Exam anxiety in children is accompanied by classic symptoms such as palpitations, nervous excitement, headaches or stomach aches, nausea and sleep disturbances. These symptoms can build up slowly days before and then become increasingly severe.
They are particularly bad on the day of the exam and shortly before and at the beginning of the anxiety-ridden situation: children with exam anxiety complain of an emptiness in their heads. They describe it as a “black hole” that sucks up everything. As a result, a blockage in thinking occurs, which leads to the inability to recall even what has been well learned.
There are behaviors by which parents and teachers can recognize existing test anxiety: One child suddenly refuses to perform completely, another crams obsessively to avoid failing. Aggression can also be an indication of test anxiety in children.
See also Reduce exam anxiety in children.