is important, as research has shown that this is essential to your health and well-being. And it will also help you to <a href="https://www.jkp.com/uk/challenging-stress-burnout-and-rust-out.html">feel more balanced and calm</a> during those exams and in the run up to results day.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97211/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Teena J Clouston does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An expert gives her top tips for coping with exam stress and nerves.Teena J Clouston, Reader in Occupational Therapy, Life Balance and Wellbeing, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/915352018-02-09T14:28:27Z2018-02-09T14:28:27ZSetting more exams to combat stress among school students is utterly absurd<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205690/original/file-20180209-51727-j0jf5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Omg I can't even. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/anxious-teenage-student-sitting-examination-school-769528084?src=-PAVCQoKF1VMWfvg6UPFfQ-1-9">Shutterstock.</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Schools minister Nick Gibb <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sit-more-exams-to-beat-stress-schools-minister-nick-gibb-tells-gcse-pupils-63n02jt8d">reportedly advised MPs</a> that young people should face more frequent tests in secondary school, to better prepare them for the exam stress they experience by the time they take their GCSEs. This is a surprising and somewhat short-sighted approach – not unlike proposing more regular alcohol consumption as the solution to <a href="http://www.ias.org.uk/Alcohol-knowledge-centre/Young-people-and-alcohol.aspx">binge drinking</a>. </p>
<p>It is hard to understand what appears to be a blatant disregard for the mental health of children and young people on the part of the schools’ minister – especially given that <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508847/Mental_Health_and_Behaviour_-_advice_for_Schools_160316.pdf">this government</a> has <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing">repeatedly called on</a> schools to play a larger role in addressing the purported mental health crisis among students. The prime minister herself <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-unveils-plans-to-transform-mental-health-support">has called</a> for an end to the “hidden injustice” of mental illness that “too often starts in childhood and that when left untreated, can blight lives”. </p>
<h2>Stressed-out students</h2>
<p>To be clear, there is no doubt that exams contribute to mental health problems among young people. <a href="https://www.teachers.org.uk/files/exam-factories.pdf">A 2015 report</a> by the National Teachers Union concluded that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Children and young people are suffering from increasingly high levels of school-related anxiety and stress, disaffection and mental health problems. This is caused by increased pressure from tests/exams; greater awareness at younger ages of their own ‘failure’; and the increased rigour and academic demands of the curriculum.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These findings are supported by <a href="http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/163857/Social-determinants-of-health-and-well-being-among-young-people.pdf">2009/10 survey data</a> from the World Health Organisation and findings by the children’s charity ChildLine in both <a href="http://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/childline-review-2012-2013.pdf">2014</a> and <a href="http://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/annual-reports/childline-review-under-pressure.pdf">2015</a>, which highlight that children and young people in England are suffering from growing levels of school-related anxiety and stress. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205693/original/file-20180209-51716-17g7hi4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205693/original/file-20180209-51716-17g7hi4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205693/original/file-20180209-51716-17g7hi4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205693/original/file-20180209-51716-17g7hi4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205693/original/file-20180209-51716-17g7hi4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205693/original/file-20180209-51716-17g7hi4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205693/original/file-20180209-51716-17g7hi4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ominous.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/examination-hall-arrangements-desks-chair-university-750247627?src=VWX0FZOKP1dMaebjiolUBg-4-56">Shutterstock.</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.atl.org.uk/advice-and-resources/publications/report-novemberdecember-2016">A recent survey</a> carried out by the Association for Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) found that 82% of educators believe children and young people are under more pressure now than they were 10 years ago, with 89% considering that testing and exams were the biggest cause. <a href="https://sheu.org.uk/sheux/eh311as.pdf">Some research</a> has even drawn a link between the performance pressure created by the education system, and the development of suicidal thoughts and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Merryn_Hutchings/publication/309771525_Exam_Factories_The_impact_of_accountability_measures_on_children_and_young_people/links/5822faa408aeb45b58891444.pdf">self-harm</a> among young people.</p>
<h2>Ignoring the evidence</h2>
<p>Gibb’s own colleagues on the health and education select committees have recognised the harmful effects of exam pressure, following a <a href="https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmhealth/849/84902.htm">joint inquiry</a> into the impacts of education on children’s mental health. Perfectionism has become <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-perfectionism-became-a-hidden-epidemic-among-young-people-89405">a harmful epidemic</a> among young people, as they attempt to meet the demands of modern society. So to suggest more exams, as a means to combat the stress brought about by exams, misses the mark by a mile. </p>
<p>The schools minister denied that reforms to the curriculum were adding to the pressure on students, claiming that “there are a raft of real-world pressures” – including social media – weighing on young people today. He didn’t explain how imposing more tests could possibly alleviate those pressures. </p>
<p>Nearly 20 years of <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1080/0141192990250305/full">empirical research</a> shows us that test preparation can actually obstruct learning, contribute to anxiety and <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01425690701837513">dampen motivation</a>, for both teachers <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17457823.2015.1085323">and learners</a>. This is the ultimate absurdity in Gibb’s defence of an exhausted testing system.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91535/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ceri Brown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Schools minister Nick Gibb seems to think young people should face more frequent testing, to prepare for GCSEs. His comments fly in the face of 20 years’ research.Ceri Brown, Lecturer in Education, University of BathLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/673802016-10-25T19:12:09Z2016-10-25T19:12:09ZWhat causes mind blanks during exams?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143000/original/image-20161024-28420-82av1j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">As exam season rolls around, many students are wondering what causes the dreaded mind blank.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In our five-part series, <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/making-sense-of-exams-32567">Making Sense of Exams</a>, we’ll discuss the purpose of exams, whether they can be done online, overcoming exam anxiety, and effective revision techniques.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>It’s a pattern many of us have likely experienced in the past. </p>
<p>You prep for an exam and all the information seems coherent and simple. Then you sit for an exam and suddenly all the information you learned is gone. You struggle to pull something up – anything – but the harder you fight, the further away the information feels. The dreaded <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/abn/61/2/207/">mind blank</a>.</p>
<h2>So what is going on?</h2>
<p>To understand what’s happening during a mind blank, there are three brain regions we have to become familiar with.</p>
<p>The first is the hypothalamus. For all intents and purposes, we can conceive of the hypothalamus as the bridge between your emotions and your physical sensations. In short, this part of the brain has <a href="http://www.jpsychores.com/article/S0022-3999(02)00429-4/abstract">strong connections to the endocrine system</a>, which, in turn, is responsible for the type and amount of hormones flowing throughout your body.</p>
<p>The second is the hippocampus. A subcortical structure, the hippocampus plays an incredibly important role in both the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hipo.450040319/full">learning and retrieval of facts and concepts</a>. We can conceive of the hippocampus as a sort of memory door through which all information must pass in order to enter and exit the brain.</p>
<p>The third is the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Located behind your eyes, this is the calm, cool, rational part of your brain. All the things that suggest you, as a human being, are in control <a href="http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.neuro.24.1.167">are largely mediated here</a>: things like working memory (the ability to hold and manipulate information in your mind), impulse control (the ability to dampen unwanted behavioural responses), decision making (the ability to select a proper response between competing possibilities), etc.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Regions of the brain. from www.shutterstock.com.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How a mind blank happens</h2>
<p>When you are preparing for an exam in a setting that is predictable and relatively low-stakes, you are able to engage in <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wCMgWbc6KgAC&oi=fnd&pg=PA237&dq=cold+cognition&ots=SnBejDeCaC&sig=Vktyd0jXTcdG-t6K7cuFc9N9X8s#v=onepage&q=cold%20cognition&f=false">cold cognition</a>. This is the term given to logical and rational thinking processes. </p>
<p>In our particular instance, when you are studying at home, seated in your comfortable bed, listening to your favourite music, the hypothalamus slows down the production and release of key stress hormones (outlined below) while the PFC and hippocampus are confidently chugging along unimpeded. </p>
<p>However, when you enter a somewhat unpredictable and high-stakes exam situation, you enter the realm of <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wCMgWbc6KgAC&oi=fnd&pg=PA237&dq=cold+cognition&ots=SnBejDeCaC&sig=Vktyd0jXTcdG-t6K7cuFc9N9X8s#v=onepage&q=cold%20cognition&f=false">hot cognition</a>. This is the term given to non-logical and emotionally driven thinking processes. Hot cognition is typically triggered in response to a clear threat or otherwise highly stressful situation.</p>
<p>So an exam can serve to trigger a cascade of unique thoughts – for instance,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If I fail this exam I may not get into a good university or graduate program. Then I may not get a good job. Then I may perish alone and penniless.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>With this type of loaded thinking, it’s no wonder that those taking tests sometimes perceive an exam as a threat. </p>
<p>When a threat is detected, the hypothalamus stimulates the generation of several key stress hormones, including <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0006899382905194">norepinephrine</a> and <a href="http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/2011/02/the-physiology-of-stress-cortisol-and-the-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis/#.WA2D8ySbiUY">cortisol</a>. </p>
<p>Large levels of norepinephrine enter the PFC and serve to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4774859/">dampen neuronal firing and impair effective communication</a>. This impairment essentially clears out your working memory (whatever you were thinking about is now gone) and stops the rational, logical PFC from influencing other brain regions.</p>
<p>At the same time, large levels of cortisol enter the hippocampus and not only <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v3/n6/abs/nrn849.html">disrupt activation patterns there</a>, but also (with prolonged exposure) <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891061897000318">kill hippocampal neurons</a>. This serves to impede the ability to access old memories and skews the perception and storage of new memories.</p>
<p>In short, when an exam is interpreted as a threat and a stress response is triggered, working memory is wiped clean, recall mechanisms are disrupted, and emotionally laden hot cognition driven by the hypothalamus (and other subcortical regions) overrides the normally rational cold cognition driven by the PFC. </p>
<p>Taken together, this process leads to a mind blank, making logical cognitive activity difficult to undertake.</p>
<h2>Is there any way to avoid this?</h2>
<p>The good news – there are some things you can do to stave off mind blanks.</p>
<p>The first concerns de-stressing. Through concerted practice and application of <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/ocp/13/1/69/">cognitive-behavioural and/or relaxation techniques</a> aimed at reframing any perceived threat during an exam situation, those taking tests can potentially abate the stress response and re-enter a more rational thinking process.</p>
<p>Another concerns preparation. The reason the armed forces train new recruits in stressful situations that simulate active combat scenarios is to ensure cold cognition during future engagements. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mml4B1w0mb4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>The more a person experiences a particular situation, the less likely he or she is to perceive such a situation as threatening.</p>
<p>So when preparing for an exam, try not to do so in a highly relaxed soothing environment – rather, try to push yourself in ways that will <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mml4B1w0mb4">mimic the final testing scenario</a> you are preparing for.</p>
<p><em>• <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/making-sense-of-exams-32567">Read more</a> from the series.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/67380/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jared Cooney Horvath is affiliated with the ARC-SRI Science of Learning Research Centre (SLRC) at The University of Melbourne. The SLRC is funded through a Special Research Initiative of the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Lodge is affiliated with the ARC-SRI Science of Learning Research Centre (SLRC) at The University of Melbourne. The SLRC is funded through a Special Research Initiative of the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Mind blanks are typically triggered in response to a perceived threat. The chemical process that takes place essentially clears out your working memory, quiets logical processes, and walls off memory.Jared Cooney Horvath, Postdoctoral fellow, The University of MelbourneJason M Lodge, Senior Lecturer, Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education & ARC-SRI Science of Learning Research Centre, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/589132016-05-09T05:34:42Z2016-05-09T05:34:42ZStressed out: the psychological effects of tests on primary school children<p>Some parents are so angry with the testing regime facing their children that they have come together in an attempt to <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/may/01/parents-to-keep-children-out-of-school-in-key-stage-exam-boycott">boycott primary school exams</a>. Preparation by teachers for these standardised achievement tests (SATs) in England have involved a narrowing of the curriculum, including a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-grammar-police-belong-in-the-18th-century-lets-not-inflict-their-rules-on-todays-11-year-olds-57606">specific focus</a> on spelling, punctuation and grammar.</p>
<p>Parents believe that their children should be stimulated instead by more enriching activities and projects. There is also a worry that the tests may cause undue stress and pressure on their young children to perform well. These beliefs are widespread: more than 49,000 parents have signed <a href="https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/parents-support-sats-boycott-kids-strike-3rd-may">a petition</a> to abolish SATs altogether.</p>
<h2>An awareness of pressure</h2>
<p>Teachers are under considerable pressure for pupils to perform well on SATs. Performance-related pay and position in school league tables depend on test results. Parents believe that exam results will have a bearing on their young child’s future and understandably want them to do well.</p>
<p>But the children are also <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2012.688063">well-aware</a> that their performance on the SATs is important to their teachers and parents. Teachers may unwittingly transmit the stress they are under to their pupils. Children can also <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13632750100507660">pick up</a> on their parents’ attitudes and associated behaviour and feel <a href="https://www.teachers.org.uk/files/exam-factories.pdf">under pressure</a> to make them proud. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121543/original/image-20160506-32034-1j06z15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121543/original/image-20160506-32034-1j06z15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121543/original/image-20160506-32034-1j06z15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121543/original/image-20160506-32034-1j06z15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121543/original/image-20160506-32034-1j06z15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121543/original/image-20160506-32034-1j06z15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121543/original/image-20160506-32034-1j06z15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Too much, too young?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shuravaya/www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This pressure from parents is perhaps the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2012.688063">largest source of stress for children</a> aged ten to 11 who are working towards their Key Stage 2 exams. One Year 6 pupil my colleagues and I interviewed described the source of the pressure he felt:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You want to get them [SATS questions] right because other people want you to get them right and, like, you don’t want to disappoint people. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Test anxiety</h2>
<p>Stress and pressure about forthcoming exams can result in what education researchers have termed “test anxiety”. This can present itself via <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10615800412331292606">a number of symptoms</a>.</p>
<p>Children can suffer from negative thoughts such as: “If I don’t pass this test, I will never get a good job”. They can also suffer physiological symptoms such as tight muscles or trembling and distracting behaviours such as playing with a pencil. The effects of anxiety during a test can influence the child’s ability to process and understand test questions and perform at their best.</p>
<p>It is well established that pupils with high levels of test anxiety <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01443410020019867">perform more poorly</a> in their exams. The overall prevalence of test anxiety in primary school children is <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01443410020019867">on the increase</a> and it is fairly common for children at the end of primary school. Year 6 pupils report experiencing anxiety either <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2013.09.010">some or most of the time</a> when asked two weeks prior to their exams. </p>
<p>But <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2012.688063">there are differences</a> in how SATs are viewed by different children. Some perceive them to be stressful, while others view them as a challenge. As well as pressure from parents, pupils in Year 6 have cited the demands of the testing situation as a cause of stress. This includes completing exams under timed conditions and having no contact with classmates or teachers. There are also concerns about exam results being used to influence which set a child will be put in at secondary school. Another Year 6 pupil my colleagues and I interviewed said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You look at your booklet and you’ve got like loads of questions left and you’re like, ‘I can’t do this’. You just want to just sit there and go ‘I can’t do this’ and walk off.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The extent to which children aged six to seven, working towards Key Stage 1 exams, feel test-anxious, is unclear. Very little research has been conducted exclusively with them. Some younger children, however, have been found to display <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13632750300507010">clear signs of anxiety or stress</a> during the period leading up to the SATs. </p>
<h2>Reducing the pressure</h2>
<p>How <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0829573508316589">resilient a child is</a> can reduce the negative effects of test anxiety on performance. Specifically, children who believe they can succeed, trust and seek comfort from others easily and who are not overly sensitive, can be <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2013.09.010">better at combatting the problems associated with test anxiety</a>. Parents may therefore help their children by attempting to nurture and boost their resilience.</p>
<p>Keeping SATs <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13632750100507660">“low-key”</a> is crucial to minimising anxiety and stress among children. Parents should reassure their children that results are not critical and that the most important thing is that they try their best. In the classroom, teachers should direct time and effort towards familiarising children to the format and procedures involved in standardised testing. For instance, practising with past test papers while children sit at individual desks, could help.</p>
<p>Both parents and teachers could also keep a conscious check of how they may subconsciously <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13632750100507660">transmit feelings of stress or tension</a> to young children. Pupils who display signs of test anxiety require more space and understanding, both at school and home – this includes increased tolerance during the testing period.</p>
<p>These strategies may go some way to reducing the pressure of tests on young children. It is essential that schools and teachers take the time to <a href="https://www.teachers.org.uk/files/exam-factories.pdf">focus on the social, emotional and mental health and development of children</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/58913/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Nicholson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Seven and 11-year-olds feel the pressure from their parents and teachers.Laura Nicholson, Researcher, Faculty of Education and Associate Tutor, Department of Psychology, Edge Hill UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/495872015-10-29T19:29:20Z2015-10-29T19:29:20ZParents, are you feeling the pressure too? Here’s how to help your child cope with exam stress<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/100073/original/image-20151029-21081-1lx1gd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Time to take a break from studying?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Year 12 exams – it’s just a two-week period in a student’s life, but it’s a time that can create an enormous amount of stress for students, and consequently the whole family.</p>
<p>So why does a fortnight of exams become so stressful? What impact does this have on performance and wellbeing? And what can parents do to help put their child at ease?</p>
<p>Stress is a normal part of human existence; we are built for fight or flight when we encounter stressful situations. </p>
<p>But some find it harder to cope with pressure than others – and research shows that for those people, stress can have a detrimental effect on performance and participation in school. </p>
<p><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wcs.1222/abstract">Studies</a> show that stress can affect memory by increasing cognitive load. This reduces our effectiveness in storing ideas, which means some students will struggle to perform at their best during exams.</p>
<p>For others, the stress is so great that they are unable to attend school or even participate in exams.</p>
<p><a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Stress_Appraisal_and_Coping.html?id=i-ySQQuUpr8C">Research</a> suggest that the high stress comes from:</p>
<ul>
<li>overblown importance placed on exams by students, teachers and parents;</li>
<li>students’ belief that they don’t have the resources, such as effective study skills or knowledge of their subjects, to cope with the exam process;</li>
<li>concerns around getting into university and <a href="https://www.arts.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/opinion/study-confirms-hsc-exams-source-of-major-stress-to-adolescents/">pressure to get a job</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>These beliefs need to be challenged. </p>
<p>Exams do not define a person’s whole future, they are just one event in a student’s life. Instead of looking at stress as threatening, <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10615806.2014.931942?src=recsys#.VjGHE7crLIU">research</a> shows that we need to view it as a helpful way to take control of a problem.</p>
<p>But this is perhaps easier said than done. So here’s a guide for parents on how to help their child cope with, and take control of, exam stress. </p>
<h2>Reiterate that it’s normal to feel stressed</h2>
<p>Stress is normal when we engage in something challenging. We feel stress because we are vulnerable that we may not perform well. Teach your child that this uncomfortable feeling is good because it means you are challenging yourself. </p>
<p>Don’t protect them from the challenge, or make the stress abnormal, or they’ll think it is something to <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/exam-stress-at-an-all-time-high-that-pressure-is-needed-to-set-you-up-for-life-10249996.html">fear</a>. </p>
<p>Ask them how they feel, listen and encourage, but help them to see challenge as a good thing. </p>
<h2>Tell them not to fear failure</h2>
<p>Your child can feel like if they don’t succeed at this then it means their whole life is a failure. They need to know there is not one perfect plan but there are multiple pathways to success. </p>
<p>Failure (or not getting exactly what you want) is a normal part of life. Great success incorporates great failure. Failure is an event that provides us with choices; it is not who we are.</p>
<h2>Try to distract them from overthinking problems</h2>
<p>When a young person is stressed they will go over and over an idea in their mind.
In some ways it is comforting to party with the idea, but it just makes it grow into a bigger problem. </p>
<p>When we feed negative thoughts they hang around and grow. Actually doing something your enjoy or working through the thing you are thinking about is the best distraction for worrying thoughts.</p>
<h2>Understand how they like to work</h2>
<p>Everyone learns differently. Work out the most effective environment for your child. Do they like to be alone or study with friends? They may be a visual learner and use lots of pictures, or a verbal learner and need to talk through ideas. </p>
<p>Study can be more effective when you <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=eIRFCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT65&lpg=PT65&dq=memory+breaking+study+into+smaller+time&source=bl&ots=HSGStnQAxL&sig=vPBhuCfHDUofaqAbtCtPT5jx0v8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDAQ6AEwBWoVChMIoeu7mtLmyAIVxqSUCh0LCQOs#v=onepage&q&f=false">space it out over time</a>. So take a three-hour study session and add a five-minute break every 30 minutes to improve your productivity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/49587/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mandie Shean is affiliated with Edith Cowan University and Christian City Church Hepburn Heights</span></em></p>A fortnight of exams in year 12 can be a stressful time for students. Here’s some tips for parents on how to take control of exam stress.Mandie Shean, Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/468122015-09-10T20:09:05Z2015-09-10T20:09:05ZStudy confirms HSC exams source of major stress to adolescents<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93395/original/image-20150831-13172-1uwxc6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Exams place an inordinate amount of stress on students</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanfordedtech/8031101633/">Flickr/Ed Tech Stanford University</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Year 12 is a highly stressful time for many students. Regular reports describe the Higher School Certificate (HSC) as a “<a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/top-marks-in-hsc-stress/story-fni0cx12-1226720468693">taxing</a>” experience or “<a href="https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/reviews/hscwhite.pdf">a blood sport</a>”, with <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/cheating-endemic-in-nsw-high-schools-20150507-ggw8h9.html">cheating “endemic”</a>. The exams test knowledge and skills – but do they also test the ability of young people to cope with stress?</p>
<p>A recent study by the <a href="http://www.education.arts.unsw.edu.au/">UNSW School of Education</a> shows us what teachers, students and their parents have long known, despite limited research in this area: Year 12 can be highly stressful for students. This research aimed to identify some of the causes and effects of pressure on Australian Year 12 students, and what we could do to support students to handle their feelings of stress and anxiety.</p>
<h2>Academic pressure and high-stakes assessment</h2>
<p>Major school assessments like the HSC are classed as <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=F-luAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false">high-stakes assessments</a>, where the results of exams could have major consequences for the student. In Australia, student performance in Year 12 determines university entry, which means marks <a href="http://www.natsem.canberra.edu.au/storage/AMP.NATSEM%2032%20Income%20and%20Wealth%20Report%20-%20Smart%20Australians.pdf">might determine career paths and earning potential</a>.</p>
<p>Students can feel <a href="http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2011/09/academic-stress.aspx">academic pressure</a> when the perceived level of expectation or consequence exceeds what they believe they can achieve. This can lead to stress and altered learning behaviours. Even worse, it can make the <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=PJP9W9X2NGQC&hl=en">smartest students do poorly on their exams</a>.</p>
<p>Two decades ago in NSW, the final exams solely determined a student’s HSC result. <a href="https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/reviews/hscwhite.pdf">A government review</a> cited concerns over the levels of stress and pressure faced by students in their final exams. Instead, assessments were then spread across the entire Year 12 course so that all class tests and school exams counted.</p>
<p>While this reduced the pressure caused by the final exams alone, it also stretched the students’ pressure over a longer period, turning a frantic sprint to the finish into <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/hsc-hell-has-kids-at-breaking-point/story-e6frewti-1111116508591">a high-stress marathon</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93396/original/image-20150831-13151-1mb9dcz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93396/original/image-20150831-13151-1mb9dcz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93396/original/image-20150831-13151-1mb9dcz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93396/original/image-20150831-13151-1mb9dcz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93396/original/image-20150831-13151-1mb9dcz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93396/original/image-20150831-13151-1mb9dcz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93396/original/image-20150831-13151-1mb9dcz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93396/original/image-20150831-13151-1mb9dcz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Enough to strike fear into the hearts of many.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What does the research say?</h2>
<p>A survey of Year 12 students from a range of schools in Sydney did not paint a happy picture of life for the students. Of the 722 students surveyed, 42% registered high-level anxiety symptoms, high enough to be of clinical concern. This proportion is nearly double the population norm and larger than <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/hsc-hell-has-kids-at-breaking-point/story-e6frewti-1111116508591">earlier studies</a>.</p>
<p>Of the total survey group, 16% of students reported extremely severe levels of anxiety, while 37% registered above-average levels of stress. Stress, anxiety and pressure levels were highest amongst girls, and higher still in gifted girls. These findings were consistent across a range of cultural groups, contrary to the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/good-weekend/testing-times-selective-schools-and-tiger-parents-20150108-12kecw.html">Asian-background pressure stereotype</a>.</p>
<p>Students reported academic pressure levels that were similar to <a href="http://eprints.qut.edu.au/53372/3/Sun_Jiandong__Thesis.pdf">studies completed in Asian schools</a>. In general, 54% of students felt that too much was expected of them in Year 12. The main causes of pressure identified were workload (50%), expectations to perform (26%) and importance of exams (22%). Although average pressure levels between groups were similar, pressure was a stronger statistical predictor of stress and anxiety in gifted students.</p>
<p>Where does this pressure and expectation come from? Students identified themselves as the greatest source of pressure (44%), with family (35%) and the school or teachers (21%) as the other main sources. More gifted students (47%) than their average-ability peers (24%) identified their own internal pressure as the strongest source of pressure.</p>
<p>It is the impact of pressure, however, that is most concerning, as 44% described being <a href="https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-signs.aspx">regularly agitated, irritable or nervous</a>. A further 19% cited physical symptoms of nausea or fatigue. </p>
<p>When pressure was high, 41% of students attempted more hours of study and 35% reported working harder. Not all students coped well – 32% reported an increase in procrastination and 14% became more competitive with their friends, with higher levels of both for gifted students. </p>
<p>As is expected, students <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2044-8279.2010.02012.x/abstract">became more result-focused</a>, prioritising the outcome of tests over the process of learning, or simply <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/choke/201205/why-fearing-failure-begets-failure">feared failure</a>.</p>
<h2>How to relieve some of the stress on students</h2>
<p>So, what can parents, teachers, schools and the students themselves do about this? Here are a few suggestions based on the study’s findings:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Balance is critical in supporting high academic performance. Adequate regular <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/exam-guide">sleep, exercise and relaxation</a> time are all more important than that extra hour of study.</p></li>
<li><p>Teachers were described as helping by <em>not</em> constantly mentioning the exams: they instead alleviated pressure by focusing on the fun and interesting parts of learning. <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1080/01411920310001630008/citedby">An earlier study into teachers whose students achieved top marks in Year 12</a> found the teachers were able to blend serious exam preparation with fun and mastery-based approaches to learning – and their students did better in their exams.</p></li>
<li><p>Many students understood all too well that “everything counts” in their study, and were frustrated when teachers and parents tried to remind them of this - often repeatedly.</p></li>
<li><p>Some students described great programs run by their school – <a href="http://www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/2003/mar03770.pdf">building resilience</a>, courses in relaxation and yoga, sessions on effective coping, learning to identify when stress and anxiety become problematic, as well as the usual lessons in study skills and organisation.</p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/46812/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ben North is a PhD candidate in the School of Education at UNSW Australia, and also works for the New South Wales Department of Education as a secondary school Head Teacher.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susen Smith is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, GERRIC, UNSW Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Miraca Gross does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A recent study by the UNSW School of Education shows us what teachers, students, and their parents have long known, despite limited research in this area – Year 12 can be highly stressful for students.Ben North, PhD Candidate in Education; Head Teacher (Secondary), UNSW SydneyMiraca Gross, Emeritus Professor Miraca Gross, UNSW SydneySusen Smith, Senior Lecturer in Gifted & Special Education, GERRIC Senior Research Fellow, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/460762015-08-13T20:32:15Z2015-08-13T20:32:15ZIncrease in special exam consideration reflects increase in mental illness diagnoses<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91714/original/image-20150813-21409-1vkg8dv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Are more students seeking special exam consideration because they're increasingly aware it's available to them, or because they need it?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">UBC Learning Commons/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/special-vce-exam-arrangements-at-record-high-20150812-gixk5s.html">Recent media reports</a> have indicated growing numbers of students require special examination considerations for coursework and exams. </p>
<p>In Victoria, there was a 42% increase in applications for special considerations since 2009. In <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/elite-school-students-get-more-special-help-in-hsc/2008/05/25/1211653847168.html">New South Wales</a>, there were 5261 applications from the almost 70,000 students who undertook the HSC, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/tertiary-education/private-students-most-likely-to-apply-for-hsc-special-consideration-20111207-1ojbs.html">an increase</a> from previous years. <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/private-schools-accused-of-rorting-hsc/2008/12/28/1230399045680.html?page=fullpage">Media reports reveal</a> a progressive jump in student numbers applying for special examination arrangements in various states.</p>
<p>Among these are an increasing number of students who experience debilitating anxiety, preventing them from giving their best under test and exam conditions. The majority of these applications are lodged under the category “Severe Health Impairment”. This number includes those students who experience heightened anxiety during tests and examinations. </p>
<p>Only 10% of students applied under the category “Learning Disabilities”. Students with learning disabilities are <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/publications/tip_sheets/learning/">difficult to diagnose</a>, as learning difficulties may sometimes be linked to maturation. Developmental delays are likely to lead to other social and emotional difficulties. As a consequence, fewer students who may in principle require more equitable examination arrangements actually qualify under this category. </p>
<p>The application requires the disclosure of the student’s IQ, which may not necessarily link to a learning disability. Learning disabilities and intellectual impairments are not the same thing, and not necessarily related.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Fewer than 10% of applications were due to actual learning disabilities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Steven S/FLickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>A review of special examination and coursework policies is currently being conducted, in an attempt to create a more equitable system for all students. </p>
<p>The rising number of applications for special considerations does indicate that many students experience significant psychological difficulty undertaking examinations. The process appears to exacerbate stress and anxiety, preventing students from successfully responding to questions in this high-pressure environment. </p>
<p>To counteract this, many have preferred to apply for “safety nets” such as extra writing or reading time, the use of different coloured paper, alternative question formats and computer use instead of handwriting, in order to provide support to help overcome these difficulties.</p>
<h2>More consideration for private schools</h2>
<p>An interesting factor is that more students successfully apply for special considerations <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/tertiary-education/private-students-most-likely-to-apply-for-hsc-special-consideration-20111207-1ojbs.html">from private schools than state schools</a>, even though there are significantly more students with learning difficulties in state schools. Students with additional learning needs in Victoria number <a href="http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/department/brochureJuly.pdf">almost 13,000</a> in state schools, and <a href="http://www.is.vic.edu.au/independent/facts/numbers.htm">just over 3,000</a> in independent schools.</p>
<p>Numbers from the <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/special-vce-exam-arrangements-at-record-high-20150812-gixk5s.html">Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority</a> show that last year 227 successful applications were made by private schools and just 129 applications from state schools. In NSW, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/tertiary-education/private-students-most-likely-to-apply-for-hsc-special-consideration-20111207-1ojbs.html">more than 52%</a> of the applications are received from non-government schools.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">More successful applications came from private schools, possibly because they have dedicated resources.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pete/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>It is often the case that private and independent schools have dedicated personnel to process applications for special consideration, with both parents and students having ready access to information very early on.</p>
<p>State schools may not necessarily have this provision, nor the funds required to process the psychological and clinical testing required.</p>
<h2>Increases in mental illness and recognising it</h2>
<p>Another factor that may have contributed to the sharp increase in special consideration applications is that medical personnel are now better equipped to identify symptoms associated with anxiety-related and depressive conditions.</p>
<p>In recent years, there have been advances in the early detection and management of depression and stress-related disorders. In a current review, the <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/2012/february/manicavasagar/">Australian Psychological Society</a> acknowledged that depression will account for the highest level of disability by 2030. </p>
<p>This increase in anxiety and stress disorders appears to persist long after schooling as many students at universities and those in the workplace report stress and anxiety. A report by the <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/Stress%20and%20wellbeing%20in%20Australia%20survey%202013.pdf">Australian Psychological Society</a> revealed that young Australians (18-25 years of age) reported lowered levels of wellbeing and higher degrees of stress and distress.</p>
<p>The report also revealed that young Australians reported increased depressive and anxiety-related symptoms. Among these, Australian students in the 18-25 year category reported heightened anxiety and stress. </p>
<p>Evidently, the pressures of modern life intensify anxiety, adding to the already heavy psychological load being carried by students. The pressure to conform and perform according to the standards and expectations of modern society are not just limited to classrooms, but permeate life outside school as well. </p>
<p>Consequently, the sharp increase in applications for special examination arrangements and special considerations in recent years does reveal a slightly worrying trend in both schools and society. Applications for such concessions are mostly legitimate and may be reflective of wider issues impacting on our world at large.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/46076/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pearl Subban is affiliated with Monash University.</span></em></p>Recent media reports have indicated there is a growing number of students requiring special considerations for coursework and exams.Pearl Subban, Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.