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Test Anxiety Symptoms in College Students: Base Rates and Statistical Deviance

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Abstract

Test anxiety is a common concern in students of all ages, and over the past few decades, there has been debate about whether to consider test anxiety a formal psychological disorder, or even a disability under the law. The present study informs those debates with information about the base rates of different test anxiety symptoms in a large sample of college students (n = 2773). Students completed the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) as well as a demographics questionnaire. More than half of students indicated “often” or “almost always” feeling very uneasy before getting a test back, and most symptoms were endorsed as being present at least “often” by 25% of participants or more. In addition, expected demographic trends in test anxiety levels by gender, ethnicity, and diagnostic status were found in this large sample. Implications for clinical and disability classification of test anxiety are discussed, along with directions for future research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School Psychology Program, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 W. 120th St., Box 120, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Benjamin J. Lovett & Patti O’Meara

  2. University of Georgia, Athens, USA

    Jason M. Nelson

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  1. Benjamin J. Lovett
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  2. Jason M. Nelson
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Correspondence to Benjamin J. Lovett.

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Lovett, B.J., Nelson, J.M. & O’Meara, P. Test Anxiety Symptoms in College Students: Base Rates and Statistical Deviance. Psychol. Inj. and Law 17, 45–54 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12207-023-09494-0

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