Abstract

Whether or not test-anxious students leverage the power of testing as potent learning tool is unclear. In a pilot study we investigated the relation of test anxiety to the utilization of testing activities and academic performance in self-regulated learning. We hypothesized that increased cognitive test anxiety would relate to less self-reported use of self-testing in favor of repetition strategies, and thus relate in turn to lower self-reported exam grades. To examine this idea, we created a scale contrasting self-testing and repetition strategies, which showed sufficient preliminary reliability and validity. The findings support our notion with respect to the cognitive interference component of test anxiety: More interference was associated with less self-testing, and the link of interference with exam grades was fully mediated by the reported degree of self-testing. Although our findings are preliminary and limited in generalizability due to small sample size and lack of factor analysis of the created scale, the results hint at one potential reason why test-anxious students may underperform. Consequently, educators might motivate their test-anxious students to rely more on effective study approaches.

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