Support Your Student Through Test Anxiety

It's natural to feel anxious about standardized testing.

This is all the more true of the SAT & ACT, which have historically taken on an outsized role in the college admissions process - from the student's perspective, in the creation of their future.

While it's not always possible to eliminate test anxiety, it is possible to learn to work with it. And because anxiety and uncertainty go hand in hand, you can support your student by getting on the same page about the following things.

The process of setting a score goal should be collaborative and informed.

At the end of the day, these are college admissions exams, and you should make sure your student's score goals stay tethered to that. What schools are they interested in and why? If they are going to stretch for a higher score, it has to be for the right reasons. Without clarity on this, comparison reigns and anxiety thrives.

The tests are part content, part process.

If you're uncertain about what I mean, check this out first: What Do the SAT & ACT Really Test?

If your student is anxious about their ability to perform, try to help them identify the root of their distress: is it an issue of content (not knowing the material well enough) or process (not knowing how to apply their knowledge to the test)?

If you're not sure or you don't agree on the source of the issue, it's time to work with a tutor, whose experience can point you in the right direction. Even a few sessions can be clarifying and help your student get out of a rut.

Your student should have real plans to take the test multiple times.

No amount of prep time can expose your student to the challenges of the actual testing room - think the difference between a rehearsal and a live performance, or a scrimmage and the playoffs.

Make sure that you're encouraging them to seek more out of each time in the testing room than just a score; they should be learning and growing from each experience so that they may better prepare when and if they take the test again.

Let it breathe.

It's okay to take breaks from prep, to adjust test dates, and to change goals over time. In fact, doing so can be rejuvenating if your student is burnt out on prep. I promise, some breathing room will only help.