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Standardized Tests
How to help your child improve on standardized tests
December 04, 2007 12:00 PM Filed in: High School
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Dear Dr. Fournier: My son is
a high school junior who is taking the ACT for
the first time next week. He sometimes has
difficulty on tests, but he compensates for this
in other ways. For instance, he never misses a
homework assignment because a very good homework
average keeps his grades in an A to B+ range –
even if he slips on a test. Because my son wants
early acceptance into his No. 1 college choice,
he must make at least a 34 on the ACT. Is there
anything he should do this week that could help
him?
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The Assessment: My office receives more phone calls during the weeks before the ACT or SAT tests than any other time of the year. Students want to prepare for a college entrance exam as if they were taking a test in school, and unfortunately, many students are in the habit of cramming for those weekly or monthly exams. Cramming is always a poor learning technique, relegated only to times when absolutely necessary to memorize small pieces of information. This won’t work for the ACT for two reasons. First, the ACT is too comprehensive and covers too many different modules. Secondly, preparing for the ACT is very different from studying for a typical test which relies heavily on memorization. Instead, the ACT measures a student’s critical thinking and analytical skills, two things that cannot be developed in a week.
Even though I receive these calls, I can help only those students who have taken the test before or those to which I am able to give a mock test. Analysis of these results, result in areas in extreme need, moderate re-teaching and review. Only with this information may a plan that be designed for your child. For example, a student may need to raise his math score from a 23 to a 27, and he may have scored poorly on the geometry section yet a few extra points in algebra one could make a great difference. This is where we could focus for a few days. The rest of the math part just needs a review.
Yet if the student needs to improve overall, there is nothing that is realistically doable in a couple days. I could take the parent’s money and say, “I’ll do the best I can,” but it is impossible to cram years of knowledge and thinking skills into a one or two day session. Standardized tests assess if your basic skills are intact and if you can think critically and synthesize information. These tests are not about memory; they are about reasoning.
What To Do: Your son may take the ACT and get the results he desires on the first test. If he doesn’t make the scores he desires, remember that he is a junior and there is still time to take the test again. He may be focused on early acceptance, but explain to him that he should not be discouraged. After all, Abraham Lincoln lost many elections before becoming President of the United States.
If your son needs to retake this test, I would highly recommend a program that will help HIM prepare for the second test, in which the program’s focus and individual help are strategically designed for his success. Many parents are willing to pay anything for ACT/SAT preparation program, but be careful how you choose. Group courses are herd courses. Do you want your child to be part of the pack, or do you want him to stand out? Unless teachers or tutors are willing to demonstrate that they precisely know your child’ unique priorities then keep looking.
If parents are willing to pay the tuition of an exceptional university, then they shouldn’t train their children to deal with the admission process together with a herd. A solid foundation through a well-planned, advanced test preparation course could be the extra boost that your child needs.
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