Hatun, OsmanDemirci, İbrahim2026-04-252026-04-2520251302-1370https://doi.org/10.17066/tpdrd.1561131https://search.trdizin.gov.tr/tr/yayin/detay/1343779https://hdl.handle.net/11486/8045Studies on test anxiety frequently focus on risk factors, whereas the associations between future anxiety, test anxiety, and the protective factors that may mediate this relationship have rarely been studied. Although cross-sectional studies have explored the connections between these variables, their combined investigation within a longitudinal framework remains scarce, leaving an important gap in the literature. The aim of this research was to examine the psychometric properties of the Dark Future Scale (Study 1), and to examine whether self-compassion and academic self-efficacy mediate the longitudinal association between future anxiety and test anxiety among college students (Study 2). The Study 1 participants were 393 (Mean = 22.25, SD = 3.43) and Study 2 participants were 169 (Mean = 20.84, SD = 2.31) college students. The results showed that the Dark Future Scale met the criteria for validity and reliability. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the longitudinal mediation across two waves. The results revealed that self-compassion and academic self-efficacy serve as longitudinal mediators in the link between future anxiety and test anxiety. In conclusion, self-compassion and academic self-efficacy may mediate the link between future anxiety and test anxiety by reducing the negative effect of future anxiety. © 2025 The Authors. Turkish Journal of Counseling Psychology and Guidance is published by Turkish Psychological Counselling and Guidance Association. This is an article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. As the original work is properly cited, reproduction in any medium is permitted.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessAcademic self-efficacyFuture anxietyLongitudinal mediationSelf-compassionTest anxietyArticle157869771610.17066/tpdrd.15611312-s2.0-105020411722Q41343779