Assessment of the level of test anxiety in the students of the Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences & its related factors

In the present epoch with scientific competitions, test anxiety is increasing day by day and this anxiety can lead to distraction of mind. Occupation of the mind can result in inadequate information processing and causes the students to be deprived of their major potentialities. The aim of this study was to assess the level of test anxiety and its related factors in the students of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. This was a descriptive-analytic study. The study population included 374 students. Data were collected and recorded in valid and reliable spielberger's test anxiety questionnaire and demographic characteristics of the subjects were recorded in another questionnaire. SPSS statistical software was used for data analysis. 55.9% of the subjects were female, 58.8% were between 18-20 years of age, 92.5% were single, 19.8% were medical students, 50.8% had associate degree and 38.5% were from medical school. Evaluation of test anxiety showed: 48(12.8%) subjects had healthy anxiety level, 272 (72.7%) had relative healthy anxiety level & 54 (14.4%) had morbid anxiety level. There was a significant relationship between educational degree & morbid anxiety level and this anxiety was higher in those with associate degree (p<0.05). No significant relationship was detected between morbid anxiety level and variables such as age, gender and different faculties (p>0.05). There were significant relationships between anxiety level and educational fields in different fields of study, so that laboratory sciences students had a high level of test anxiety (p<0.05). In this study there were students with high anxiety levels. Considering the negative effects of this kind of anxiety on educational performance of the students, psychological counseling and identification of the causes of anxiety and designing plans for elimination of these causes are recommended.