Why doesn’t my child’s SAT/ACT score reflect his/her school performance?

Some parents are dismayed when they see their children’s SAT/ACT scores because the scores do not seem to reflect academic performance. If someone’s child is getting mostly A’s and B’s in school, how is it that getting even to 1000 on the SAT seems so challenging?

While there is a positive relationship between school performance and standardized test scores, there are many other factors at play that decide how a child performs on a standardized test like the SAT/ACT.

One issue that creates this gap between grades and test scores is the learning gaps many students have by the time they are supposed to take these exams. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics assessment, only 34 percent of eighth-grade students are at or above proficient. In the NAEP reading assessment, it is also only 34 percent that are at or above proficient by the eight grade.

Because most students are not proficient in math and reading, they struggle when they get to the SAT/ACT. Their scores do not match the grades they worked hard to earn. They did everything they could in school, but there are still gaps in their learning that need to be filled in order to do well on the SAT/ACT.

The SAT/ACT often introduces new skills in a rigorous and cumulative format that some students struggle with because of learning gaps. For students who are not used to such challenging material, the process can leave them thinking they are not intelligent or just a bad test-taker.

But it is lack of preparedness and tenacity—not lack of intelligence or test-taking abilities—that really gets students. Because of the knowledge and skills gaps, good students still have to do a lot of preparation to achieve the outcomes they want. Most students are capable of achieving their target scores if they work hard to fill in these gaps.

Another issue some students face is test anxiety. Having test anxiety can knock students’ scores down significantly because it can cause students to lose their focus, doubt their answers, and manage time poorly. Research studies have shown that when students have perfectionist and self-criticism tendencies, this raises their test anxiety and causes them to do worse on exams. Thankfully, test anxiety is something that can be managed through several methods.

 A third issue that can show up is learning differences. While learning differences are often spotted and tested for when a child is in school, sometimes they are not spotted until later when preparing for standardized exams. Failing to get testing and accommodations for learning differences can needlessly hold a child back from reaching their full potential.