Keywords
College Entrance Examinations
Psychological Struggles
Non-Passers
Abstract
Failing college entrance examinations may significantly affect students’ academic direction, emotional well-being, and perceptions regarding their future. Despite the growing literature on academic stress and examination anxiety, limited studies have specifically explored the academic setbacks and psychological struggles experienced by college entrance test non-passers. Hence, this study aimed to identify the academic setbacks experienced by college entrance test non-passers and examine the psychological struggles encountered following examination failure. The study utilized a qualitative research design employing thematic analysis to gain a deeper understanding of the participants’ lived experiences. Thirty (30) college entrance test non-passers from selected universities in Zamboanga City were selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews and analyzed following the thematic analysis framework of Braun and Clarke. Findings revealed that participants experienced several academic setbacks, including disrupted educational plans, financial and institutional limitations, declining academic confidence, pressure from family and social comparison, and forced course redirection. In terms of psychological struggles, participants experienced anxiety, overthinking, shame, emotional exhaustion, self-doubt, and fear regarding their future. However, some participants eventually developed acceptance, resilience, and renewed motivation after the experience. The findings suggested that college entrance examination failure extends beyond academic rejection and may significantly influence students’ emotional well-being, educational decisions, and self-perceptions. The study highlighted the importance of strengthening academic counseling, mental health support, and resilience-building interventions among students experiencing academic setbacks and educational uncertainty.References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Alprince King A. Biri, Abnir T. Arilin, Nicole Christianne Vidal, Jillamae S. Verano (Author)