PERCEIVED LEVEL OF EXAMINATION ANXIETY AMONG FIRST-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Abstract

Background: Examination anxiety is a widely reported concern among nursing students, arising from the demanding nature of the nursing curriculum, competitive assessment structures, and clinical performance expectations. Persistent or severe examination anxiety can impair concentration, recall, and overall academic performance, making its early identification essential for effective student support. Objective: To assess the perceived level of examination anxiety among first-year undergraduate (B.Sc.) nursing students and to determine its association with selected demographic variables. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was adopted among 50 first-year B.Sc. Nursing students at a nursing college in Coimbatore, India, selected through simple random (lottery) sampling. Data were collected using a demographic proforma and the Westside Test Anxiety Scale, a validated 10-item, 5-point rating instrument. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage) and the chi-square test were used for data analysis. Results: Of the 50 participants, 34% experienced moderately high anxiety, 28% slight anxiety, 26% high anxiety, 10% no anxiety, and 2% extreme anxiety. No statistically significant association was found between examination anxiety and demographic variables such as age, gender, medium of instruction, prior academic marks, or note-preparation habits (p>0.05), except for parental/teacher support, which showed a significant association (χ²=50.00, p<0.05). Conclusion: A substantial proportion of first-year nursing students experience moderate-to-high examination anxiety. Structured psychosocial support from parents and teachers, alongside institution-led self-study skill-building programmes, may help mitigate examination-related anxiety in this population.