Achievement Anxiety Test

1. Nervousness while taking an exam or test hinders me from doing well.
Always‚ Often‚ Sometimes‚ Rarely‚ Never
2. I work most effectively under pressure‚ as when the task is very important.
Always‚ Usually‚ Sometimes‚ Hardly ever‚ Never
3. In a course where I have been doing poorly‚ my fear of a bad grade cuts down my efficiency.
Never‚ Hardly ever‚ Sometimes‚ Usually‚ Always
4. When I am poorly prepared for an exam or test‚ I get upset‚ and do less well than even my restricted knowledge should allow.
This never happens to me‚ This hardly ever happens to me‚ This sometimes happens to me‚ This often happens to me‚ This practically always happens to me
5. The more important the examination‚ the less well I seem to do.
Always‚ Usually‚ Sometimes‚ Hardly ever‚ Never
6. While I may (or may not) be nervous before taking an exam‚ once I start‚ I seem to forget to be nervous.
I always forget‚ Usually‚ Sometimes‚ I often feel some nervousness‚ I am always nervous during an exam
7. During exams or tests‚ I block on questions to which I know the answers‚ even though I might remember them as soon as the exam is over.
This always happens to me.‚ This often happens to me.‚ This sometimes happens to me.‚ This hardly ever happens to me.‚ I never block on questions to which I know the answers.
8. Nervousness while taking a test helps me do better.
It never helps.‚ It usually doesn’t help.‚ Now and then it helps.‚ It generally helps me a little.‚ It often helps.
9. When I start a test‚ nothing is able to distract me.
This is always true of me.‚ This is often true of me.‚ This is sometimes true of me.‚ This is hardly ever true of me.‚ This is never true of me.
10. In courses in which the total grade is based mainly on “one” exam‚ I seem to do better than other people.
Never‚ Hardly ever‚ Sometimes‚ Usually‚ Always
11. I find that my mind goes blank at the beginning of an exam‚ and it takes me a few minutes before I can function.
I almost always blank out at first.‚ I usually blank out at first.‚ I sometimes blank out at first.‚ I hardly ever blank out first.‚ I never blank out first.
12. I look forward to exams.
Never‚ Hardly ever‚ Sometimes‚ Usually‚ Always
13. I am so tired from worrying about an exam‚ that I find I almost don’t care how well I do by the time I start the test.
I never feel this way.‚ I hardly ever feel this way.‚ I sometimes feel this way.‚ I often feel this way.‚ I almost always feel this way.
14. Time pressure on an exam causes me to do worse than the rest of the group under similar conditions.
Time pressure always seems to make me do worse on an exam than others‚ Time pressure often seems to make me do worse on an exam than others.‚ Time pressure sometimes seems to make me do worse on an exam than others‚ Time pressure hardly ever seems to make me do worse on an exam than others.‚ Time pressure never seems to make me do worse on an exam than others.
15. Although “cramming” under pre examination tension is not effective for most people‚ I find that if the need arises‚ I can learn material immediately before an exam‚ even under considerable pressure‚ and successfully retain it to use on the exam.
I am always able to use the “crammed” material successfully.‚ I am usually able to use the “crammed” material successfully.‚ I sometimes can use the “crammed” material successfully.‚ I hardly ever use the “crammed” material successfully‚ I am never able to use the “crammed” material successfully.
16. I enjoy taking a difficult exam more than an easy one.
Always‚ Often‚ Sometimes‚ Rarely‚ Never
17. I find myself reading exam questions without understanding them‚ and I must go back over them so that they will make sense.
Never‚ Hardly ever‚ Sometimes‚ Usually‚ Always
18. The more important the exam or test‚ the better I seem to do.
This is true of me.‚ This is true of me much of the time.‚ This is sometimes true of me.‚ This is rarely true of me.‚ This is not true of me.
19. When I don’t do well on difficult items at the beginning of an exam‚ it tends to upset me so that I block on even easy questions later on.
This never happens to me‚ This very rarely happens to me.‚ This sometimes happens to me.‚ This frequently happens to me.‚ This almost always happens to me.
Facilitating Anxiety Score: Range 9-45;
Items 2‚ 6‚ 9‚ 15‚ 16‚ and 18
Score a = 5‚ b = 4‚ c = 3‚ d = 2‚ e = 1
Items 8‚ 10‚ and 12
Score a = 1‚ b = 2‚ c = 3‚ d = 4‚ e = 5
Debilitating Anxiety Score: Range 10-50
Items 1‚ 5‚ 7‚ 11‚ and 14
Score a = 5‚ b = 4‚ c = 3‚ d = 2‚ e = 1
Items 3‚ 4‚ 13‚ 17‚ and 19
Score a = 1‚ b = 2‚ c = 3‚ d = 4‚ e = 5
 
1= Almost never‚ 2=Rarely‚ 3=Occasionally‚ 3=Often‚ Almost always
1.    Nervousness while taking an exam or test hinders me from doing well.
2.    I work most effectively under pressure‚ as when the task is very important.
3.    In a course where I have been doing poorly my fear of a bad grade cuts down on my efficiency.
4.    I have a good appetite.
5.    When I am poorly prepared for an exam or test‚ I get upset‚ and do less well than even my restricted knowledge should allow.
6.    The more important the examination the less well I do.
7.    I spend more than ten minutes a day reading the newspaper.
8.    I think about what I will be doing ten years from now.
9.    While I may (or may not) be nervous before taking an exam‚ once I start I seem to forget to be nervous.
10.During exams or tests‚ I block on questions to which I know the answers‚ even though I might remember them as soon as the exam is over.
11.Nervousness while taking a test helps me to do better
12.When I start a test‚ nothing is able to distract me.
13.I spend an hour a day talking with my friends about topics other than those covered in my classes.
14.In courses in which the total grade is based on one exam‚ I seem to do better than other people.
15.I find that my mind goes blank at the beginning of the exam‚ and it takes me a few minutes before I can function.
16.I look forward to exams.
17.I am so tired from worrying about an exam‚ that I find I almost don’t care how well I do by the time I start the test.
18.Time pressure on an exam causes me to do worse than the rest of the group under similar conditions.
19.Although “cramming” under pre-examination tension is not effective for most people‚ I find that if the need arises I can learn material immediately before an exam‚ even under considerable pressure‚ and successfully retain it to use on the exam.
20.I enjoy playing practical jokes.
21.I enjoy taking a difficult exam more than an easy one.
22.I tell the instructors in my classes my feelings about how they conduct their classes.
23.I find myself reading exam questions without understanding them‚ and I must go back over them so that they will make sense.
24.The more important the exam or test‚ the better I seem to do.
25.I find myself wishing that I could get a decently paying job instead of being a student.
26.When I don’t do well on a difficult item at the beginning of an exam‚ it tends to upset me so that I block on even easy questions later on.
 
 
Facilitating‚ debilitating scale
 
 

Alpert‚ R.‚ and Haber‚ R.N. (1960). Anxiety in academic achievement situations. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 61 (2)‚ 207-215.

Alpert‚ R.; Haber‚ R. N. IN: Fischer‚ J.; Corcoran‚ K. J. (2007). Measures for clinical practice and research: A sourcebook. (Instruments for Adults). (4th ed.). NY. Oxford University Pr. Vol. 2‚ Page (s): 18-21.

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