The prevalence and dynamics of the test anxiety in foreign students before and within COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine

Abstract

Test anxiety (TA) is a psychological condition of a person’s distress before, during, or after a test or other assessment. The prevalence and dynamics of TA before and after COVID-19 pandemic in foreign graduate medical students in Bukovinian State Medical University (Ukraine) was investigated. After receiving informed consent 6 year foreign students: 234 on the eve of COVID-19 pandemic and 74 students in spring 2023 anonymously filled in the TA questionnaire (Sarason I.G., 1980), total points ≥ 12 signified presence of TA. The average level of TA before COVID-19 pandemic was 6,3±2,8 points, while later in 2023 it increased significantly to 8,0±3,8 points, p<0,01. In 2023 more than 70% of students answered that they “feel very panicky when they have to take a surprise exam” and more than 30% of graduates when taking tests, find that “their emotional feelings interfere with their performance”. More than 48% of students answered, that they “find themselves thinking of the consequences of failing during test”. Physical manifestations of TA included positive answer for the question “I sometimes feel my heart beating very fast during important examinations” in 74% of students and in 38% of cases students struggle with excessive perspiration. Around 30% of students “usually get depressed” or deal with any gastrointestinal problems after important tests. Totally in 2023 34% of examined students demonstrated borderline or present TA as compared to 15% before (p<0,02). Thus, TA causing somatic and/or psychological distress is present in every third medical foreign student and has significantly increased within COVID-19 pandemic period in Ukraine, that’s why it deserves more attention.