The gross paranoia that has swept our cohort has been, in my opinion, mostly due to the overwhelming number of people memorising their essays for English. I will not say this is WRONG, but I do not think it's the best way to learn English either. It's the best way for some people, to beat a test, but otherwise, it's not a learning method that will open people up to variety in answers. People memorising essays will definitely be worried about the potential to have to write in another text type, because it's not what they would have memorised; on the other hand, they may be asked to write about ONE related belonging piece which does not fit the requirements of those memorised essays with TWO relateds. When this memorised, rote learnt treatment of a text is suited to be shorter, to fit a 2-related essay, then there could be trouble. That's why I prefer taking notes, drawing from which whatever I need to answer the questions. But, as they say, each to their own. Other people can't do that, and if they rely on memorisation, that's their prerogative, but I think that's where this paranoia originates, mostly...
However, I think it has also been due to module prescriptions having changed for the first time in 8 years. This is mostly new, except of course some of the critical study texts and some other recycled texts in other modules.
BUT! I've been calmly telling myself that everyone has to do this. Hundreds of thousands have done it before us. People will continue to do it after us.