Low Test Anxiety Research Articles

Mediating Role of Test Anxiety in Association Between Imposter Phenomenon and Perfectionism among High-Achieving Students

numerous stressors, such as test anxiety, imposter phenomenon, and perfectionism. The association between the imposter phenomenon and perfectionism is well-studied, but test anxiety as a mediator of this association is not examined. The present study aimed to explore the mediating role of test anxiety on the imposter phenomenon and perfectionism among Pakistani high-achieving students. Additionally, we investigated gender and grade differences for junior and senior high school students. In the present cross-sectional survey study, participants ( n = 250) aged 15–18 years responded to the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale, Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and Westside Test Anxiety Scale. Findings showed that perfectionism increased by 39% with a one-unit increase in the imposter phenomenon. Test anxiety was a significant positive mediator of the association between imposter phenomenon and perfectionism. T-test showed girls had higher scores on the imposter phenomenon and test anxiety than boys. One-way ANOVA revealed significant educational grade differences with small effect sizes, and junior high school students scored higher than senior high school students on study variables. About 44% and 48% of 250 participants reported having moderate and frequent imposter symptoms, respectively. Almost 36.5% of high-achievers had low test anxiety, and 50% of high-achievers had normal test anxiety. The study presents a discussion of the merits and demerits.

Probing secondary school students' test anxiety in biology using Inquiry-based instructional approach in Anambra State

The study investigated the effect of inquiry-based instructional approach (IBIA) on secondary school students’ test anxiety in biology. The study is a quasi-experimental research, adopting specifically the non-randomized control group design. 4,755 (2,067 males and 2,688 females) Senior Secondary year two (SS2) students offering biology in the 62 government owned secondary schools, in Awka Education Zone of Anambra State, Nigeria constituted the population. 52 (20 males and 32 females) SS2 biology students drawn from, two intact classes, in the two sampled schools, using multi-stage sampling procedure constituted the sample size. The instrument for data collection was an adapted Biology Test Anxiety Scale (BTAS), validated by three experts with reliability coefficient of 0.78 established using Cronbach Alpha. In analyzing the collected data, mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to test the null hypotheses. The findings revealed that students taught biology with IBIA significantly showed low test anxiety in biology than those taught with the conventional lecture method, irrespective of gender. Based on the findings, the study concluded that IBIA is a gender friendly, activity-based approach that boosts students’ confidence, and promotes meaningful learning in biology. In light of this, it was recommended among others that IBIA should be adopted by biology teachers in secondary schools to actively engage students in the learning process which will in return help boost their confidence during tests and thus, reduce their anxiety.

The effect of working memory training on test anxiety symptoms and attentional control in adolescents

ObjectiveThe percentage of adolescents with test anxiety is increasing rapidly. Working memory (WM) training has been demonstrated to reduce anxiety levels and enhance attentional control in individuals. Therefore, we investigated whether adaptive dual n-back WM training could lower test anxiety level and improve attentional control in adolescents.MethodsForty adolescents were allocated to either adaptive dual n-back WM training (n = 21) or non-adaptive dual 1-back WM training (n = 19) for 10 days. The Test Anxiety Scale was applied to measure individuals’ test anxiety symptoms. The Attentional Control Scale (ACS), the flanker task, and the Go/Nogo task were used to measure attentional control.ResultsCompared with the control group, the training group reported significantly relief of test anxiety symptoms; however, there were no significant differences between the two groups in pre-to-post changes in ACS scores or performance on the flanker task and Go/Nogo task.ConclusionIn sum, adaptive dual n-back WM training effectively reduced adolescents’ level of test anxiety but did not improve their attentional control.

Students’ psychological variables connection with secondary school students’ academic performance in mathematics

PurposeThe study’s objective was to ascertain the connection between secondary school students' test anxiety, academic self-concept, motivation and academic performance in mathematics. The difference between the academic performances of male and female secondary school students who exhibit high and low test anxiety, academic self-concept and motivation levels in mathematics.Design/methodology/approachFour hypotheses and four research questions were adopted. The design is a correlation. 42,299 mathematics students in senior school year two (SS2) made up the research population. A sample of 1,650 students was selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure. The main instruments used were the Mathematics Test Anxiety Questionnaire (MTAQ), Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire (ASQ) and Academic Motivation Questionnaire (AMQ) and students’ math scores. These instruments were validated by three experts and the reliability coefficients of 0.69, 0.68 and 0.68 were obtained for MTAQ, ASQ and AMQ, respectively, using Cronbach alpha. Pearson product moment correlation was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe study’s results showed a correlation between secondary school students' academic performance in mathematics and test anxiety, academic self-concept and motivation. There was a significant difference between secondary school male and female students' test anxiety; there was a significant difference between secondary school male and female students' self-concept and academic performance in mathematics, and there was a significant difference between secondary school male and female students' motivation and academic performance in mathematics.Originality/valueThe major contribution of this study is to investigate the connection between test anxiety, academic self-concept motivation and students’ mathematics performance. There is a difference between psychological variables, gender and mathematics performance.

Do Chosen Learning Strategies Predict Academic Performance in First-Year DPT Anatomy Students?

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of anatomy final course grades from first-year physical therapist students' characteristics and chosen learning strategies, as indicated on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Identifying factors that contribute to success in content intensive classes may aid in coaching successful learning strategies as students transition from undergraduate coursework to Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs. Previous studies show that first-year graduate students use ineffective learning strategies that are insufficient for graduate-level study. The MSLQ correlates with academic performance at several educational levels. To date, only one study has examined the correlation of MSLQ with physical therapist students' academic performance for an anatomy course. Thirty-nine first-year physical therapist students participated in the study (27 from a hybrid program, 12 from a traditional program). This study analyzed MSLQ scores for the total instrument, each domain, and each subscale using regression analyses to determine predictors of final anatomy grades. The subscales of Self-Efficacy and Test Anxiety had significant predictive value for anatomy grades (R2 = 0.455, F = 5.203, P = .029). Test Anxiety had an inverse relationship to anatomy grades, meaning lower test anxiety scores correlated with higher anatomy grades. The combination of Self-Efficacy, Test Anxiety, and Critical Thinking subscales resulted in a significant prediction of anatomy grades (R2 = 0.603, F = 6.659, P = .014). This study found moderate correlations between MSLQ Motivation subscales and final grades in DPT anatomy classes. Self-Efficacy and Test Anxiety subscales had the strongest correlations and were significantly predictive of anatomy grades. Faculty may benefit from using inventories like the MSLQ for first-year physical therapist students to identify motivational characteristics associated with success and to remediate students' learning strategies to prevent academic failure.

중학생의 시험 불안이 영어 학업 성취에 미치는 영향

Objectives This study aims to identify the relationship between learners' test anxiety and the Dunning-Kruger effect while seeking metacognition, a research trend that has recently received increased attention. The purpose of the study is to confirm whether test anxiety and the illusion of competency that middle school students gain during written English language exams are real, and to analyze and demonstrate how these variables affect academic performance (midterm/final).
 Methods Test anxiety was measured using the ARTS, a test anxiety scale, among second-grade learners at a coeducational middle school. To verify the Dunning-Kruger effect, a survey was conducted one week before the midterm and final exams to collect expected scores in English subjects. The difference score, the gap between expected and actual scores, was used to confirm metacognitive abilities and the illusion of competence.
 Results It was confirmed that test anxiety has a significant negative effect on academic achievement, and a negative correlation between expected scores and actual scores was also confirmed. The Dunning-Kruger Effect, in which the ‘high’ group underestimated and the ‘low’ group overestimated, was observed in the same way as in previous studies. It was observed that the illusion of competency in the final exam was reduced through the simple procedure and experience of checking their scores on the midterm exam, and it was discovered that metacognition can be learned and improved.
 Conclusions It was confirmed that test anxiety exists among middle school English learners. In the divided quartile groups, the ‘high’ group has low test anxiety but underestimates their abilities, while the ‘low’ and ‘low middle’ groups have high anxiety but are overconfident about their abilities. We propose follow-up research to identify trends that occur regardless of subject or grade, as well as research on educational measures that can relieve test anxiety while remaining humble and accurately assessing one's own status.

Perfectionism, test anxiety, and neuroticism determines high academic performance: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAcademic performance is an important issue for Korean students. Various psychological factors contribute to academic performance. We aimed to evaluate the psychological factors that affect academic performance integratively.MethodsA total of 102 academic high achievers and 120 comparison participants were recruited. We evaluated psychological factors (test anxiety, perfectionism, personality traits, resilience, and self-efficacy) and measured academic performance using the College Scholastic Ability Test and the current college grade. We compared psychological factors and academic performance between the academic high achiever and comparison groups. Multiple linear regression was then conducted to identify the significant psychological factors for high academic performance. Further, we used cluster analysis to classify the comparison group by the significant psychological factors and compared them among clusters and academic high achievers to determine the psychological characteristics of academic high achievers.ResultsThe academic high achiever group showed lower test anxiety (p = .002), less neuroticism (p = .001), higher self-efficacy (p = .028), and less socially prescribed perfectionism (p < .001) than the comparison group. Multiple linear regression results (p = .020) clarified that neuroticism (p = .020), test anxiety level (p = .047), and perfectionism (p = .035) were important factors predicting better academic performance. Academic high achievers had moderate test anxiety and perfectionism levels, with the best performance on the College Scholastic Ability Test.ConclusionsNeuroticism, test anxiety levels, and perfectionism are important psychological factors for high academic performance. Interventions targeting these factors may help to improve academic accomplishments.

Effects of greenness in university campuses on test anxiety among Chinese university students during COVID-19 lockdowns: a correlational and mediation analysis

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlations of greenness exposure with test anxiety among university students during COVID-19 lockdowns and to explore their mechanisms. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 2609 university students in Anhui and Shandong provinces, China. We assessed perceived campus greenness using a five-point Likert scale for quality, visibility, abundance, usage, and accessibility. Objective greenness was estimated via average normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) in 1,000-, 1,500-, and 2,000-m radius zones around each of the campuses. A generalised linear mixed model examined the associations between greenness and test anxiety and to evaluate the mediation effects of physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and air pollution. Results showed that higher NDVI1500-m correlated with lower test anxiety (OR = 0.871; 95% CI: 0.851, 0.891), physical activity may partially mediate this association. Increased campus greenness may alleviate test anxiety among Chinese university students.

Relationship Between Test Anxiety and Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Mathematics

The study looked into i) the relationship that exists between test anxiety and secondary school students’ academic performance in Mathematics. ii) Whether there is difference between the academic performances of students with high and low test anxiety levels in mathematics. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. A correlation survey design was adopted. The study population consisted of 42,299 senior secondary two (SS2) students offering mathematics 2021/2022 in Delta State, Nigeria and 1,650 of those students were selected using a multistage sampling procedure. Mathematics Test Anxiety Questionnaire (MTAQ), which was validated by three experts, was used as the instrument for data collection which had Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.69. The students’ achievement scores in Mathematics in SS1 for 2021/2022 session represent their performance scores in the subject. Pearson product moment correlation was used to analyze the collected data. The study’s findings revealed there was a negative correlation and also majority of the students experienced high test anxiety. There was no significant connection between test anxiety and students’ academic performance in mathematics. Also, there was a significant difference between students with high and low anxiety, and their academic performance in mathematics. In light of the findings, it was recommended among other things, that mathematics teachers, school guidance counsellors should make a concerted effort to reduce the test anxiety of their students through proper teaching and conditioning and modeling the behavior of the students for better mathematics performance.

The Relationship between Dispositional Mindfulness and Relative Accuracy of Judgments of Learning: The Moderating Role of Test Anxiety.

Research has demonstrated that metacognition accuracy is far from perfect. The accuracy of judgments of learning (JOLs) is of critical importance in self-regulated learning. To explore what factors constrain JOL accuracy, the current study focused on mindfulness, which is intimately related to metacognition and anxiety. A total of 203 undergraduates (198 valid samples) were recruited to determine the relationships among five dimensions of dispositional mindfulness, test anxiety, and relative accuracy of JOLs. Results revealed that the interaction term for acting with awareness and test anxiety significantly predicted JOL accuracy. Further analyses indicated that for individuals with high test anxiety, but not for those with low test anxiety, acting with awareness positively predicted JOL accuracy. Considering that dispositional mindfulness is modifiable, these results help to inspire researchers to further explore whether mindfulness training can be used as a remedy to improve JOL accuracy.

Locus of Control, Achievement Motivation and Academic Self Efficacy as Determinants of Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance in Ondo State, Nigeria

This study examined locus of control, achievement motivation and academic self-efficiency as determinants of secondary school students’ academic performance in Ondo State. The study adopted ex-post facto and descriptive research of survey type designs. The population of the study comprises all secondary school students in three Senatorial Districts of Ondo State. Multi-state sampling procedure was used to select 900 sample respondents for the study. Instrument used for data collection were Questionnaire on Locus of Control, Achievement Motivation, Self-Efficacy and Students Academic Performance Questionnaire (LCAMSESPQ) and Academic Performance Proforma. The validity of the instruments was done by expert in Tests and Measurement. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined through test re-test method. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that there was significant relationship among locus of control, achievement motivation, academic self-efficacy and academic performance of secondary school students (R= 0.456, P&lt; 0.05). Locus of control, achievement motivation and academic self-efficacy jointly accounted for 20.8% of the total variables in academic performance (R2 = 0.208, F (3,899) = 78.226, p&lt;0.05). Locus of control which was the best predictor of academic performance accounted for 55.6% (β= 0.556, p&lt;0.05) of academic performance and closely followed by achievement motivation with (β= 0.463, p&lt;0.05), Academic Self-efficacy was the least predictor, with β= 0.233, p&lt;0.05. Based on the findings, it was concluded that Locus of Control, Achievement Motivation and Academic Self-Efficacy are influential to students’ academic performance. It was recommended among others that teachers should endeavour to create adequate time to develop strong internal locus of control in students by encouraging good study habits, lower academic procrastination, low test anxiety both at home and in school in order to boost their locus of control and consequently enhance their academic performance.

Does practice make perfect? The effect of online formative assessments on students’ self-efficacy and test anxiety

In a financial accounting course, it is important that students review the learning material multiple times throughout the semester. Nonetheless, procrastination behaviour is adopted by many accounting students. Procrastination behaviour, induced by low self-efficacy, is harmful as it leads to higher test anxiety. Hence, interventions are suggested to favourably influence procrastination. Based on Astin's (1984) theoretical Input–Environment–Output model, this study investigates the potential of voluntary online exercises — online formative assessments (OFAs) — to increase self-efficacy and decrease test anxiety. The setting involves a quasi-experiment in a financial accounting course. Quantitative OFA log data are used (N = 762), as well as survey data, measuring self-efficacy and test anxiety at the beginning and the end of the semester. Qualitative focus group data verifies if the quantitative results are in line with students' OFA perceptions. Findings show that (1) during the semester, students' self-efficacy decreases and test anxiety increases, (2) students using OFA experience an increase in self-efficacy, and (3) those students also tend to experience lower test anxiety. Students confirm these favourable effects based on their experiences with the OFAs. This paper contributes to accounting education by demonstrating how OFAs support accounting students to increase self-efficacy and decrease test anxiety.

Test Anxiety and Academic Achievement among Non-English Major Students at a University in Hanoi

The present quantitative study examines the levels of test anxiety among 75 non-English major students of different disciplines at Thang Long University, Hanoi, Vietnam. The study adapted a survey on test anxiety developed by Dennis H, Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services (2011), University of Central Florida. The findings reveal the level of anxiety was medium M=1.77 (SD = 0.81, SEM = 0.09, Min = 1.00, Max = 3.00, Skewness = 0.43, Kurtosis = -1.34). Regarding levels of test anxiety by gender, the result of the two-tailed independent samples t-test was significant based on an alpha value of .05, t(73) = -3.11, p = .003. There was a significant difference between male and female students in the levels of test anxiety; M=1.5 for male and M=2.05 for female (Min=1.00, Max=3.00). With regard to the relationship between levels of test anxiety and academic achievement, the ANOVA was examined based on an alpha value of .05. The results of the ANOVA were significant, F(2, 72) = 17.72, p &lt; .001, indicating there were significant differences in academic achievement among the levels of test anxiety. The mean of academic achievement for low test anxiety (M = 6.67, SD = 0.93) was significantly larger than for medium test anxiety (M = 5.75, SD = 1.51), p = .008. For the main effect of levels of test anxiety, the mean of Academic achievement for low test anxiety (M = 6.67, SD = 0.93) was significantly larger than for high test anxiety (M = 4.81, SD = 0.72), p &lt; .001. For the main effect of levels of test anxiety, the mean of academic achievement for medium test anxiety (M = 5.75, SD = 1.51) was significantly larger than for high test anxiety (M = 4.81, SD = 0.72), p = .022.

Using latent profile analysis to uncover the combined role of anxiety sensitivity and test anxiety in students' state anxiety.

Studies report a growing tendency for students to experience state anxiety in schools. However, the combination of individual susceptibilities likely to trigger students' anxious states remains unclear. This study examined whether distinct profiles of students emerge regarding their susceptibility to anxiety sensitivity and/or test anxiety and evaluated whether students' profile predicted anxious states. We also verified whether susceptibility profiles varied across gender, school level, and school type. In total, 1,404 Canadian students in Grades 5 and 10 (589 boys; M age = 15.2, SD = 2.1) from 13 public and private schools completed self-reported measures of state/trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and test anxiety. Latent profile analyses identified four susceptibility profiles: (1) Double-susceptibility: highest anxiety sensitivity and test anxiety scores; (2) Unique-susceptibility to test anxiety: high test anxiety score and low anxiety sensitivity score; (3) Unique-susceptibility to anxiety sensitivity: high anxiety sensitivity score and low test anxiety score; and (4) No-susceptibility: lowest anxiety sensitivity and test anxiety scores. The profiles comprised 12, 9, 6, and 73% of the sample, respectively, and their membership varied across gender and school type, but not across school levels. A linear mixed-effect model showed that state anxiety varied significantly between profiles, where the Double-susceptibility profile predicted the highest state anxiety scores, followed by the two Unique-susceptibility profiles (indifferently), and the No-susceptibility profile. Beyond their theoretical contribution to the state-trait anxiety literature, these findings suggest that selective interventions designed more specifically for students with the Double-susceptibility profile may be worthwhile. Results also highlight the high proportion of students with the No-susceptibility profile and shed light on the reassuring portrait regarding students' anxiety.

The Psychology of Comedy

The Psychology of Comedy

Altered local gyrification index and corresponding resting-state functional connectivity in individuals with high test anxiety

Previous studies have reported that test anxiety is closely related to unreasonable cognitive patterns and maladaptive emotional responses. However, its underlying brain structural and functional basis has not been thoroughly studied. This study aimed to evaluate the potential difference in local gyration index (LGI) and corresponding resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in individuals with high test anxiety (HTA) compared with low test anxiety (LTA). Twenty-six individuals with HTA and 28 individuals with LTA underwent T1-weighted structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. Using FreeSurfer software, we contrasted the LGI between the HTA and LTA groups using a surface-based general linear model to map group contrasts on a vertex-by-vertex basis. By selecting the cortical regions with significant differences in the LGI analysis as the regions of interest, the seed-based RSFC analysis was further carried out using the Resting-State fMRI Data Analysis Toolkit to examine the differences in the functional connectivity of these cortical regions with the whole brain between the two groups. The results showed that the LGI in several cortical regions of the executive control network (ECN) and the right lateral occipital gyrus was lower in the HTA group than in the LTA group. Furthermore, compared with the LTA group, the HTA group exhibited abnormal RSFC within the ECN, between the ECN and the visual network, and between the ECN and the sensorimotor network. Our findings might provide preliminary evidence for brain morphology and functional alterations in individuals with HTA and contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of TA.

The dysregulation of top-down control in individuals with high test anxiety: A resting state fMRI study

BackgroundIndividuals with high test anxiety (HTA) have deficits in attentional control and in stress responses when faced with tests. However, little is known about the underlying neural mechanism. Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in both attention and emotion networks, therefore this study examined the neural functional dysregulation in test anxiety from the perspective of functional connectivity (FC) using bilateral ACC as the regions of interest. MethodsFifty-one participants were divided into HTA (n = 23) and low test anxiety (LTA, n = 28) group according to their Test Anxiety Scale (TAS) scores. Brain imaging data in resting, preparing, and recovering phases of a modified social evaluative threat task were collected, and emotional changes were assessed. ResultsCompared with the LTA group, the HTA group exhibited significantly lower FCs between the ACC and superior frontal gyrus (SFG) in all 3 phases, significantly lower FCs between the ACC and inferior parietal gyrus (IPG), and significantly higher FCs between the ACC superior temporal gyrus (STG) in the preparing phase. Moreover, in the HTA group, the resting state IPG-ACC FC was associated with their TAS score, the preparing state STG-ACC FC was associated with the increased anxiety. Conclusions: Individuals with HTA have general prefrontal control deficits. When facing a test, they tend to recruit more resources to deal with high emotional interference. The dysregulated control of the ACC by the frontal-parietal network may underlie the pathophysiology of test anxiety.

Keep Calm and Be Humble: Can Intellectual Humility Predict Test Anxiety?

Test anxiety is common and may lead to a range of negative outcomes, including poor exam performance. Therefore, it is important to explore psychological predictors of test anxiety. In this paper, we examined whether intellectual humility can predict test anxiety. In Study 1, college students (N = 181) completed an intellectual humility measure with four subscales and two different measures of test anxiety. In Study 2 (N = 196), a community sample recruited from an online workforce completed the same measures. In both studies, we found that intellectual humility was negatively related to test anxiety, such that higher intellectual humility predicted lower test anxiety. Specifically, Study 1 demonstrated a negative correlation between intellectual humility and the Sarason Test Anxiety Scale; Study 2 confirmed this negative relationship with both the Sarason and Westside test anxiety scales. We also found that this relationship was largely driven by the intellectual humility subscale of Independence of Intellect and Ego. Additionally, these results were present even when controlling for key demographic factors. These findings highlight intellectual humility's role in predicting exam anxiety and offer a potential avenue for intellectual humility to be leveraged into interventions to decrease exam anxiety in the future.

Test Anxiety and Related Factors among Health Professions Students: A Saudi Arabian Perspective.

The study aimed to evaluate test anxiety and its relationship with demographic factors among undergraduate medical, dental, and pharmacy students in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The health professions students from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia participated in this cross-sectional study. Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) by Spielberger was used to evaluate test anxiety and the score on the scale ranges from 20 to 80. Of the total 1098 participants, 878 returned completed questionnaires and the response rate of the study was 79.9%. In response to the items of TAI, 33% of participants reported that they almost always “wished examinations did not bother so much”. The mean TAI score of the sample was 43.17 (SD = 10.58). There were statistically significant differences in the mean scores of TAI among dental (44.15 ± 0.48), medical (41.64 ± 1.31), and pharmacy (43.44 ± 9.29) students (p = 0.003). The students with high grade point average (GPA) (mean TAI = 41.91 ± 10.43) demonstrated significantly lower test anxiety than those with low GPA (mean TAI = 44.05 ± 10.67) (p = 0.006). Academic grade in the previous year (GPA) remained a statistically significant factor associated with test anxiety (B = −2.83, p = 0.003) in multivariate analysis. This study showed that test anxiety was common among health professions students, and dental students and students with low GPA demonstrated high test anxiety. Students with high test anxiety should be the target of preventive strategies.

Why Did Students Report Lower Test Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

ABSTRACTTest anxiety is a common experience shared by college students and is typically investigated in the context of traditional, face-to-face courses. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of universities, and many students had to rapidly shift to and balance the challenges of online learning. We investigated how the shift to online learning during the pandemic impacted trait (habitual) and state (momentary) test anxiety and whether there was variation across different demographic groups already vulnerable to performance gaps in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Quantitative analyses revealed that trait and state test anxiety were lower in Spring 2020 (COVID semester) than in Spring 2019 and were higher overall in women than men. We did not find a difference in either trait or state anxiety in first-generation students or among persons excluded because of ethnicity or race. Qualitative analyses revealed that student priorities shifted away from coursework during Spring 2020. While students initially perceived the shift to online learning as beneficial, 1 month after the shift, students reported more difficulties studying and completing their coursework. Taken together, these results are the first to compare reports of test anxiety during a traditional, undisrupted semester to the semester where COVID-19 forced a sudden transition online.