What Is Exam Stress? 6 Problems It Can Escalate To If Left Unmanaged

Exams are the benchmark that need to be surpassed to open your chances at better educational and career opportunities in life. This is a fact all students are taught, year in and out. But students often feel pressured and experience being worried or stressed out to perform well in the exams. This is termed exam stress, and it is slowly becoming a growing health concern among students. According to the International Journal of Indian Psychology, about 70% of students preparing for exams reported moderate to high stress levels, with stress strongly linked to reduced concentration and sleep disturbances.

Now, you do need to take into account that stress or pressure is a constant throughout life, and you are likely to feel it at work, in your private life and elsewhere just as much as you might before exams. To differentiate whether you are just feeling a normal level of stress and not excessive exam stress, the common symptoms of exam stress can be a definite indicator. If you have a headache, have trouble sleeping, have become irritability, and have poor concentration, then you may need to seek help to deal with the root cause.

But beyond these short-term symptoms and issues caused, the main issue that exam stress poses is its ability to become the root cause of many health problems, if you are unable to manage said stress properly. 

6 Ways Exam Stress Escalates Into Other Health Problems

1. Sleep Disorders

Exam stress can take a toll on the exact level of stress hormones that may reduce your natural ability to fall asleep. When exam stress overrides your brain, then the stress hormone cortisol gets secreted in excess, leading to impairment in your sleep cycle. According to the International Journal of Psychology Sciences, excess exam stress can lead to insomnia (the inability to fall asleep), and the quality of your sleep can also suffer. If you are someone who experiences twisting and turning while you are intently trying to fall asleep while preparing for exams, then you need to address exam stress head-on. Here are some tips to manage exam stress so that it doesn't affect your sleep cycle:

• Stick to a routine that involves going to bed and waking up at the same time, even during exams, to make sure your body clock is in sync.
• Limit late-night study sessions, as the brain can focus better in the morning, especially early mornings, which are ideal for revisions.
• Create a wind-down ritual, doing calming and relaxation techniques before bed to send a signal to your brain that it is time to rest.

2. Mental Health Issues

There are various mental health issues that can occur due to exam stress, like anxiety, depression, and even burnout. So, dealing with exam stress is vital, as your mental health condition can affect your exam results. To understand how exam stress can lead to mental health issues, you need to focus on the individual issues it can cause. Here is a look at the mental health issues that exam stress can cause:

• Anxiety: The constant feeling of anxiousness and overthinking about possible scenarios in your head can send your mental health into a spiral.
• Depression: Feeling emotionally numb and being unable to focus on textbooks in front of you can indicate feeling depressive symptoms. When anxiety is not dealt with, it progresses to depression, can have various stages, and needs tailored solutions rooted in psychological research.
• Burnout: Being unable to stick to your schedule and being uncompassionate towards yourself while studying persistently during excessive exam stress is a sign of burnout. And dealing with it head-on requires support from family, friends, school counsellors, and psychologists.

According to the World Health Organization (2024), one in seven (14%) kids aged 10 to 19 has experienced a mental disorder, with depression, anxiety, and behavioural disorders being the most common disabilities. And on a global level, over 65% of students worldwide report moderate to severe exam stress, with 40% experiencing anxiety symptoms that meet clinical thresholds.

Here are some practical tips to deal with mental health issues that arise from exam stress:

• Having a structured study plan can ensure your learning practice becomes simpler and can be achieved within the given time frame.
• Maintain a balance of physical movement, eating enough brain-healthy foods, and studying to ensure your brain can function properly under pressure.
• Positive affirmations, like constant positive self-motivations, and setting realistic expectations of your exam score based on your preparation, can make sure you are not disappointed on results day.

Also Read: Fixing Your Sleep Is The Easiest Way To Improve Your Health If You're Busy (Or Lazy); Know How

3. Physical Health Problems

Exam stress can manifest as physical health problems like weakened immunity and digestive issues. There are various studies that connect feeling stressed to actually having physical health symptoms, as stress hormones affect your long-term health and well-being. According to the International Journal of Indian Psychology, exam stress can lead to anxiety, which is strongly associated with physical health issues like muscle tension, sweating, and rapid heartbeat, alongside reduced academic performance. So, dealing with exam stress is vital if you want to get the best academic results possible and make sure your study efforts translate into great exam scores.

Here are some practical tips to reduce your exam stress so that physical health issues don't occur from it:

• Maintaining proper nutrition is key, but sticking to it can yield tangible results.
• As exam season can lead to heightened stress levels, you can reduce feelings of stress by making sure your brain is in great shape to read, learn, and replicate the information in your textbooks.
• Taking well-planned short breaks in an environment with plenty of nature can boost your brain's functioning effectively.

Exam stress
Photo Credit: Freepik

4. Academic Decline

The most common byproduct of exam stress is a decline in your academic performance, as your brain needs to function properly for it to focus intently. The main reasons why exam stress can result in reduced focus and even lower your grades are that your brain becomes overwhelmed due to information overload, and primarily the hormonal impact from stress. These hormonal impacts can be related to cortisol and catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline) that impair how your memory centre and decision-making part of the brain. Thus, leading to reduced working memory, concentration, and problem-solving ability. Here are some practical tips to recover your academic performance if it is declining due to exam stress:

• Keep your brain healthy by eating enough brain-healthy foods, exercising regularly, and practising winding-down rituals to regulate its function.
• Always take stock of where you started and where you have come to track academic progress realistically.
• Progress tracking sends positive signals to your brain and can serve as a self-motivation factor during stressful period during exam season.

5. Social Withdrawal

Students need to engage socially with their peers and family to maintain emotional well-being during the exam season. If a student is becoming increasingly isolated from peers and family, then active steps need to be taken to strike a balance. According to the International Journal of Indian Psychology, students with stronger social connections and peer support networks reported lower exam phobia and better academic outcomes. While social isolation, by contrast, worsened stress and reduced resilience. Here are some practical ways to build strong social connections and become a part of peer support networks:

• Becoming a part of a peer-support network established in schools and even youth mental health programmes can prove beneficial.
• Being emotionally open to what you are feeling and taking stock of your feelings on time among your peers can make you feel emotionally taken care of and not alone.
• Actively take time to build friendships with people of the same and different interests, so you can benefit from their support.

Also Read: Maternal Perinatal Depression Increases Risk Of Autism In Toddlers, Finds Study

6. Risk Behaviours

While exam stress coping strategies can effectively help you lower it, there may be unhealthy coping mechanisms that can lead to developing risky behaviours. These behaviours can involve indulging in substance use or self-harm once the emotional toll is unmanageable. According to the Annals of Neurosciences, exam-related anxiety can escalate into risky behaviours, which include avoidance of study, reliance on stimulants, and neglect of physical health.

There are even extreme cases where students start having suicidal thoughts. According to a digital forum that looks at data from all over India, board exams and competitive entrance tests (engineering, medical, civil services) are strongly linked to spikes in suicide rates, especially in states with intense coaching cultures.

Caution: If you or anyone around you is engaging in risky behaviours due to exam stress, call the helplines below. A doctor's intervention and proper guidance is required immediately.

Exam stress is natural but manageable through effective coping strategies. Through seeking help when needed, you can change the way you deal with exam stress.

Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.