Exploring Test Anxiety for the English National High School Examination: A Study of the 12th Graders

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study was to explore the level of test anxiety among Grade 12 EFL students before the English National High School Examination in three Vietnamese schools. It also aimed to examine the possible correlation between test anxiety and other variables such as gender and academic achievement. Moreover, factors provoking test anxiety and ways to dispel it were investigated from students’ perspectives. To achieve these aims, the study employed a mixed-method sequential exploratory design, incorporating a quantitative stage followed by a qualitative one. Data was collected via a questionnaire delivered to 344 students in three high schools in a province in Vietnam, followed by semi-structured interviews conducted with 16 participants through purposive sampling. After the some findings were drawn from the data analysis process, the study also suggested some useful implications for EFL students, teachers and test designers in the current high-stake testing environment in Vietnam and other similar contexts.