INFLUENCE OF EXAMINATION ANXIETY ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MINNA METROPOLIS: IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELLING

This study investigated the influence of examination anxiety on the academic performance of secondary school students in Minna Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria, and drew out implications for school counselling. A descriptive survey design with a correlational component was used. A sample of 300 senior secondary students and 20 school counsellors was drawn from six public secondary schools using stratified and simple random sampling. Data were collected with a validated Examination Anxiety Scale (reliability coefficient 0.84), a Counselling Practices Questionnaire, and students' terminal examination scores. Data were analysed with frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, Pearson product-moment correlation and independent t-tests at the 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that 24.0% of students had low, 46.0% moderate and 30.0% high examination anxiety. Examination anxiety had a significant negative relationship with academic performance (r= -0.58, p < 0.05). Male and female students did not differ significantly in anxiety, while students who had received test-anxiety counselling reported significantly lower anxiety than those who had not. The study concludes that examination anxiety is a widespread and measurable obstacle to achievement, and that counselling interventions can reduce it. It recommends full-time school counsellors, anxiety screening before examinations, training in relaxation and study skills, teacher and parent involvement, and less threatening assessment practices.