Psychological Well-being among Students: A Comparative study of Examination Type and Gender

Competitive entrance examinations like National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) are among the most demanding academic challenges for students in India. The rigorous preparation schedules, and the performance-driven environment, significantly influence students’ psychological well-being. The research aimed to compare the psychological well-being of NEET and JEE aspirants. A total of 400 participants (200 NEET aspirants and 200 JEE aspirants), aged 17–20 years, were selected from reputed coaching institutes using a purposive sampling technique. Standardized psychometric tool “Ryff Psychological well-being scale” developed by Carol Ryff (1989) was employed to assess psychological well-being. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics, including t-Test were used to compare psychological well-being between two groups. The results indicated that significant differences in psychological well-being between NEET and JEE aspirants were found, and no difference was found in relation to gender.  The outcomes of this research aim to guide the development of preventive strategies, mental health interventions, and resilience-building programs for students preparing for high-stakes competitive examinations.