ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine test anxiety in medical students and to assess the measures used by them to reduce it. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2009 at the Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, and involved 388 medical students who were voluntary participants. The 10-item Westside Test Anxiety Scale, was used to measure anxiety and the pre-designed questionnaire asked the students about the frequent measures used by them to overcome anxiety during exams and their past Grade Point Average. All data was coded and analysed using SPSS version 16 with a prior set alpha level of 0.05. RESULTS: Of the 450 students who were initially considered for the study, 388 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Among them, 101 (25.3%) were male students with a mean anxiety level of 2.55 +/- 1.27, and 287 (71.8%) were females with a mean anxiety level of 3.07 +/- 1.43 (p<0.05). Prayers and self-motivation (28.3%), sleep and relaxation (11%), television and music (10%), calling friends (8.5%) and revision (6.7%) were the frequent measures used by the medical students to overcome exam anxiety. Students in their fourth and final years of studies showed a higher level of anxiety compared to those in the 2nd and 3rd years. CONCLUSION: The study indicated high levels of exam anxiety among the medical students, showing that there is a need for anxiety-reduction programmes in medical colleges.