Hope, Resilience, and Career Anxiety in the Context of Examination- Related Uncertainty

Abstract

Competitive examination uncertainty can create career anxiety among students. Psychological resources such as hope and resilience may help students cope with uncertain career outcomes. Objective: The present study aimed to examine relationships among hope, resilience, and career uncertainty and anxiety, assess their predictive role, and examine gender differences. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 76 students (38 females and 38 males). Hope was assessed through the Adult Hope Scale (pathway and agency subscales), while resilience was assessed with the Brief Resilience Scale, and Career Anxiety was assessed with the Career Uncertainty and Anxiety Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation, Welch’s independent-samples t-test, and linear regression. Results: Agency was significantly and negatively correlated with career uncertainty and anxiety (r = -.401, p < .001), while pathway showed a non-significant negative association (r = -.174). Resilience was negatively correlated with career uncertainty and anxiety (r = -.307, p < .01) and positively associated with pathway and agency. The regression model was significant, F (3,72) = 6.87, p < .001, explaining 22.3% of the variance. Agency and resilience predicted lower career uncertainty and anxiety. No significant gender differences were found.  Conclusion and Suggestions: The findings suggest that agency and resilience may serve as important psychological resources in managing career uncertainty and anxiety. Career counselling programmes should incorporate goal-setting, coping-skills training, resilience- building, and flexible career planning. Future research should use larger and more diverse samples and longitudinal or intervention-based designs to further examine these relationships.