Vol. 5, Issue 4, Part E (2019)

Background: Working memory is important for cognitive function and its impairment is related to decrement academic performance of students. Examination stress is a potential stressor of medical students and excess stress may affect cognition. So this study aims to determine the working memory capacity owing to examination stress in medical students.

Material and Method: This study was conceived recruiting 72 MBBS students. All subjects were apparently healthy. They were subjected to record the heart rate (HR) and digit span. HR was calculated by examining radial pulse. Digit span included forward digit span (FDS) and backward digit span (BDS). All recordings were estimated in two settings i.e. first just before going to oral examination to see the effect of stress and second after one month of examination they were not having any kind of stress.

Result: During the period of stress majority of students working memory capacity was below 7 digits both in FDS and BDS. The mean HR was high during stress than stress free period. The mean digit span during stress was less than the stress free period both in FDS and BDS.

Conclusion: Our study suggested that examination stress has negative impact on working memory capacity of MBBS students. Low working memory capacity is related to poor academic performance and impairment of cognition.