As a university professor, I can state with some confidence that many people do not look forward to taking exams. Finishing them, yes; taking them, no. Exams are, by their very nature, inherently stressful. But they should not be traumatic. Exams should be designed to measure what students have learned — without threatening their mental and emotional health in the process. When creating an exam, instructors should be mindful of the impact certain questions might have on their students.
