PREVALENCE OF TEST ANXIETY AMONG MEDICAL AND DENTAL STUDENTS

Test anxiety is a combination of physiological over-arousal, tension, and somatic symptoms, along with worry, dread, fear of failure, and catastrophizing, that occur before or during test situations. It is a physiological condition in which people experience extreme stress, anxiety, and discomfort during and/or before taking a test. This survey study was conducted among different medical and dental college students of different medical and dental colleges. The personal and demographic data were collected on a predefined proforma. The level of test anxiety was determined by the Westside Test Anxiety Inventory (WTAI). A total of 119 medical and dental students participated in the study. There were 72 males and 40 females in the study. The mean age of the students was 21.32±2.39 years. The prevalence of problematic test anxiety among students was 57% and it was higher in females (72%) than in males (42%). This test anxiety was higher in oral / viva voce tests than the written test.Keywords: Test Anxiety, Medical Students, Dental Student