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What is exam anxiety?

    Test anxiety is when a person experiences a strong divergence between the demands placed on him or her in an actual test situation and the assessment of his or her own abilities and behavioural possibilities. In addition, there is a feeling of powerlessness in relation to dealing with this perceived discrepancy. This is often reflected in a lack of confidence or even excessive behaviour, such as the repeated and completely unnecessary sorting of the utensils on the table. Those affected also find it increasingly difficult to concentrate, which can considerably impair self-structuring and planning the course of the exam. The fact that in most cases they are already anticipating their own failure at this stage and visualising the failure scenario is another significant disruptive factor.