The Positive Impact of Dropping the Lowest Test Score on Academic Performance and Stress Levels in MathBased Graduate Courses

Abstract

There is no doubt that exam season in colleges and graduate schools can be a time of high stress. The average student has about three weeks to prepare for an exam, and the pressure can be intense. This can lead to lower grades on the final exams for some students, which can have a negative impact on their GPAs. Math classes at the college level tend to be characterized by a high level of anxiety among students. These pressures can cause some students to forgo studying entirely, which results in low scores on final exams. In addition to providing exam preparation tips, lecturers can relieve student stress by incorporating opportunities for formative assessment, exam reviews, and dropping the lowest test score into the exam schedule. In the current study, we tested the strategy of dropping the student’s lowest test score and its benefits in math-based graduate courses at an engineering college. The study investigated whether this strategy could decrease the amount of stress experienced by students during exam periods and enhance overall academic performance. Overall, the study results suggest that the strategy of dropping the lowest test score does have a positive impact on both the academic performance of students and their stress levels during exam periods. These results can be used by instructors to design more effective strategies to improve academic outcomes among their students.