ABSTRACT
In Chapter 17, I show how both examiners and candidates in oral certification examinations can increase their understanding of examination anxiety by applying object relations theory. Unconscious images of self and others that examiners and candidates may project on to each other can affect the examination outcome. The examiner must observe himself, the candidate, and the other examiner, lest a transference affecting the examination’s progress occur, to avoid an enactment that may interfere with the examination. Unconscious processes may prejudice the examiner’s attitude towards a candidate, thus jeopardizing the examination’s fairness and validity. I describe how a candidate’s anxiety may interfere with his optimal functioning and affect the outcome of the examination, and how this might be managed.
