Academic Workload, Academic Pressure, and Study Habits as Predictors of Examination Stress among College Students in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Abstract

This study examined the impact of academic workload, academic pressure, study habits, on examination stress among undergraduate students in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A quantitative, descriptive and causal-comparative research design was employed. Data were collected from 211 students from management, science, and humanities faculties using a structured online questionnaire and stratified random sampling. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were used for data analysis. Results showed moderate levels of academic workload (M = 3.11), academic pressure (M = 3.18), study habits (M = 3.15), and examination stress (M = 3.09). All variables were significantly positively correlated (p < .01), with study habits showing the strongest association with examination stress (r = .787). Regression results indicated that the three predictors explained 67.1% of the variance in examination stress (R² = .671, p < .001). Study habits were the strongest predictor (β = .552, p < .001), followed by academic pressure (β = .199, p = .003) and academic workload (β = .162, p = .002). The findings highlight the importance of effective study habits and targeted academic support in reducing examination stress among Nepalese students.