Relationship Between Test Anxiety and Personality Traits Among College Students

Abstract

Test anxiety is a psychological problem, which is commonly prevail among students. Test anxiety can decrease students’ academic performance. The current study was aimed to explore the relationship of test anxiety and personality traits among college students and their academic performance. As the research was quantitative, the survey design study was employed. The sample of the study consists of 70 female college students and 70 male college students to address the study variables, as of total sample was 140.  Sample carefully chosen through the simple random sampling technique. To measure the test anxiety through anxiety scale of Fried Ben (Friedman et al., 1997) was utilized, which have 23 items and to measure the traits of personality Big five scale was used, which consists of 25 items with features of self-report (Howard et al., 1996).  Data were collected through personal visit the colleges. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Results of the study shows that female students had higher test anxiety than male students, and student’s personality likewise have significant test anxiety. Students' personalities and exam anxiety are favorably associated to negative emotionality and negatively related to openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness variables. According to the conclusions of this study, female students had higher test anxiety than male students, and student’s personality likewise have significant test anxiety. Study recommended that academic institutions must develop personality development program with a focus on reducing test anxiety among college students.