Overcoming The Hidden Hurdle: Rising To The Challenge of Test Nerves in High-stakes Vocational Assessments

I was fortunate to be able to catch the young electrician apprentice who fainted in front of me.

Introduction

For many, a high-stakes examination is merely a hurdle. Personally, I thrive on the challenge; the intense preparation, the moment of tension upon opening the examination paper, the possibility of failure. But I recognize that not everyone feels the same as me. For an apprentice, particularly one from a lower socioeconomic background, that final, high-stakes, summative assessment isn't just an assessment; it's a gateway to a meaningful future, a hard-earned step out of precarity, and if getting the apprenticeship in the first place was the start of a journey into an industry with many different facets to it, the other side of that assessment is a giant leap on that journey.

Yet, a hidden hurdle often stands in their way: the debilitating grip of test nerves. This intense nervousness acts as a 'construct irrelevant variance' (CIV), somethinng that affects a candidate's mark other than the skills, knowledge or understanding that the assessment is intended to assess. From an educational perspective this disruptive force undermines the very point, the very foundation of the assessment. From a human perspective, this disruptive force unfairly distorts the candidate's true capabilities and threatens to derail their pursuit of what truly matters.

The "Meaningful Aim"

High stakes vocational assessments are public statements of confidence in the competence of candidates to become electricians. In Scotland, the high-stakes summative vocational assessment for electricians is FICA, the Final Integrated Competence Assessment. (A brief personal note: whilst I'm fortunate to be a FICA Assessor, this piece is written in a purely personal capacity to discuss the general nature of such assessments. It's not my workplace or FICA specifically that's under discussion).

After four or five years of on-the-job training and college work, the apprentice's performance at FICA determines whether they are ready to become a fully qualified electrician. This single assessment carries immense weight, influencing career prospects, earning potential, and overall life trajectory. It is, in essence, a rite of passage marking a significant transition, which, in the language of the 1980’s when I became an electrician, marks the transition from boy to (journey) man.

Jordan Peterson's philosophy often centres on the idea that individuals find meaning and purpose by voluntarily confronting the chaos and challenges inherent in life, taking on responsibility, and striving towards a higher aim. For an apprentice in Scotland pursuing an electrical installation qualification, the journey itself—the years of rigorous training, the mastery of complex technical skills, and the dedication to a demanding craft—is a clear embodiment of "pursuing what matters”. Becoming an electrician, a competent and valued member of society. Someone who solves people's problems and who can make people's lives easier or better, is a concrete meaningful aim; a step out of the chaos (unemployment, financial insecurity) and into a structured responsible role within their trade and society. This pursuit, laden with profound personal, familial and social responsibility can, not unsurprisingly, amplify the emotional response associated with taking any test. More precisely, the fear of failing and falling down the social hierarchy can provoke overwhelming nervousness that interferes with cognitive function and performance.

Confronting Internal Chaos (Nervousness as CIV)

Peterson emphasizes that growth and meaning emerge from confronting the unknown and the chaotic, both externally and internally. Debilitating test nervousness represents a significant internal chaos. It's a psychological "dragon" that, if left unaddressed, can undermine all the diligent preparation and genuine competence an apprentice has accumulated. This nervousness is a CIV because it introduces variability into the test score that is irrelevant to the apprentice's actual electrical knowledge and skill. It's the internal chaos preventing the effective pursuit of the meaningful aim.

In my experience, nervousness as CIV manifests itself in distinct cognitive and physiological ways. Cognitively, this ranges from difficulties focusing on reading guidance material or recalling learned information. It's not because they haven't gained semantic and episodic knowledge but because they simply can't access the learned material because of exam stress. Physiologically, the hands of some candidates sweat and shake so much that it's almost impossible for them to place the probe onto the connection. In order to guide the probe onto the terminal they put themselves in danger by putting their fingers beyond the insulated barriers.

For those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, this pressure can be particularly acute. They may face additional nervousness stemming from:

The Paradox of Resources: Whilst some apprentices from more affluent backgrounds might have access to private tutoring, extensive study materials, the vast majority of apprentices that I encounter don't obviously come from the more affluent end of the income scale. Those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may lack these advantages, and may not come from a supportive home environment conducive to learning. This can lead to increased anxiety about being under-prepared. However, a supportive home environment conducive to learning can cut both ways, especially if the apprentice is the child of an electrician who happens to also be their employer - the pressure for approval becomes both professional and deeply personal. 

Fear of Failure and Limited Opportunities & The Burden of Responsibility: The consequences of failing a high-stakes vocational exam can be more profound for apprentices with fewer safety nets. The financial implications and the potential impact on their ability to secure stable employment can fuel intense nervousness. This heightened sense of responsibility, while a core tenet of Peterson's philosophy for a well-lived life, can paradoxically amplify test anxiety. The fear of failing not just themselves, but also those who depend on them, can trigger overwhelming nervousness that interferes with cognitive function and performance.

Stereotype Threat: In Scotland's education system, there is often a subtle yet pervasive bias that regards the trades as a fallback for those “not good enough” for university.  The clear signal that Scottish education system sends is that the skills required to get you to university are of more value than the skills that get you an apprenticeship. Richard Reeves, in his book Of Boys and Men argues for a massive investment in male-friendly vocational education and training noting that doing more for boys and men does not require an abandonment of gender equality. The vast majority of young apprentice electricians in Scotland are white, working-class males. So in addition to overcoming the educational stigma of their chosen goal,  they now have the added burden of their race, class, and gender to bear. In the circumstances it seems reasonable to wonder if the people who erected these hurdles are capable of dismantling them. Success in a high stakes vocational assessment might prove the stereotypical clichés wrong. But the terrifying inverse is that failure might just confirm all those negative biases about their abilities. ‘What if “they” were right all along?’ This added pressure can further hinder their performance.

The Impact on Performance and Validity

Consider the practical aspects of a high-stakes summative assessment in electrical installation. An apprentice must possess a deep understanding of wiring circuits, safety regulations, and fault diagnosis—the very 'order' that they have painstakingly learned to impose on complex systems. Yet, under this immense pressures the internal dragon of chaos prevents the effective manifestation of their hard-won order in the world. Research consistently shows a negative correlation between test nerves and performance, meaning highly skilled apprentices can under-perform simply because these nerves prevent them from accurately demonstrating their abilities. This isn't just a problem for the apprentice; it is, at this exact same moment, a fundamental problem for the assessment itself. The assessment is no longer doing what it's designed to do. It's no longer accurately determining if an apprentice is ready to become an electrician. It's at this point that the CIV doesn't just undermine the candidate's performance but also undermines the validity of the assessment, not merely its content. This critical flaw leads some progressive educationalists to argue for the abolition of high-stakes assessment altogether based on a seemingly logical rationale: ‘No assessment = no nerves = no problem’. This simplistic solution overlooks the vital function these assessments serve in ensuring public confidence and professional competence. However, a failure to recognize the significance of this threat to the assessment's validity won't make the simplistic solution go away.

The Call to Order

The more prepared you are, the more confident you'll be.

Jordan Peterson advocates for bringing order to chaos. For the apprentice, this means not only mastering the technical ‘order’ of electrical systems but also imposing order on their internal state. Strategies to mitigate test nervousness—such as thorough preparation, stress management techniques, and familiarization with the assessment format—are, in essence, acts of bringing order to that internal chaos. They are practical steps in the voluntary confrontation of a personal limitation that threatens their meaningful pursuit. Educational institutions clearly have a practical and ethical role to play in mitigating the impact of nervousness as a CIV. What they shouldn't do is overcompensate by teaching to the test. Apprentices have to learn to take responsibility for their learning, their decisions and their actions. Transforming them into test-passing robots serves only one person: you. It flatters your educational vanity, and it compensates for your own feelings of inadequacy by inadequately preparing the apprentice for the challenge. 

Institutions can:

Enhance Preparation and Familiarity. Provide detailed and aligned instructional materials, realistic practice tests, and incorporate low-stakes formative assessments to build-up the apprentice's confidence. They could help too by not providing false information about the assessment. 

Emphasize Mastery and Growth: Focus on demonstrating a mastery of skills and knowledge. By pursuing quality workmanship, and not tolerating a “just get the job done" attitude, apprentices can become more than electricians, they can become good electricians who can subsequently rise into the management sphere with the acknowledged respect of their peers.

Provide Constructive Feedback and Support: Implement infrastructure to provide detailed feedback and opportunities for improvement, thus fostering an inclusive learning environment.

Teach Genuine Coping Strategies: Breathing correctly, for example, helps you control your nervous system function. James Nestor advocates a simple solution of breathing slower, inhaling and exhaling through the nose rather than the mouth. The rhythm matters too. If you inhale, through your nose for three, and back out through your nose for a count of twelve you will feel your heart rate slowly go down. This is not the same thing as medicalizing students.

By implementing these practical strategies, vocational education institutions can create a more supportive and less nervousness-provoking assessment environment. By doing so they will have played their role in removing the CIV that impedes an apprentice's ability to demonstrate their true mastery, and thereby empowered the apprentice to more effectively pursue the meaningful aim of a skilled and stable career.

Conclusion

The pervasive influence of nervousness in high-stakes vocational assessments represents a critical challenge. This intense experience acts as a significant barrier that can unfairly impact their performance and future. By recognizing this nervousness as a profound source of CIV, and implementing practical strategies to mitigate its effects, vocational institutions can ensure fairer and more accurate evaluations, empowering all apprentices to demonstrate their true potential and build successful careers. Addressing this hidden hurdle is not just about improving test scores; it's about creating an environment that serves the best interests of the apprentice, vocational education institutions, and the wider society. In this light, the nervousness experienced by apprentices in high-stakes vocational tests is not merely an inconvenience; it's a direct challenge to their ability to pursue what matters most to them. Overcoming this CIV becomes a crucial part of their journey, a personal act of courage and responsibility that aligns deeply with the principles of finding meaning through confronting life's inevitable difficulties.

Ultimately, addressing nervousness as a CIV in high-stakes vocational assessment is more than just of psychometric interest; it's a commitment to human potential. For all apprentices, and particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, these assessments are crucibles where their dedication to ‘pursuing what matters’ is put to the ultimate test. By proactively mitigating the debilitating effects of nervousness—the debilitating chaos that can obscure their true abilities—vocational education institutions can ensure that assessment outcomes genuinely reflect an individual's hard-earned skills and character, rather than the arbitrary influence of fear. This approach not only strengthens the validity of our qualifications but also empowers every apprentice to step confidently into the meaningful future that they have worked so hard to build.

Sources

Reeves, R.V. (2022) Of Boys and Men: Why The Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, Swift Press 

UMD Special Collections and University Archives, Hurdling Tradition, Flickr, https://flic.kr/p/drUnrh, accessed 25th May 2025, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en

Mackay, B. & K., (2020) Podcast #638: How Changing Your Breathing Can Change Your Life, The Art of Manliness, Health, Health and Fitness, AoM Team • August 24, 2020 • Last updated: October 1, 2021, 

https://www.artofmanliness.com/health-fitness/health/importance-of-proper-breathing/, accessed 21st May 2025.

The quote is from a National Electrotechnical Training video on LinkedIn, (NET video)