Test Anxiety 

It has been shown that ‘test anxiety’ interferes with our working memory, which in turn leads to poorer exam performance.  Studies show that students having a higher test anxiety tend to perform worse on exams.  

The anxiety makes it harder to focus and process information.  And it doesn’t just impair exam performance, it makes it harder to ACQUIRE knowledge as well. 

From:  

The British Psychological Society (Nov. 2022)  

Moran, T. P. (2016). Anxiety and working memory capacity: A meta-analysis and narrative review. Psychological bulletin, 142(8), 831.