and discomfort during and/or before taking a test. This anxiety significant barriers to learning and performance. Research suggests that high levels of emotional distress have a direct correlation to reduced academic performance and higher overall student drop-out rates. Test anxiety can have broader consequences, negatively affecting a student's social, emotional and behavioural development, as well as their feelings about themselves and school.
Highly test-anxious students score about 12 percentile points below their low anxiety peers. Test anxiety is amongst the student populations of the world. It has been studied formally since the early 1950s beginning with researchers George Mandler and Seymour Sarason. Test anxiety can also be labeled as anxiety, situational anxiety or evaluation anxiety. Some anxiety is normal and often helpful to stay mentally and physically alert.
When one experiences too much anxiety, however, it can result in emotional or physical distress, difficulty concentrating, and emotional worry. Inferior performance arises not because of intellectual problems or poor academic preparation, but because testing situations create a sense of threat for those experiencing test anxiety; anxiety resulting from the sense of threat then disrupts attention and memory function. Researchers suggest that between 25 and 40 percent of students experience test anxiety. Students with disabilities and students in gifted educations classes tend to experience high rates of test anxiety. Students who experience test anxiety tend to be easily distracted during a test, experience difficulty with relatively simple instructions, and have trouble organizing or recalling relevant information.
Result:
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Correct answer: combination
Explanation: The word 'combination' fits grammatically as it refers to the merging of various elements (physiological over-arousal, tension, and somatic symptoms) that contribute to test anxiety. It aligns contextually with the sentence, indicating that these factors together create the phenomenon of test anxiety.
Meaning: 'Combination' means the act of joining or merging different elements into a single entity, which in this case refers to the various symptoms that collectively define test anxiety.
Wrong options:
- conclusion: 'Conclusion' refers to a final decision or judgment, which does not fit the context of describing the components of test anxiety.
- manifestation: 'Manifestation' means the display or demonstration of something, but it does not accurately convey the idea of multiple contributing factors coming together.
- aberration: 'Aberration' implies a deviation from the norm, which does not accurately describe the collective nature of the symptoms associated with test anxiety.
Correct answer: creates
Explanation: The verb 'creates' is in the present simple tense, which is appropriate here as it describes an ongoing action that test anxiety performs in relation to barriers to learning and performance. This tense aligns with the context of the sentence, indicating a current and continuous effect.
Meaning: 'Creates' means to bring something into existence or to cause something to happen, in this case, significant barriers to learning.
Wrong options:
- has created: This present perfect tense suggests a completed action, which does not fit the ongoing nature of the barriers being created by test anxiety.
- has been creating: This present perfect continuous tense implies an action that started in the past and continues to the present, which is less direct than simply stating that test anxiety 'creates' barriers.
- had created: This past perfect tense indicates an action completed before another past action, which is not relevant in the context of discussing current barriers.
Correct answer: prevalent
Explanation: The adjective 'prevalent' describes something that is widespread or commonly occurring, which fits grammatically and contextually in the sentence about test anxiety among student populations.
Meaning: 'Prevalent' means existing or occurring widely, indicating that test anxiety is a common issue among students.
Wrong options:
- persistent: 'Persistent' implies something that continues firmly or obstinately, which does not accurately capture the widespread nature of test anxiety.
- persisting: This form suggests an ongoing action but does not fit grammatically as an adjective to describe test anxiety.
- pertaining: 'Pertaining' means relating to something, which does not convey the idea of test anxiety being widespread.
Correct answer: anticipatory
Explanation: The adjective 'anticipatory' describes anxiety that arises in expectation of a future event, which fits grammatically and contextually in the sentence about test anxiety being labeled in various ways.
Meaning: 'Anticipatory' means relating to or characterized by anticipation, indicating that this type of anxiety is linked to upcoming tests.
Wrong options:
- anticipation: This noun form does not fit grammatically as it cannot describe the type of anxiety directly.
- anticipating: This gerund form suggests an action rather than describing the type of anxiety, making it grammatically incorrect in this context.
- anticipated: This past participle form implies something that has been expected, which does not accurately describe the nature of the anxiety itself.
Correct answer: comprehending
Explanation: The gerund 'comprehending' fits grammatically as it serves as the object of the preposition 'with,' indicating the action that students have difficulty with. It aligns contextually with the sentence, which discusses challenges faced by students experiencing test anxiety.
Meaning: 'Comprehending' means understanding or grasping the meaning of something, which is relevant to the context of following instructions.
Wrong options:
- apprehending: 'Apprehending' generally refers to understanding or perceiving, but it is less commonly used in this context and does not fit as well as 'comprehending.'
- commending: 'Commending' means praising or expressing approval, which is unrelated to the context of understanding instructions.
- amplifying: 'Amplifying' means increasing or making something larger, which does not relate to the ability to understand instructions.
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