School Psychology vs. Test Psychology

There's a distinct disconnect between being a good student and being a good test-taker. Good students are organized, thorough, respectful, and conscientious. They’ve adapted themselves well to the expectations at school: they keep track of and turn in their assignments on time, cooperate with peers, and feel invested in homework and extracurricular activities. But when it comes to testing, they struggle and can’t figure out why what works for them in school doesn't work in this universe.

Not so my natural-born test takers. They tend to be more preternaturally gifted but less sociable. They don't value work for its own sake. They're not much interested in peers and participate only marginally in group activities. They highly favor certain teachers while looking down on others. These students have not adapted themselves well to school demands and are known by teachers as "that brilliant kid who doesn't do any work." Yet every time that frustrating kid takes a test, especially a multiple-choice test, he aces it without effort, in half the time it takes his classmates.

Hmm. Well, that's not fair, is it?

Life isn’t. And testing isn’t, either. It’s generally accepted that both tests, but more so the ACT, are aligned with the reading, math, and writing skills students learn in American high schools. So shouldn’t testing be aligned, therefore, with the values, strategies, and behaviors students are encouraged to employ in school?

It’s weird, but these tests do no such thing. They operate on completely different logical systems. That’s why I always say to my A and B students in tears after getting a low score on their test, “This isn’t school, and this isn’t schoolwork. You’re going to do something new.”

Below are just some of the most obvious ways the standardized tests challenge students to reject what they've been conditioned to believe:

The test doesn't care how you arrive at the right answer.

The test doesn't care how much time you take.

The test doesn't make you show your work.

You don't need to know everything--only enough to score the point.

Homework should not be done the day it’s assigned.

You can forget it as soon as it's done.

Checking your work is a bad idea.

Each of these is a topic unto itself, so I won’t go into detail here (that will be for later posts), only summarize: The tests value only accuracy. Whatever is possible and necessary to fairly get that raw point is valid. They don’t see your process, only the result. They’re not interested in the depth of your understanding or your retention. They really don't care how much effort you put in. You are, truly, not a person to them, only penciled-in bubbles, a series of correct and incorrect choices.

Now, the good news is, this objective assessment is only one part of your application. Of course schools want to know the person behind the bubbles. That’s why application packages include recommendations, student essays and resumes, and academic records. That’s good news for the students who worked hard and did their civic duty -- those are the types colleges seek out for their communities. And it can be bad news for the gifted test-taker who never did any homework. Teachers won’t have much to say about him, and he won’t have much to write in his essay.

But if you do seek a higher score, consider adopting a different mindset when entering the testing zone. Be sharp. Be ruthless. Be a strategist. Be a logician. Then go home, cry, sleep for a few hours, and get back to your real life.

If you enjoyed this post, please visit my website at www.georgiagelmis.com to find out how I can help your student. Email contact@georgiagelmis.com, phone 917-574-8662.