Why You Shouldn't Expect a Terrific Score on a Student's First Standardized Test
On Saturday mornings at 7:30am, students begin a long day of standardized testing. After all, the SAT and ACT are rites of passage in adolescents’ academic careers. Though the prior weeks and months are filled with preparation, students don’t know what to expect outside of the test booklets on test day. They wonder about the check-in policy and the length of the line, Covid-19 restrictions and classroom organization, test distractions and disturbances. The anticipatory questions are endless.
It is important to acknowledge this element of test day which often goes unrecognized. For anxious and sensitive students, finding answers to their anticipations is a fundamental part of their first test. So, then, if this adjustment is so important, we cannot expect the first test score to rival those of practice tests.
Consider your nerves before your driving test - you wondered how friendly or strict the instructor would be and on what route they wold have taken you. You likely didn’t perform as well as you did when practicing driving with your parents. The same principle rules for other performance-based assessments, like even public presentations. Heinz Werner (1890-1964), a Austrian psychologist, likened this experience to the first time you travel to a foreign city.
“At first our perception is likely to be global, diffuse, and heavily colored by feelings. We are struck by the strange sounds, lights, odors, shapes, and colors. We feel disoriented, vaguely wondering if we are safe and how we are going to find anything. Soon, however, our picture of the city becomes more differentiated; we identify a hotel, a restaurant, a bus route. And finally we may begin to see how the various parts of the city are interrelated; we form a more conceptual map of the city” (Crain, 2010; Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications).
Students need time to assuage their disorientation. So, a big achievement on the first test day is just getting through it. Not only is this a confidence booster, but it prepares students to know exactly what will happen on the next test day. Of course life happens and other variables may come into play, but the worry and anxiety will be lessened so that the student can focus on performance without his or her brain being overwhelmed with “what if’s”.
These tests are brain-stretching and challenging for the typical student. They are long, draining, and stressful. For students with heightened sensibilities or emotions, the pressure of performing well coupled with the anxiety about what to expect obfuscate their ability to cognitively fire on all cylinders and perform to their aptitude.
So, as parents and caregivers, it is vital to acknowledge this element of test day. Though you want the best - including a personal best score - for your child, understanding that developmental processes are important in achieving this milestone is fundamental to their personal and academic success and growth as well.
ALB Tutoring helps students and parents create personalized preparation plans in order to manage stress and expectations while learning how to take the test.
Contact ALB Tutoring to help your student learn better.
