Effectiveness of a Proposed Counseling Program in Reducing Test Anxiety among Postgraduate Students at the Faculty of Education, Omar Al-Mukhtar University

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the level of test anxiety among postgraduate students at the Faculty of Education, Omar Al-Mukhtar University and to develop a cognitive- behavioral counseling program to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing test anxiety. The sample consisted of (14) students who obtained high scores on the Sarason test Anxiety Scale. Participants were randomly assigned to two equivalent groups: an experimental group (n =7) that received the counseling program and control group (n = 7) that received no intervention. The Sarason Test Anxiety Scale was administered before, after, and during Follow-up. The findings revealed a statistically significant reduction in test anxiety among the experimental group compared with the control group following the intervention. Significant differences were also found between the pre-and post –test scores of the experimental group, confirming the effectiveness of the counseling program. In contrast, no significant differences were observed between the post-test and follow- up measurements, indicating that the program's positive effects were maintained over time.