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Helping students prepare for standardized tests

To prepare your students for standardized tests, explain to them first the concepts and purpose of the examination.

Standardized tests are usually created by commercial test publishers, and are designed to give a common measure of student performance. Since the same test is administered to everyone, individual student performance can be comparable to the performance of a class or a school or a district.

Also, because of this uniformity of test conditions, “standards” can be developed to show if a school program is succeeding and if the students are performing well.

There are two types of standardized tests:

  1. Standardized achievement tests - measures what students have already mastered. These are helpful in assessing curriculum, teaching skills and educational development.
  2. Aptitude tests - measures the likelihood of a student’s future academic success. More emphasis is given to creativity, verbal ability, abstract reasoning, among others.

There are different types of standardized tests. Most measure how much a student has learned about school subjects (like reading, math, language skills or science).

It also measures  a student’s ability to learn in school. Verbal ability can be determined, as well as mechanical ability, creativity and abstract reasoning.

There are limitations that students have to understand, however. You can emphasize that standardized tests cannot measure certain skills and abilities they might have, and many factors often affect a standardized test score.

At least when they understand the basics, they might feel more comfortable and at ease in taking the tests.

Preparing your students for the tests

  • Reduce test anxiety. Look for short, sample tests online designed to prepare students for  specific standardized tests. An example would be tests with instructions given in the same format, or questions presented in the same format.
  • Let students read the instructions on sample tests to help them familiarize themselves with the tests.
  • Brief them in advance how long the tests will take (especially for timed tests), how early they have to arrive at the test site, and what things to bring (e.g. pencils).
  • Skip the hardest questions, and go back to them later. Statements like “none of the above” and “all of the above” are also sometimes not the perfect catch-all answer.
  • After the test, it might help if students get the chance to talk about their experience, to get their frustrations about tests out in the open.
  • When test results arrive, discuss the class performance as a whole, and the individual test scores with the respective student. Class performance can show the class’s standing against other classes, the area where they are most strong at and weak at, and how consistent it is with daily performance.

Sources:

Bagin, Carolyn Boccella. “Talking to your high school students about standardized tests.” Retrieved February 10, 2010 from http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=1&n=4
Hiler, Trenna Sue. “Preparing your students for standardized tests fun.” Retrieved February 10, 2010 from
http://www.helium.com/items/967264-preparing-your-students-for-standardized-tests-fun

(Published 01 March 2010, Smart Communications Inc.)