High-stakes testing is the main cause of test anxiety in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, with the potential to undermine both performance and assessment validity. While test-taking strategies have commonly been offered as a solution to mitigate this anxiety, their effectiveness may not be generalizable to all learners. The current study investigated the moderating role of achievement goal orientation on test- taking strategy use and test anxiety levels among intermediate Iraqi EFL learners. Three self-report inventories were used from previous research: the Test-Taking Strategy Questionnaire, the Test Anxiety Inventory, and the Achievement Goal Questionnaire, and handed to a sample of 150 intermediate Iraqi EFL learners. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze the effects of moderation. Results confirmed a strong negative main effect where greater strategy use was associated with lower test anxiety. Most importantly, a significant moderation effect for two goal orientations was established. Performance-avoidance motivation strongly reduced this relationship, rendering strategies ineffective in lowering anxiety in students highly motivated by fear of failure. Conversely, mastery-approach goal had a strong moderation effect that increased the relationship and the anxiety-reducing value of test-taking strategies for students directed towards actual learning. There were no effects for substantial moderation by performance-approach or mastery-avoidance goals. These findings confirm that psychological value of test-taking strategy is not fixed but highly dependent on the motivational framework of the learner. This study emphasizes the significance of pedagogies that not just teach students cognitive strategies but also proactively develop a mastery-classroom culture to prepare students to masterfully cope with academic pressures.

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