Read the following passage and circle the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the blanks.

Many people experience stress or anxiety before an exam. In fact, a little nervousness can actually help you perform your best. (1) ______, when this distress becomes so excessive that it interferes with performance on an exam, it is known as test anxiety. What does it feel like to experience test anxiety? You paid attention in class, took detailed notes, read every chapter, and even attended extra study sessions after class, so you should do great on that big exam, right? When the test is presented, however, you find yourself so (2) ______ that you blank out the answers to even the easiest questions. If this experience sounds familiar, then you might be experiencing test anxiety.

Test anxiety is a psychological condition in which people experience extreme distress and anxiety in testing situations. In situations where the pressure is on and where a good performance counts, people can become so (3) ______ that they are unable to do their best.

The severity of test anxiety can vary (4) ______ from one person to another. Some people might feel like they have "butterflies" in their stomach and while others might find it very difficult to concentrate on the exam.

While test anxiety can be very stressful for students who experience it, many people do not realize that is quite common. Nervousness and anxiety are perfectly (5) ______ reactions to stress. For some people, however, this fear can

become so intense that it interferes with their (6) ______ to perform well.

(https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-test-anxiety-2795368)

(1) ______, when this distress becomes so excessive that it interferes with performance on an exam, it is known as test anxiety.