This paper analyzes the psycho physiological changes that occur when exam stress affects healthy
and mentally retarded schoolchildren aged 14-16 years. Psychological and cognitive indicators were
studied. The experiments were conducted in three stages: on a normal school day (control), before
the exam, and after the exam. The analysis of the obtained data showed that during the exam,
healthy schoolchildren experience psycho physiological changes, i.e. the level of stress indicators
(anxiety) increases and cognitive indicators weaken. After the exam, there was a tendency for these
indicators to return to the control level. In contrast to healthy children, mentally retarded
schoolchildren had a high level of anxiety index during the control examination, and their cognitive
indicators were 35% lower than normal. During the examination period, these indicators remained at
a relatively constant level. A comparative analysis of the data showed that depending on the level of
mental development of students, exam stress leads to stress in the psycho-emotional state of
students and this can have a serious impact on their health.
