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Self-reflection quiz

Exam stress test: a 3-minute self-check for students

This self-check is awaiting review by our psychiatrists.

Start the self-check

In short

This 3-minute self-check is for students preparing for SSC, HSC, university admission tests or university exams. Its 11 questions ask how exam stress has affected your sleep, focus, body and mood over the past two weeks. Your answers stay on your device and are never sent to us. The result suggests next steps; it is not a diagnosis.

  • About 3 minutes
  • 11 questions
  • Private: answers stay on your device
  • For ages 13+

This is a self-check, not a diagnosis. It takes about 3 minutes and is for information only: it cannot diagnose any condition and does not replace a consultation. Your answers stay on this device; we do not receive them.

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Your self-check

11 questions · about 3 minutes · private: your answers stay on this device

Think about the past two weeks, or the time since your exam preparation started.

1. I worry so much about exams that it's hard to start studying.
2. I read the same page again and again without taking it in.
3. Because of exams I sleep much less, or much more, than usual.
4. I get headaches, stomach upsets or a racing heart before exams or results.
5. My mind goes blank in the exam hall even when I have studied.
6. I compare my preparation with friends and feel I'm behind.
7. I feel I will let my family down if I don't get the result everyone expects.
8. I skip meals, rest or time with friends to keep studying, and it still feels like it's not enough.
9. I feel hopeless about my future because of exams.
10. Most days I take short breaks and do something I enjoy.
11. I have had thoughts that life is not worth living, or of harming myself. (not counted in the score)

In danger right now? Call 999 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. This website is not monitored for emergencies.

What this exam stress test looks at

This self-check is for students preparing for SSC, HSC, university admission tests or university exams. Its questions look at the ways exam stress often shows up: worry that makes it hard to start studying, reading the same page without taking it in, sleeping much less or much more than usual, headaches, stomach upsets or a racing heart, and your mind going blank in the exam hall.

It also asks about pressure: comparing yourself with friends, feeling you will let your family down, giving up meals, rest or friends to keep studying, and feeling hopeless about your future. One question asks whether you still take short breaks and do something you enjoy, which helps.

The last question asks about thoughts that life is not worth living, or of harming yourself. It is not part of the score. It is there so that anyone having those thoughts is shown straight away where to get help.

How it works and how it is scored

Think about the past two weeks, or the time since your exam preparation started. For the first ten questions, “Rarely or never” scores 0, “Sometimes” 1, “Often” 2 and “Almost always” 3. The question about breaks and enjoyable activities is scored the other way round. The total runs from 0 to 30: 0–9 suggests manageable exam stress, 10–19 that stress is building up, and 20–30 that exam stress is very high.

If you say you often feel hopeless about your future, the result adds a note about getting support. If you answer anything other than “Never” to the last question, the page shows you straight away where to get help.

Our team at Dr. MR Siddique Psychiatry Centre wrote the questions in English and Bangla together; the Bangla is not a translation of any published questionnaire. The questions and score ranges have not been tested in research. The check does not ask for your name, phone number or school, and your answers are scored in your browser and never sent to us.

What your result can mean

Some stress before an exam is normal2, and a little nervousness can even help you focus. A lower score suggests your stress is at that manageable level. A middle score suggests stress is starting to affect your sleep, concentration or body. A higher score suggests exam stress is weighing on you heavily, and it may be making studying harder rather than easier.

Trouble relaxing, poor concentration, aches and pains, and changes in sleep or appetite are common signs of stress2. They are signals to look after yourself and ask for support. They are not signs that you are weak or not clever enough.

You are not alone. In a nationwide study of students preparing for university admission tests in Bangladesh, symptoms of depression were common4. Worldwide, about 1 in 7 young people aged 10 to 19 has a mental disorder, according to the World Health Organization (2025)5. Talking about how you feel with someone you trust is a sensible first step.

What you can do now

NHS tips for young people preparing for exams include1:

  • Make a realistic plan. Break revision into manageable chunks.
  • Take short, regular breaks away from your desk.
  • Keep active. A walk, sport or other exercise helps release tension.
  • Protect your sleep. Keep regular sleep times, and put screens away before bed2.
  • Eat well and drink enough water, even when you are busy.
  • Ask for help from a teacher, parent or friend when you need it.

Other things many students find helpful:

  • Try a few minutes of slow breathing or mindfulness before studying or in the exam hall. Mindfulness may help reduce test anxiety6.
  • Notice comparisons. Your friends' preparation tells you little about your own result. Focus on your plan for today.
  • Practise with past papers, so that the exam hall feels more familiar.
  • Keep one thing you enjoy in each day, even for a short time.
  • If your mind goes blank in the exam, slow your breathing, read the question again and start with what you know.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists' advice for young people explains how stress affects feelings, the body and schoolwork, and suggests more ways of coping3. Parents can help by listening, keeping the home calm and making sure there is time for sleep, meals and breaks. Our exam stress guide has more ideas.

When to get help

Talk to a qualified professional, such as a clinical psychologist, a counsellor or a BMDC-registered psychiatrist, if:

  • stress continues after exams end;
  • you feel hopeless;
  • you have almost stopped eating or sleeping; or
  • you have panic attacks.

Stress that keeps affecting your daily life at school or at home is a reason to seek help2. If you are under 18, please share how you feel with a parent, guardian, teacher or another adult you trust. A parent or guardian can book an appointment for you. If you are 18 or older and worry continues beyond exams, the anxiety self-check (GAD-7) can show whether worry is affecting you more widely.

If you have any thoughts of harming yourself, get help right away: call 999 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department, and tell someone you trust. Exams matter, but you matter more, and support is available.

About this self-check

This quiz was written by our team to help you reflect. It has not been scientifically validated, and it cannot diagnose any condition.

How the score is worked out

The answers are added up — some count more than others, or are scored in reverse — to give a total from 0 to 30. Question 11 is asked for context and does not count.

Score What it suggests
0–9 Manageable exam stress — Your answers suggest your exam stress is at a manageable level. Some nerves before exams are normal and can even help you focus.
10–19 Exam stress is building up — Your answers suggest stress is starting to affect your sleep, focus or body.
20–30 Exam stress is very high — Your answers suggest exam stress is weighing on you heavily.

Common questions

Who is this exam stress test for?

It is for students aged 13 and over who are preparing for exams such as SSC, HSC, university admission tests or university finals. Parents can read through it too, to understand what their child may be going through. If you are under 18, please share your result with a parent, guardian, teacher or another adult you trust.

How accurate is this quiz?

This is a self-reflection quiz written by our team, not a validated test, so its accuracy has not been measured. It is a quick way to notice how stress is affecting your sleep, focus, body and mood. If you are worried about anxiety or low mood that goes beyond exams, a professional can use validated questionnaires as part of an assessment.

What happens to my answers?

Nothing leaves your device. Your answers are scored in your browser, are not sent to us and are not saved. This check does not ask for your name, phone number or school. If you share a phone or computer with others, close the page when you finish to keep your answers private.

Can a parent take it for their child?

The questions are written for students to answer about themselves, because only you know how you feel inside. A parent can sit with their child while they take it, or look at the result together and talk about it. Parents who are worried can help most by listening calmly and making sure there is time for sleep, meals and breaks.

What should I do if my result is high?

Please talk to someone you trust today, such as a parent, teacher, friend or relative, and use the steps on this page: short study blocks, regular sleep, meals and some exercise. If stress stays high or you feel hopeless, a counsellor, clinical psychologist or BMDC-registered psychiatrist can help. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call 999 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Can this test diagnose anxiety or depression?

No. This quiz cannot diagnose any condition. It shows how exam stress is affecting you right now. Stress, anxiety and low mood can look alike and often overlap, so only a qualified professional can assess what is going on, after talking with you about your feelings, sleep, health and studies.

References

  1. NHS. Tips on preparing for exams (reviewed 2023). — A realistic plan, short regular breaks, exercise, sleep, healthy eating and asking for help.
  2. World Health Organization. Stress: questions and answers (2026). — Some stress is normal, for example before exams; common signs; regular sleep and fewer screens before bed; when to seek help.
  3. Royal College of Psychiatrists. Coping with stress for young people (2022). — How stress affects feelings, the body, behaviour and schoolwork, and ways to cope.
  4. Prevalence of depression and its associated factors among undergraduate admission candidates in Bangladesh: a nation-wide cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE (2023). — Bangladesh: admission candidates from across the country; symptoms of depression on the PHQ-9 were common, more so among female candidates.
  5. World Health Organization. Mental health of adolescents (fact sheet, 2025). — Worldwide, about 1 in 7 people aged 10–19 has a mental disorder.
  6. Effects of mindfulness on test anxiety: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology (2024). — Mindfulness-based programmes reduced test anxiety; the evidence base is still modest.