From Anxiety to Agency: Understanding Exam Stress

Teacher's Name

Date & Time

Institution / Class

Language Level

B2 / B2+

Number of Students

Length of Lesson

90 minutes

Lesson Type

Integrated Skills — Speaking / Listening / Critical Thinking

MAIN AIM

By the end of the lesson, students will be better able to:

recognise, articulate and reframe their anxiety related to the NMT exam through structured reflection, peer discussion and a critical thinking framework.

SUBSIDIARY AIMS

Sub-aim 1 — Speaking: Students will have practised fluency and opinion-sharing through structured pair and group discussion.

Sub-aim 2 — Listening/Viewing: Students will have practised listening for gist and specific information through an authentic documentary video.

Sub-aim 3 — Critical Thinking: Students will have applied the Cartesian Square framework to challenge tunnel thinking and expand their perspective on exam outcomes.

Sub-aim 4 — Lexis: Students will have activated topic-related vocabulary through a Quizlet pre-teaching task.

Sub-aim 5 — Affective: Students will have gained increased awareness of their anxiety level and at least one strategy for self-regulation before the NMT.

MATERIALS & RESOURCES

Photo for warm-up (body language / exam situation) — displayed on projector

Two-scale anxiety rating sheet (printed, 1 per student)

Google Form — Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS): https://forms.gle/3i1FpMA91YGC7yMr6

Quizlet flashcard set — Suneung vocabulary: https://quizlet.com/ua/1173656843/

YouTube video — The exam that defines your life in South Korea (Suneung): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK8yfegTV-c

Kahoot quiz — post-viewing comprehension: https://create.kahoot.it/share/.../e1f85ef5-3d5d-46d4-a9bb-01d1e0c926f6

Cartesian Square worksheet (printed, 1 per student)

Projector / screen; student devices (phones or laptops) for Google Form, Quizlet and Kahoot

ASSUMPTIONS

Students are preparing for the NMT and are familiar with the format and stakes of the exam.

Students have sufficient B2 receptive skills to follow an authentic English-language documentary with visual support.

Students have basic device access for Google Form, Quizlet and Kahoot activities.

Students have no prior experience with the Cartesian Square framework.

The topic of exam anxiety may be emotionally sensitive — the teacher is prepared to manage this with care.

ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS

Problem

Solution

Video fails to play / poor audio

Pre-load video before class; have a printed transcript as backup

Students reluctant to share anxiety scores publicly

All sharing is voluntary; pairs discuss feelings (not scores) first

Student devices not working for Quizlet / Kahoot

Allow device sharing in pairs; have printed vocabulary list as fallback

Emotional reaction to anxiety topic

Normalise openly; avoid pressure to participate; have school psychologist contact available

Uneven participation in group work

Assign clear roles — speaker, note-taker, reporter — in each group

Students stuck in Quadrant 1 of the Cartesian Square

Prompt gently: 'Now move to Quadrant 2 — what will NOT happen?' — keep them moving

1

WARM-UP / LEAD-IN

Aim: to activate schemata, set context, generate interest in the topic

T arranges Ss in groups of four. T displays a photo of students in an exam situation on the projector.

Ss discuss the following questions in their groups:

Based on the students' body language and facial expressions, what can you infer about the situation?

How would you characterize the emotional state of the individuals? What specific details suggest heightened anxiety or concentration?

What emotions are triggered when you reflect on your own upcoming exams? To what extent do these feelings impact your overall performance?

T monitors without interrupting. T elicits 2-3 responses in open class to close the stage.

GW → OC

7 min

2

PRE-TEST ANXIETY RATING

Aim: to establish a personal baseline before the WTAS

T distributes the two-scale anxiety rating sheet (one per student).

T instructs Ss to use Scale 1 to rate their current level of anxiety about the upcoming NMT.

'This is personal and anonymous. You do not need to share your score.'

Ss complete Scale 1 individually (30 seconds). Scale 2 will be used at the end of the lesson.

IW

2 min

3

WESTSIDE TEST ANXIETY SCALE (WTAS)

Aim: to give students validated insight into their test anxiety profile

T introduces the WTAS briefly:

'You are going to complete a short research-based tool that identifies whether anxiety is interfering with your concentration, memory and reasoning during exams.'

T displays the Google Form link. Ss access it on their devices.

Link: https://forms.gle/3i1FpMA91YGC7yMr6

Ss complete the WTAS individually (approx. 4 minutes).

T displays the score interpretation key on the projector after completion:

1.0-1.9 = Comfortably low  |  2.0-2.5 = Normal  |  2.5-2.9 = High normal

3.0-3.4 = Moderately high  |  3.5-3.9 = High  |  4.0-5.0 = Extremely high

IW

7 min

4

POST-TEST DISCUSSION

Aim: to normalise anxiety, activate personal resources, bridge to video

T delivers key message before questions:

'Notice that even the 2.0-2.5 category is called NORMAL — not low or bad. Feeling anxious before an exam is a natural physiological response. It is not a weakness.'

BLOCK 1 — Reaction (open class):

Did your result surprise you? Does it match how you actually feel inside?

Would anyone like to share — not your score, but how you feel about the result?

BLOCK 2 — Normalising anxiety (pairs then open class):

What score do you think most Year 11 students in Ukraine would get right now?

Does a high score mean a person is poorly prepared?

When does anxiety help you, and when does it get in the way? Where is that line?

BLOCK 3 — Personal experience (pairs):

Think of a moment when you felt nervous about something — and you got through it. What helped you?

Is there anything you are already doing to manage your NMT anxiety?

BLOCK 4 — Bridge to next stage (T-led):

'Why do exams exist in the first place? If the NMT did not exist, would you feel the same anxiety?'

T→Ss / Pairs / OC

10 min

5

PRE-WATCHING: VOCABULARY (Quizlet)

Aim: to pre-teach blocking vocabulary before the video

T displays the Quizlet link. Ss access it on their devices.

Link: https://quizlet.com/ua/1173656843/

Task instructions:

Thoroughly review the flashcards; use the audio feature to refine pronunciation.

Complete two rounds of the Matching activity.

Complete two rounds of Learn mode.

Strictly timed: 5 minutes. T counts down and signals stop.

IW

5 min

6

WHILE-WATCHING: VIDEO + PREDICTION TASK

Aim: to develop listening/viewing for gist and specific information

T sets prediction task BEFORE playing the video:

'Which country has the most brutal and stressful exam in the world? What makes it that way — duration, number of subjects, or intense competition? Watch and check your ideas.'

Ss note predictions briefly (30 seconds).

T plays the video: 'The exam that defines your life in South Korea: Suneung'

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK8yfegTV-c

T does not pause the video. Ss watch without task interruption.

POST-VIEWING — Evaluate predictions (pairs, 2 min):

Were your predictions accurate, or did the material challenge your expectations?

Identify any specific discrepancies between what you expected and what you heard.

IW → Pairs

10 min

7

AFTER-WATCHING: KAHOOT COMPREHENSION CHECK

Aim: to check detailed comprehension in an engaging, low-pressure format

T displays the Kahoot pin on screen. Ss join on their devices.

Link: https://create.kahoot.it/share/.../e1f85ef5-3d5d-46d4-a9bb-01d1e0c926f6

Kahoot includes 6 questions on key facts from the video:

Q1: What does 'SKY' stand for?

Q2: What percentage of students are accepted into SKY universities? (Ans: 2%)

Q3: What are Hagwons?

Q4: What is a major criticism of the Suneung system?

Q5: What happens across South Korea on the day of the Suneung?

Q6: Which statistic from the video is most striking to you?

T briefly reviews any incorrect answers after the game.

IW (game) → OC

7 min

8

POST-WATCHING DISCUSSION

Aim: to develop critical thinking and bridge to speaking stage

Ss discuss in pairs, then share with class:

Did anything in the video feel familiar — similar to what you know about the NMT?

The original goal of the Suneung was to increase social mobility. Do you think it succeeded? Why or why not?

Would you say the Suneung does more harm than good? What about the NMT — do you see similarities?

Pairs → OC

5 min

9

PRODUCTION STAGE — SPEAKING

Aim: to develop fluency and activate awareness of transferable skills

Ss work in pairs.

What skills are you training right now, while preparing for exams — besides the subject knowledge itself?

In which specific scenarios or professional contexts do you anticipate these skills will be most essential?

T monitors, notes interesting language.

T closes the stage with a transition statement:

'The resilience and focus you are developing now are professional assets. However, it is also natural to feel overwhelmed.'

'To help you gain a more balanced perspective, we will now apply a tool called the Cartesian Square — to challenge all-or-nothing thinking.'

Pairs → OC

7 min

10

CARTESIAN SQUARE — GROUP TASK

Aim: to challenge catastrophic and tunnel thinking about exam outcomes

T distributes printed Cartesian Square worksheets (1 per student).

T explains the central event on the square:

'The event in the centre is: I won't get the score I want on my exam.'

'Work through all four quadrants — answer each question honestly and in detail.'

Quadrant reference:

Q1 (WILL happen / What WILL): specific consequences — what changes in your life a year from now?

Q2 (will NOT happen / What will NOT): will all opportunities truly disappear? What will remain?

Q3 (WILL happen / What will NOT): what fears and doubts fade away if things go well?

Q4 (will NOT happen / What will NOT): what will you avoid that you were afraid of?

Ss fill in individually (4 min), then discuss in groups of three (3 min).

T monitors — does not give answers. Prompts: 'What did you write in Quadrant 3?'

IW → GW (3s)

10 min

11

DISCUSSION AFTER CARTESIAN SQUARE

Aim: to deepen reflection and shift students from fear to agency

LEVEL 1 — What did you notice? (pairs, 3 min):

Which quadrant was easiest to fill in? Which was hardest? What does that tell you?

Did anything in your own answers surprise you?

LEVEL 2 — What did the square reveal about your fear? (pairs then open class, 4 min):

Look at Quadrant 2. Are those opportunities truly gone — or does it just feel that way right now?

Look at Quadrant 3. What would you stop losing if things went well?

(Open class only): On a scale of 1-10, how catastrophic does the original fear feel NOW vs before?

LEVEL 3 — What will you do with this? (individual written, 3 min):

Complete: 'One thing I will stop telling myself is...'

Complete: 'One thing I can actually control before the NMT is...'

FINAL QUESTION — whole class (1 min):

'The square has four quadrants. But it carries just one message. What do you think that message is?'

T gives 30 seconds silence. Invites responses. Reinforces: 'The fear is bigger in my head than in reality.'

T closing line: 'Your anxiety is not protecting you — it is costing you. And you already know what it is costing.'

Pairs / IW / OC

11 min

12

FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT + CLOSING

Aim: to measure emotional shift; close with a forward-looking affective image

Ss complete Scale 2 on their rating sheet (same scale used at the start of the lesson).

Ss compare Scale 1 and Scale 2 scores privately.

T invites brief open reflection:

'What is your current outlook on the NMT? Is your score consistent with the earlier one, or have you noticed any shifts? In what specific ways?'

2-3 volunteers share (no pressure).

FINAL CLOSING QUESTION — T delivers slowly, allows silence:

'If the version of you who has already passed the NMT walked into this room right now — what do you think they would want to tell you?'

30 seconds silence. Whoever wants to share, shares. T responds only: 'Thank you for that.'

OPTIONAL written sentence (if time allows):

'Write one sentence you will remember from today — not a fact, but a feeling.'

T closing statement:

'Whatever score you got — on the scale or on the NMT — you are not that number. You are the person who showed up, thought hard, and chose to look at their fear instead of running from it. That is already the skill.'

IW → OC

9 min

POST-LESSON SELF-EVALUATION  (complete after teaching — submit with TP portfolio)

1. Were the main aim and subsidiary aims achieved? What is your evidence?

2. Which stage worked best, and why?

3. Which stage would you adapt, and how?

4. How did students respond to the Cartesian Square activity?

5. Was the timing realistic? What would you adjust?

6. What will you focus on in your next lesson as a result of today?