AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ ANXIETY IN TAKING ENGLISH FINAL EXAMINATION BENGKULU UNIVERSITY (A Study at the Second Semester of the Engineering Faculty)

This study aims to determine the level of anxiety and the factors that cause anxiety
level and categories of anxiety students face in taking the Final English
Examination. Researcher used mixed methods. The participants in this study were
113 second-semester students from the Engineering Faculty. Random sampling
technique was used for the questionnaire and purposive sampling technique in
interviewing 15 students. The results of the study show, the six departments have
different levels of anxiety, there were 2 majors (Civil Engineering and Mechanical
Engineering) where the students experienced a high level of anxiety; 3 Departments
(Information Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Information Systems
Engineering) students in a medium level of anxiety; and 1 Department
(Architectural Engineering) shows student with low anxiety level. Furthermore, the
results of interviews related to the factors of anxiety show that students at high
levels of anxiety face a lack of insight into English, lack of motivation, lack of
preparation, self-doubt (fear of fail), panic that triggers the brain to work. Then,
medium level of anxiety factors, such as fear of the incompatibility of the exam
material with the material being studied, anxiety about the exam time limit and
exam situations. Whereas, low anxiety level factors, such as maximized exam
preparation. And the findings show students with high levels of anxiety are in the
trait anxiety category; students with medium anxiety level belong to the specific-
situation anxiety category; and students with low anxiety level are in the state
anxiety category. Thus, conclusion of this study is the anxiety level in taking the
English final examination for students from the six majors in the Engineering
Faculty is different, this influenced by factors from the existing anxiety level. The
suggestion from this research is that the coordinator of the General Course or the
faculty administrator and the instructor can pay more attention to the systematics of
the exam and the factors that can trigger an increase in the level of anxiety faced by
students in taking the final English exam.
Key Words: Anxiety, Anxiety Level, Anxiety Categories, English Final
Examination.