Exam anxiety has long been a concern for students, parents, and educators, stemming from the socio-cultural pressure that views exam success as a life-defining goal. Historically, academic achievement was the central focus of practices and policy making at various levels. It's only recently that student well-being has gained attention internationally on a policy level, particularly after the introduction of the PISA 2018 Well-being Framework. This framework defined indicators of student well-being such as life at school, relationships with peers, and general life satisfaction, contributing to a more holistic perception of student life.

Additionally, countries like India, China, South Korea, England, and Canada, have experienced incidents such as burnout during higher education admissions exams and, tragically, a high number of student suicides. In fact, in India alone, an average of 35 students per day faced such severe university admission exam-related anxiety in 2021 that it led to tragic outcomes. Governments have taken more serious steps to address public concerns about what some researchers say has become almost an international epidemic, promoting student well-being as a way forward. Furthermore, cases such as the University of Bristol incident, where a 20-year-old physics student with chronic social anxiety disorder tragically took her own life on the day she was to present in a large lecture theatre, remind us of the particular importance of having proper procedures in place for assessing students with special needs.

Consequently, I have decided to write about student well-being in the context of high-stakes assessments in the midst of exam season, exploring how technology applications could help reduce anxiety, promote accessibility, and facilitate a smoother transition, ultimately transforming stress into student success. Additionally, National Disability Independence Day on July 26th, which commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990, aligns well with the theme of accessibility that impacts on student well-being in learning and assessment.

This article focuses on the role of technology and support strategies in reducing factors that contribute to student anxiety and supporting accessibility and well-being during the exam season.

The Pre-Exam Buildup

This section explores various strategies in exam design and planning aimed at reducing student anxiety, from incorporating principles of Universal Test Design (UTD) to carefully scheduling exams for consideration of accommodations.

Exam Design and Preparation

From the student's perspective, exam preparation marks the initial stage where anxiety can begin to build prior to the actual exam. Starting from the preparatory phase and continuing through to the exam itself, students may feel overwhelmed and struggle to maintain focus for extended periods. To ensure accessibility and minimize distractions, exam regulators provide candidates with practice tests, either new versions or retired exams, to become familiar with both the item types and the technology platform, reducing pre-exam anxiety. To support these objectives, assessment developers strive to create items that welcome students to demonstrate their potential, incorporating principles of the UTD in the context of digitally enhanced assessments. According to the Operational Best Practices (2013) provided by the Council of Chief State School Officers & Association of Test Publishers, UTD is defined as “a set of construction principles that seeks to maximize the accessibility of an assessment for all students by developing items and content without distractions or irrelevancies” (p. 216).

Another way assessment developers can cut down on student anxiety during tests is to consider the order of the questions within an assessment. For example, if the most difficult questions in the assessment are placed at the beginning, a student might experience heightened levels of anxiety early on in the writing process, which could impact their ability to perform on subsequent questions. This has negative impacts on student well-being as well as on the accuracy of the assessment’s measurement of the student’s knowledge. As such, assessment developers may choose to place the easier questions of the assessment at the beginning to mitigate this. 

In computerized testing, adaptive test design is another related tool which can be utilized by assessment developers to adjust the difficulty of questions on the fly based on how the test taker is doing. If a student is struggling, an adaptive assessment can give the student easier questions, but if a student is performing well, the questions can become tougher. By collecting information on items that indicate whether students struggle or feel comfortable, test developers can identify the characteristics that make an item difficult or easy and manage adaptive testing programs. This approach taken by test developers can help students feel more at ease and provides a clearer picture of the students’ abilities.

In summary, while difficult questions may overwhelm low-performing students by highlighting their knowledge gaps, adaptive testing can mitigate this by avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach, thereby improving formative assessments and supporting student learning, which not only reduces students’ anxiety levels but also increases assessment accuracy.

Exam Planning

​​Another important aspect of pre-exam planning that can alleviate student anxiety is the thoughtful scheduling of exam dates and times, taking into account weather conditions and public transportation access to venues. For instance, if extreme heat or strong winds are forecasted, adjustments such as modifying the room temperature or considering a change in exam dates might be necessary. The location of the testing venue should be easily accessible, ideally with a waiting area for parents or guardians and available parking. Additionally, regulators or assessment bodies must ensure that exam schedules do not coincide with other significant events, culturally sensitive observances, or public holidays that might affect students. 

On the other hand, for online or digital exams, we need to make sure that all students have access to reliable internet and appropriate devices, select a secure and user-friendly assessment platform capable of handling a large volume of students, and consider time zone differences to maintain fairness. Systemic technical support should be readily available to resolve issues promptly, and digital accessibility must be prioritized to accommodate students with disabilities through adaptive technologies or alternative formats.

During Registration and Test Administration

Right after the practice test experience, students may feel overwhelmed by the registration, check-in, and test administration processes, which are explained in more detail below.

Registration

Like in other stages, clear communication is quite important at the start of the actual exam journey, to make sure we are being heard. The registration process, serving as the gateway to the ship that is setting sail, requires a detailed step-by-step manual and student-oriented FAQ to eliminate any confusion about what to expect next until registration is fully completed. Once registration is complete, it is necessary to send notifications with instructions for the next steps, which would ensure that students are fully informed about how to prepare for the logistics of the exam and what to expect during it.

Check-in Process

From the moment students enter the tunnel with a light at the end, they may be influenced at every step throughout their assessment journey to demonstrate their full potential. Let's begin with the check-in process. Here, we face the dual challenge of being considerate of student well-being while guarding against malpractice through digital devices that may be brought in. This is similar to airport check-ins, which are serious and sometimes unpleasant, but necessary for passenger safety and, in our case, objectivity of the exam. So, a welcoming smile in the waiting area is a great way to start, followed by checking the student’s ID against the roster details at the registration desk to complete the check-in process. Then, the student can be kindly guided to the testing room. Similarly, in a digital testing environment, the interface should include content and visuals that positively guide students and clearly indicate what comes next, ensuring they feel supported throughout the process.

Test Administration

From a technology standpoint, 'zero interruption' is a standard set by established technology providers to ensure that students are not overwhelmed by unexpected issues, such as spikes in internet connectivity in test administration. For instance, should an internet disruption occur, the student assessment process should continue uninterrupted through the use of offline capabilities, including preloaded content and other solutions. No technology disruption should be felt by students, even though some unexpected circumstances may happen.

In practice, if there is any suspicion during the monitoring of students, an alert system should guide the appropriate response to prevent the situation from escalating to the potential dismissal of a student suspected of malpractice. Additionally, as time is often of the essence during an exam, actionable communication plans should be organized in advance of the administration to ensure that any requests or issues that arise during the administration can be reported and resolved promptly.

With the recent transition of the SAT to a digital format, a 'bring your own device' policy has been implemented. One technical challenge is the use of various operating systems and web browsers that may not have been accounted for in the design of the testing application. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the application is adaptable to different operating systems and web browsers.

Post Assessment Process

This section below focuses on the critical roles of student feedback, accurate and timely score reporting, and the management of expectations to improve the educational experience and support student well-being.

Student Feedback 

At the end of the exam, offering students the opportunity to reflect on their immediate experience of taking the assessment in the form of a feedback survey demonstrates the test delivery body's openness. This transparency allows students to release any emotions accumulated during the assessment journey and contributes to the public quality assurance process. Subsequently, student score reporting is the next step, where feedback included in the score report has potential to promote a positive association with their performance and progress. 

Score Reporting

The timing of score report releases is critical, as the wait after exams can increase student anxiety and appear as wasted time. Additionally, it's important to minimize scoring errors to reduce the number of student appeals, which add to anxiety and prolong waiting times. The strategic use of resources, including AI-enabled solutions, can help prevent scoring subjectivity and bias, resulting in fewer mistakes and, consequently, fewer appeals and shorter wait times for students. Earlier access to results would allow students to more quickly decide whether to retake the exam or explore other academic options.

Managing Expectations 

Given the incidents of burnout occurring at the release of scores and the realization of university admission chances, this period of pre and post student reporting is the most pressing time to engage in public campaigns and student counseling, to in some cases counterbalance the deep-rooted expectations of parents and societal structures established long beforehand. However, these efforts could only aim to manage public perception and prevent any escalation of issues following the release of score reports. To shift the deeply rooted socio-cultural belief that exam results are the only measure of success, long-term planning of stakeholder engagement programs must be implemented to gradually reduce such tendencies each year.

Special Needs Considerations

Pre-Exam Buildup. Students with special needs should be able to access tailored preparations, including personalized practice tests and modified exam materials, to reduce pre-exam anxiety and promote a culture of equitable access.

Exam Design and Preparation. Upon request, students with special needs should be granted accommodations in exam design, such as extra time, alternative formats, and the use of assistive technologies provided by assessment developers, to ensure they feel fully supported.

Exam Planning. Provisions for special needs accommodations must be integral in planning both in-person and online exams, making sure that all venues and digital platforms are fully accessible.

Registration and Test Administration. The registration process should facilitate clear options for students to request necessary accommodations, making sure all students start their exam experience with the support they need.

Test Administration. Physical and digital testing environments must be structured to support students with special needs, with staff trained to assist effectively.

Post-Assessment Process. Special care should be taken to address the feedback of students with special needs post-exam, using it to continually refine and improve accessibility and inclusivity in assessment processes.

Taking a Holistic Approach: Student Wellness Resources

In conclusion, the distressing cases of burnout and suicide in India and the UK underscore the urgent need for a holistic, student-centered approach that integrates learning and assessment with technology-based wellness support to reduce student stress. At the policy level, a decision should be made to organize exams over an extended period rather than just one day, using technology to facilitate ongoing assessments. This approach, which reduces student anxiety associated with one-time tests, promotes a culture of assessment that prioritizes student well-being and includes a supportive system throughout the assessment period.

Generally, stressful elements should be identified and succeeded with supportive measures such as breathing exercises, reminders to skip difficult questions, success checklists, and practice tests prior to the assessment. Embedding student wellness resources into every phase, including accessing and interacting with content, producing responses, and navigating interfaces before, during, and after assessments, supports a positive student experience in technology-driven assessments. Recognizing the importance of mental health alongside academic achievements marks a progressive shift towards more holistic educational systems that support fair assessments and empower students to succeed in all facets of life.

About the Author

Vali Huseyn is an educational assessment specialist, recognized for his expertise in development projects of various aspects of the assessment cycle. His capability to advise on the improvement of assessment delivery models, administration of different levels of assessments, innovation within data analytics, and creation of quick, secure reporting techniques sets him apart in the field. His work, expanded by collaborations with leading assessment technology firms and certification bodies, has greatly advanced his community's assessment practices. At The State Examination Centre of Azerbaijan, Vali significantly contributed to the transformations of local assessments and led key regional projects, such as unified registration and tracking platform of international testing programs, reviews of CEFR-aligned language assessments, PISA-supported assessment literacy trainings, and the institutional audit project, all aimed at improving the assessment culture across the country and former USSR region.

Discover guided practices in modernizing assessments and gain insights into the future of educational assessments by connecting with Vali on LinkedIn.

---