3 minutes of readingBombayFebruary 3, 2026 08:55 pm IST
As test anxiety peaks ahead of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam scheduled to begin next week, state board-appointed counselors are fielding 10 to 15 calls a day from students struggling with the pressure and fear of failure.
This year, however, counselors say a new pattern has emerged. Individual calls are increasingly becoming group conversations, in which students place their phones on speakers so that their classmates, friends, and sometimes even family can hear, effectively turning helplines into informal group counseling sessions.
One lor said she was surprised when a student asked permission to put his phone on speaker so his entire class could hear tips on how to manage stress. The call came from Ashram Shala, a residential school in interior Maharashtra that serves children from tribal and other backward communities.
“The student called to discuss increasing stress levels before exams, particularly anxiety over last-minute preparations. The caller asked if it would be okay for the entire class to listen in, as many of them had similar concerns. Once they put the phone on speaker, some other students began asking questions ranging from fear of making mistakes when writing papers to worry about blanking out during exams and fear of failure,” the counselor said.
He added that the group interaction seemed to help the students. “When one student spoke up, others realized they were experiencing the same feelings. It created a space where students felt safer sharing their concerns, showing how group conversation can be calming when members realize they are not alone in experiencing a certain feeling,” she said.
Another lawyer said she received a call about pressure related to board results and its impact on higher education options. “On one such call, the caller expressed his lack of confidence in scoring well enough to pursue the higher education course of his choice. While speaking, I noticed that the phone was on speaker and a group of four to six were arguing among themselves before asking a question,” the counselor said, adding that after gaining confidence through group interaction, a couple of students moved on to speak individually.
Counselors said concerns raised by students range from anxiety over last-minute preparation to stress experienced during prelims, oral exams and practical assessments, which are conducted before written assignments. Several callers also talked about parents’ anxiety adding to their stress. Counselors said they also received calls from parents asking for advice on how to deal with their own concerns.
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Onelor recalled a call from a girl who was complaining about pressure from her parents. “After she finished speaking, her parents also joined the interaction. The discussion then turned into a family conversation, helping them realize how they were unknowingly adding stress to each other during an already anxious exam period,” he said.
