Study of test anxiety amongst undergraduate medical students from the state of Gujarat

BACKGROUND: Test anxiety is physiological and behavioral response that accompanies concerns about possible negative consequences of failure on an exam. Undergraduate medical students had their academics disrupted during COVID-19 pandemic. This study was done to assess levels of test anxiety among undergraduate medical students, its variance in relation to demography, COVID-19 pandemic, learning experiences, and individual factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Online questionnaire-based survey was done among undergraduate medical students from medical schools of Gujarat. Students from 1(st), 2(nd), and 3(rd) years who were about to appear in final exams from March to June 2021 and were asked to enroll on the survey. Apart from demography, COVID-19-related factors, learning experiences during lockdown, 10-item Westside test anxiety (WTA) scale was used to assess test anxiety levels and Kessler Psychological distress (K10) scale was used to assess level of psychological distress. RESULTS: Total of 370 students participated. Mean WTA Score was 3.15 ± 1; 60.2% of the respondents had moderate or higher levels of test anxiety. On bivariate analysis, WTA score was found significantly associated with year of study, coming from vernacular medium, various lockdown-related issues (poor internet connection, family financial problem, lack of information, worry about future), various learning experiences (self-rated proficiency with computers, feeling ill prepared for exams, feeling ill prepared for practical), and K10 score. Of these associations with K10 score, coming from vernacular medium and feeling ill-prepared for exams were maintained on multiple-linear regression. CONCLUSIONS: Vernacular medium of study during high school was found associated with test anxiety among medical students and can be a potential area of intervention. There may be merit in using WTA scale as a surrogate marker for distress in medical students.