Sample Essay
Sample essay
Topic: Test anxiety causes university students to underperform in their examinations. Discuss.
NOTE: The essay is in the left column. In the right hand column there are short notes indicating the various academic writing skills present in the essay. Essay | Comment | This essay examines the relationship between test anxiety in university students and their performance in examinations. Typically universities use examinations to test part or even all the knowledge of students, particularly in first year courses. As Burns (2004, p. 120) noted examination results can determine if a student passes a course or can progress onto further study, and may even influence employment opportunities. Understandably educators are concerned that examinations are a fair indication of a student’s knowledge. One area of special interest is the role anxiety plays in relation to examination performance.This essay argues that in general, test anxiety lowers performance slightly, although this is not evident in all situations, nor with all types of students. Further, it is argued that the main mechanism for this result appears to be that test anxiety leads to the development of interfering thoughts, which prevent a proper focus on examination tasks. The essay also points out that although many factors impact on examination performance, test anxiety is one of particular interest as it appears to lead directly to unfair results. Test anxiety is normally understood as a form of debilitating anxiety, although how it is measured varies. Early research indicated there were two forms of test anxiety: facilitative and debilitative. Facilitative anxiety is understood as a type of anxiety which students recognise as being helpful. For example, students answer positively to a question such as “Nervousness during a test helps me to do better” (Alpert & Haber, 1960, p. 213). Facilitating anxiety helps students succeed and has been found to be present in students with better
Topic: Test anxiety causes university students to underperform in their examinations. Discuss.
NOTE: The essay is in the left column. In the right hand column there are short notes indicating the various academic writing skills present in the essay. Essay | Comment | This essay examines the relationship between test anxiety in university students and their performance in examinations. Typically universities use examinations to test part or even all the knowledge of students, particularly in first year courses. As Burns (2004, p. 120) noted examination results can determine if a student passes a course or can progress onto further study, and may even influence employment opportunities. Understandably educators are concerned that examinations are a fair indication of a student’s knowledge. One area of special interest is the role anxiety plays in relation to examination performance.This essay argues that in general, test anxiety lowers performance slightly, although this is not evident in all situations, nor with all types of students. Further, it is argued that the main mechanism for this result appears to be that test anxiety leads to the development of interfering thoughts, which prevent a proper focus on examination tasks. The essay also points out that although many factors impact on examination performance, test anxiety is one of particular interest as it appears to lead directly to unfair results. Test anxiety is normally understood as a form of debilitating anxiety, although how it is measured varies. Early research indicated there were two forms of test anxiety: facilitative and debilitative. Facilitative anxiety is understood as a type of anxiety which students recognise as being helpful. For example, students answer positively to a question such as “Nervousness during a test helps me to do better” (Alpert & Haber, 1960, p. 213). Facilitating anxiety helps students succeed and has been found to be present in students with better