Test-taking Anxiety
By Daryl CapuanoSAT ACT Test PrepMy friend’s wife – who is a very nice woman – in explaining her daughter’s test-taking anxiety “We don’t want to stress her out…” she explained. So we’ll just let her take the SAT without test prep.
Connecticut has mandated that all high school students had to take the SAT as part of graduation requirements. My friend’s daughter attends high school in an even more competitive area of Connecticut – Fairfield County – than Shoreline CT. I knew she would soon hear that her friends were preparing for the SAT. They might grumble about doing so but at least they would be actively tackling the thing that was causing them anxiety.
As might be expected, the unprepared daughter did not do well on her first SAT. I should add that the student did not have any serious anxiety issue, just the garden variety type that most people have about something that causes stress. More importantly, the student wanted to attend a “good college”, which usually translates to a “college that most people think is good”. This basically means a highly ranked college. Those colleges, of course, most always require strong SAT scores.
After doing poorly – particularly in comparison to her well-trained friends – the daughter’s anxiety was severely heightened and she had more ammunition for her story that “she wasn’t a good test taker.”
Those who train with us often have anxiety. After training with us, their anxiety decreases. After doing well, they are no longer anxious.
CEO, The Learning Consultants and Connecticut’s top private education consultant
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