There Are no ‘Bad Testers,’ only Students who Have Not Prepared for the SAT Test

Scoring well on the SAT Test has become more vital over the years, as competition at colleges increases each year. Studies show that taking time to prepare for the SAT test, especially with a private tutor, allows students who feel like they are ‘bad testers’ to learn the ins and outs of the test. The following article states that cramming for this important test only leads to more stress, and that comprehensive preparation before the SAT test leads to the highest increase in score.

What does testing season truly test?

Thirty years ago we thought the SAT tests would determine our future; today they actually do.
Students are told over and over that their futures hinge on how they fare on these tests. There’s a good reason for the message, says Colin Gruenwald, director of SAT and ACT test preparation for Kaplan, which is owned by The Washington Post Co. “The number of students applying to colleges is going up,” Gruenwald told me recently.
And it’s not just high-schoolers who are bombarded with the message. Elementary and middle school students take standardized tests that help dictate class placement, take tests to gain admission to magnet programs or charter schools, take entrance exams to get into private high schools.
The message is simple: Do well. Your future depends on it.

What about the really bright kid who freezes up on exam day, who is the quintessential “poor test-taker”?
But, he says, there aren’t really poor test-takers, just kids who haven’t yet figured out what is being tested. “A student who doesn’t understand that’s what the test is looking for will conclude ‘I’m a bad test-taker,’ and it becomes self-fulfilling prophecy.”
There are strategies to help kids eliminate variables that can hurt their performance on these important tests. Take practice tests, study over a span of time, but don’t cram.