Why do some
candidates have the problem of going memory blank just after reading the
questions in the examination?
What could
be the cause of this experience?
What are the
likely consequences?
What are the
possible preventive measures that can help stop it?
Could it be
examination phobia or just examination anxiety?
Joe was an
undergraduate student of the Department of Mathematics. He had worked very hard
in preparation for the coming semester examination. On the first day of the
examination, he was confident that he will write the papers without any
problems. Then when the students settled down the question papers were handed
to them and they were instructed to start.
Joe opened
his question paper and read the instructions at the top which stated that there
were eight questions out of which they should attempt five questions. He read
the first question and was lost; something within suggested to him that he
should leave that question because he does not know the answer.
He obeyed the
instruction from his mind. Then he read the next question. He discovered that
he could not recollect ever studying the topic. He left that one again.
Then he
went on and on until he read through all the eight questions without recognizing
anyone he could solve. Joe then realized that something had gone wrong.
It
could not possibly be that he had forgotten everything he studied which was
also taught in class. It was a case of going memory blank in the examination, and
being overtaken by examination anxiety. This was not a case of examination
phobia because everyone in his class knew him as a first-class material.
To make
matters worse, he looked to the left; the guy sitting beside him was solving
the questions so fast that his answer paper had its double sides filled up with
solutions to the questions.
He looked to the right; the candidate here had gone
far according to his understanding of what he saw. Then his subconscious mind
began to make escapist suggestions to him. “Why not walk out of this
examination hall without attempting any question. You stand a chance of
carrying this course over to sit for it next semester, better prepared than to
fail this test now.
You still stand the chance of scoring an A or a B+ at
worst. But if you attempt this examination and fail, you will come back to
retake the test to score a maximum of C”.
In the midst
of the confusion, Joe sat quietly and all his attention was focused on the
question paper so much that he forgot that he was in an examination hall. Then
while in this focused mood, he suddenly recognized what the first question was
all about.
Then he read the second, the third the fourth, and the rest of the
questions and consequently woke up from his deep despair and the examination
anxiety disappeared.
He settled down to start solving them one by one until he
finished all the eight questions without realizing it.
Then as if
the lecturer was the cause of his going memory blank in the examination he imagined
himself telling the lecturer “Sir, you are free to select any five answers of your
choice after marking”.