An Exploration of Online Test Anxiety During COVID-19: EFL Learners’ Perspectives

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the perspectives of Saudi EFL learners towards online test anxiety during COVID-19 outbreak, which was caused by the sudden transition from face-to-face testing to online testing.
 Method: This study employed a survey-research design, utilizing a close-ended and open-ended questionnaire to collect data from 77 English major students at the University of Bisha. At the time of data collection, these participants had already taken online exams for at least three semesters during the pandemic.
 Results: The results indicate that students' test anxiety was higher before taking the online test but gradually decreased during and after the test, showing a statistically significant difference with p = 0.022. The study also reveals that students with slow internet connections experienced more anxiety than those with fast internet services (p < 0.001). Additionally, female students exhibited higher levels of anxiety compared to males (p = 0.027).
 Conclusions: The study concludes that the overall average anxiety level before, during, and after test-taking is 2.78, indicating that the participants' online test anxiety level is moderate.