Published Paper Details:

Rising test anxiety levels among Indian JEE & NEET (Joint Entrance Exam & National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam) aspirants has become an alarming academic and mental health concern. This study aims to evaluate the effect of Preksha meditation (PM) on the test anxiety levels of 50 Senior Secondary students, with an average age of 17, preparing for JEE/NEET exam in an integrated school in Bangalore. The Westside Test Anxiety scale (WATS) was employed to identify students with anxiety impairment. Items of the scale, rated on 5 points Likert scale, cover self- assess anxiety impairment and cognition which can impair performance. With a pre-post experiment design, participants were asked to complete the test anxiety scale before and after the intervention of 1 month (6 days/week) of Preksha meditation-based module. The results demonstrated highly significant reduction in Test Anxiety scores. Paired 't' test showed statistically significant value t (49) = 4.21, p < 0.001 with a medium sized effect (Cohen's d= 0.60). Gender-wise analysis revealed large effect among girls (Cohen's d= 0.83) and a small-moderate effect among boys (Cohen's d= 0.43), suggesting that the intervention was beneficial across both groups. The significant improvement observed in the study indicates the value of incorporating PM techniques into students' daily routines, especially during crucial life stages when academic performance in competitive examinations shapes future career trajectories.C