Test Anxiety in Master's Students: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Evaluation events are major problems for graduate students in nursing. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation of test anxiety before and cognitive interferences during a comprehensive examination. The sample (N=54) consisted of two groups of students (Group I, N=SO and Group II, N=24) in a master's program at a state university. Data were collected using three questionnaires: To measure general test anxiety, the Test Anxiety Questionnaire (TAQ) by Sarason was used; the Pre-Examination Questionnaire (PEQ) by Morris, Davis, and Hutchings (1981) was used to measure pretest anxiety; and to identify cognitive interferences during the examination, the Cognitive Interference Questionnaire (CIQ) by Sarason and Stoops (1976) was used. Findings revealed positive correlations between the two groups of students' general test anxiety and their cognitive interferences about evaluative outcome of the examination. Positive correlations were found also between the two groups' general test anxiety and their pretest anxiety immediately prior to writing the examination. No significant relationships were found between the students' performance rankings on the examination and their test anxiety.