Academic testing has become the dominant metric for evaluating student learning, university admissions, and professional certification. While assessments aim to measure competence, an unintended consequence is the emergence of significant psychological distress. Test anxiety—characterized by worry, intrusive thoughts, and physiological hyperarousal before or during exams—affects an estimated 20–40% of students (Cassady & Johnson, 2002). However, a growing body of evidence indicates that test anxiety rarely occurs in isolation. Repeated academic failure, high-stakes testing environments, and perfectionistic pressures frequently co-produce depressive symptoms, creating a comorbid condition here termed test depression and anxiety (TDA).