Maleyka Abbaszadeh, Chair of the State Examination Center (SEC), stated that the primary cause of exam stress is parents' high expectations.
She noted low participation in trial exams: only about 5,000 out of nearly 100,000 applicants took part.
According to an anonymous survey by the SEC, over 60% of participants cited parents' expectations as the main stress factor.
Abbaszadeh emphasized that the exam environment itself is not stressful; rather, students become independent. Managing stress should be cultivated at home.
She also stressed that university admission is not mandatory and regretted low interest in open-door events.
