Exam anxiety is a psychological state that can result from a student’s emotional reaction to exams. A student may see exams as a threat to their goals and ambitions, which causes feelings of stress, tension, and confusion. They may believe that exams are a difficult challenge they cannot overcome successfully. This leads to instability, anxiety, and mixed-up information, even after long hours of studying.
Here are four children’s stories about exam anxiety, offering valuable lessons about managing stress, setting clear goals, and balancing study with rest and fun.
1. Sultan and the Magic Pencil
It was exam time at Sultan’s school. Every day, the teacher gave them lots of homework, telling the students they needed to work hard to improve their test results.
But Sultan didn’t care. He preferred to play football and wasn’t worried about getting low grades — until his parents told him he needed to work harder.
One sunny afternoon, Sultan invited his friend Ahmed to the park to play football.
Ahmed shook his head. “I need to review. I have to solve some math problems.”
Sultan was shocked. “You’d rather do math than play football?”
Ahmed replied, “Math is important. Besides, my mom said she’ll buy me a mountain bike if I get high grades.”
“That’s crazy!” Sultan said.
Ahmed smiled, “Just wait till I beat you in the exam — and you’ll see me riding my bike!”
For the first time, Sultan wanted to do well. He couldn’t stand the thought of Ahmed scoring higher. He opened his math book that evening, but suddenly everything looked confusing. He didn’t even know where to start.
Just then, his little sister Mila came in, chasing their cat Casper.
“You look sad,” she said.
“How can I be happy? I have to learn all this math!” Sultan sighed.
“I’ll lend you my magic pencil,” Mila said proudly. “It always gets the right answers.”
Sultan rolled his eyes. “There’s no such thing as a magic pencil.”
“Yes, there is! I’ll show you!” She ran out and came back with a shiny silver pencil topped with a fluffy unicorn.
Sultan thought it looked silly, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. He took the pencil, looked at a math question — and to his surprise, he suddenly knew the answer!
From that night on, Sultan studied every evening. On the day of the math exam, Mila said, “You can take my magic pencil if you want.”
Sultan refused, “No way. I don’t need your pencil.” He didn’t want his friends to laugh at him for bringing a unicorn pencil to school.
When the test began, Sultan froze. He couldn’t remember a single answer. Then came a knock on the classroom door.
It was Mila. “Sultan forgot something,” she said, and placed the silver pencil on his desk with a smile.
Sultan picked it up, looked at the little unicorn, and suddenly felt calm. He knew it wasn’t truly magic — but somehow, it helped him focus. The answers flowed into his mind, one after another.
When the results came out, Sultan had done even better than Ahmed.
“Well done!” said his mother. “I knew you could do it. Let’s go to the movies to celebrate — you can choose the film.”
Sultan smiled. “I think Mila should choose. I couldn’t have done it without her magic pencil.”
2. Sindara the Smart Girl and the Fear of Exams
Sindara was known for her cleverness — she’d crossed shaky rope bridges, solved science riddles, and even stood up to bullies. But nothing made her heart race faster than the three words her teacher, Miss Adiz, wrote on the board one Monday morning:
“Final Exam Week.”
Sindara’s stomach flipped. Her pencil rolled off the desk.
Miss Adiz smiled warmly. “Exams aren’t traps — they’re your chance to shine. The calmer you are, the clearer your mind becomes.”
But Sindara couldn’t feel calm at all. At home, her thoughts spiraled: What if I forget everything? What if my mind goes blank? What if I come last?
She wrote in her smart journal:
“My mind feels like a thunderstorm in a teacup.”
Just then, her little brothers, Timmy and Tammy, burst into her room wearing superhero capes, shouting, “Volcano attack!”
“Guys, please! I’m studying,” Sindara groaned.
Timmy pointed at her purple “thinking helmet” on the desk. “That means you’re ready for a mission!”
Sindara laughed slightly — he always said a calm mind was a smart mind.
Then she paused. Maybe he was right. She put on the helmet, closed her eyes, and imagined entering her own brain — a glowing control room full of floating books and flashing buttons. One big red button said “CALM MODE.”
Inside, a tiny robot version of her shouted, “Warning! Exam panic detected! Irregular breathing! Brain fog!”
Sindara took a deep breath and pressed the red button.
Everything changed. The alarms stopped. The fog cleared.
A quiet voice whispered,
“You’ve studied well. You’re not alone. Panic is only a visitor — let it pass.”
When she opened her eyes, the storm inside her had faded. Over the next few days, she made a new plan: short study sessions, colorful flashcards, fun memory songs, and breaks for stretching and playing with her brothers.
On exam day, Sindara stood outside the classroom, whispering,
“You’re not climbing a mountain — you’re walking through a garden, one step at a time.”
Miss Adiz handed out the papers. “Remember, this exam isn’t a judgment — it’s just to see what you’ve learned. Do your best, and that’s enough.”
Sindara smiled. Her hand trembled at first, but she breathed deeply and thought,
“I am Sindara the Smart, and I can do this.”
That evening, she told Timmy,
“Sometimes fear shouts loudly, but when you pause, breathe, and listen to the truth — it quiets down.”
Timmy grinned, “So I can wear the thinking helmet for my spelling test too?”
Sindara smiled, tapping her head:
“Sure! But the real helmet is right here — and it works best when you stay calm.”
3. The Flat Tire Story
Four middle-school students once went out partying the night before an important exam. They stayed out late and didn’t study at all.
The next morning, they showed up at school covered in grease, pretending to be exhausted. They told the principal:
“We went to a wedding last night, and on the way back, our car got a flat tire. We tried to fix it, but couldn’t — we had to push the car home. That’s why we missed the exam.”
The principal listened carefully and said, “Alright, you can take a make-up exam in three days.”
The boys thanked him, promising to be ready this time.
Three days later, they came well-prepared. The principal placed each of them in a separate room to take the test. The exam had only two questions worth 100 marks total:
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Your name: __________ (1 point)
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Which tire went flat? __________ (99 points)
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Front left
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Front right
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Back left
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Back right
Each student wrote a different answer.
And that’s how the principal discovered they had lied.
Moral: Honesty and preparation are always better than excuses.
4. When Can an Exam Be Fun?
At the Four Seasons School, it was exam week.
Lucky the bear, Charlie the owl, Duke the lion, and Hank the hippo were all busy studying. They were nervous and stressed, so they decided to take a short break.
Lucky sighed, “I hope I pass math. Geometry confuses me — all those lines and equations give me nightmares!”
Charlie munched on a cookie. “I’m scared of English essays — grammar, punctuation, synonyms, antonyms… so stressful!”
Duke frowned. “English is easier than history and geography. Those are so long and boring!”
Suddenly, they heard someone crying.
They looked around — it was the Math book!
The Math book sobbed, “All the children are afraid of me. Don’t they know I can be fun too?”
The Science book comforted it: “They only fear you because they don’t understand you. Every subject has its own importance.”
The other books agreed. “Yes! Students just need to practice regularly — that’s the secret to doing well.”
Math said, “They need me to count, weigh, and handle money in the school cafeteria!”
Physics added, “Exactly — students should make study schedules and stick to them. Spending more time on tough subjects helps reduce stress.”
The English book said, “Not everyone has to be a doctor or engineer — some can become great writers, journalists, or editors.”
Arabic book sighed, “What about me? Students say I’m boring!”
The History book spoke kindly, “But through me, people learn about the past, the kings and queens, and how old civilizations shaped our modern world. Knowing history helps us understand the present.”
The Arabic book then told Geography, “You’re important too! You teach us about the earth, countries, climates, and wildlife — you show us the beauty of our planet.”
Civics book added, “And I help people understand laws, equality, and freedom.”
The Art book chimed in proudly, “And I help kids express creativity — just like famous artists Leonardo da Vinci and M. F. Husain!”
The four friends listened in amazement. They realized that every subject had something special to offer.
“Thank you, dear books,” said Charlie. “We won’t fear exams anymore.”
The Science book smiled, “Just remember — make time for rest and play too. They’re just as important!”
The friends agreed. From that day on, they studied happily and enjoyed learning — and when results came out, they realized their books had been right all along.
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