It has happened to everyone: fail relatively simple exam questionsit is not very clear for what reason.
Knowledge that we thought we had well learned rebels against us at the most inopportune moment, questions appear that seem to have been transformed since the last time we wrote down the answer and, in general, we are left with the feeling that at the moment of handing in the sheet with the answers we are less intelligent than a few hours before. All this seems like a product of magic, a kind of invisible force that tries to lead us towards failure. That invisible force is called stress.
Several studies indicate that the high levels of stress when performing cognitively demanding tasks They make us fail more than necessary, counteracting the positive effect that practice and prior study have on our performance. This means that the appearance of stress “spikes” at decisive moments harms us in the most decisive moments, something worrying if we take into account that it is very common to suffer from nerves and anxiety when carrying out tests.
Stress is a cascade reaction of our hormones and nervous system that may be useful in some contexts. Its appearance puts us on alert and increases muscle tension, accelerates the pulse and causes a hormonal chain reaction from the release of cortisol and adrenaline.
All of this is very useful in times when we need to make a quick physical response, such as flight or fight, abilities that have probably been very important in our lineage for hundreds of thousands of years. However, stress is not as useful when the problems to be solved are more related to intelligence, intellectual performance. In fact, it can be counterproductive if given at levels that are too high.
How does stress appear in exams?
It is believed that two processes act on the appearance of stress during exams and other tests.
On the one hand, as the time when the test will take place approaches, behavioral patterns may begin that enhance the appearance of stress, such as procrastination, long studies at the last minute or even repetitive patterns such as nail biting, pulling out strands of hair, etc.
On the other hand, at the time of testing Stress can be exacerbated by a whiting that bites its tail: Thinking about failure produces more discomfort and alertness, which causes attention to focus on the anticipation of a negative result and not on the specific task that must be performed.
To this we must add another aspect: the impact of getting one result or another on an exam. In many universities it is common to take fewer and fewer exams, making getting a good grade in them very important. It could be thought that the presence of a greater incentive (having a final grade guaranteed with a single exam) or a more severe punishment (failing an exam is a hard blow and will be reflected in the overall grades) could serve to motivate students more and therefore improve its performance, but the opposite effect could be achieved.
There are multiple experiments in which it has been seen how a very high reward can induce to such high stress that volunteers’ performance plummets. In one in particular, a series of volunteers were asked to solve a circuit of different tasks related to aiming and intelligence. Different volunteers had the chance to win a larger or smaller reward. The results showed how those people who opted for a higher prize obtained poorer results.
These participants were likely distracted by both the possibility of not earning the reward and the idea of fueling their own stress. As happens to us during the most important tests, the need to pay attention to both the task and our own state and the possible outcome of doing it well or poorly produces a cognitive overload that is difficult to get out of.
In general, it seems that this occurs not only with high rewards, but also under the threat of loss or punishment. The exams show these two sides of the incentive system, having positive and negative consequences, and also have the peculiarity of having nothing to do with situations in which explosive force or flight becomes the only viable solution. The key to all this is find a way to reach the optimal level of stress: enough to be attentive to what is asked of us without the hormonal chain reaction getting out of hand.
Tips to control stress and nerves during exam time
You can learn to manage your nerves by reading this article:
Good luck in your exams and we hope that, after reading these articles, you can learn to manage those nerves and anxiety that were not allowing you to perform at your best. From now on, Let’s go for honors!
