Cultural and sexual differences in test anxiety were investigated in samples of high school students in Egypt (N= 277), Brazil (N = 234), and the United States (N = 141). Measures of trait anxiety and trait arousability were also included. Compared to the United States greater test anxiety was found in Egypt on both the worry dimension and the emotionality dimension. Greater test anxiety was also found in Brazil, but only on the emotionality dimension. Compared to both the United States and Brazil, greater trait anxiety and arousability were reported by high school students in Egypt. Finally, in all three cultures females reported greater worry, emotionality, trait anxiety, and arousability than males. A possible explanation for the cultural differences in test anxiety is the important consequences of high school testing in Egypt and Brazil.
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