While not in every case, it is my experience that test taking anxiety is most often the result of lack of preparation. Deep down, students know if they are prepared. Lack of preparation is due to a multiple of reasons — lack of consistent daily study, lack of demonstration of active listening skills in the classroom, and other factors.
Parents MUST also understand the mechanics of how grades are determined. More and more, online products are used for “in class” situations. Most often, homework assignments and questions can be retried and retaken multiple times. While this can augment the learning experience, the majority of the time this results in escalation of homework grades that DO NOT correlate with mastery. As such, this is exposed when tests are taken.