This post is sponsored and written in partnership with the College Board.
Parents of college-bound teenagers love to compare notes. They discuss college choice, essay frustration and of course, test prep. Has your son taken the SAT yet? Did he do well? Is he happy with his score? How many times is he taking it? Are you and he stressed about the test?
It’s only natural for parents to ask these questions. SAT test-related anxiety is very real. Students are stressed because they feel their entire future is riding on how well they do on the exam. Parents are stressed because their students are stressed and want them to succeed. Both parents and students often feel the anxiety is simply part of the process and there is nothing they can do to relieve it. This is not true.
With the right knowledge and preparation, anxiety can easily become a non-issue for you and your student. Three factors can help remove the stress surrounding the test and help prepare your student for the March SAT.
Perspective
Let’s face it—test scores are an important part of the college application; but the key word here is “part”. Colleges use the SAT score as a tool to evaluate the student’s readiness to attend college. However, they also use your student’s GPA, his or her essay, the quality of their academic performance, extra-curriculars and other factors. They look at the whole student—not just a test score. Keeping this top of mind should remove some of the stress and pressure.
If you want your student to feel relaxed and confident, remind him that you’re proud of the work he is doing and you have every confidence that he will succeed and get an amazing education. He is, of course, more than a test score!
Preparation
Students know that taking any test without studying or preparing can be recipe for disaster. The same rings true for taking the SAT. The more time your student spends studying and preparing, the less anxiety he will feel on test day. Fortunately, there is free Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy available online for every student. Your student should take advantage of these resources and allocate the time to study and prepare. It’s important to remember: preparation prevents panic and it leads to confidence and score growth!
Practice
Familiarity breeds confidence. Once you are familiar with a task, it’s easier to tackle it the second time. Practice tests are available for a reason: they help students become familiar with the test. Start the SAT prep process early and encourage your student to take the timed, realistic practice tests. When test day arrives, he can take the test with confidence.
Keep all these points in mind and you and your student will be more relaxed and confident on test day. Anxiety and stress are real, but they don’t have to be a problem when you follow these guidelines.
Don’t forget to register by February 9th for the March SAT to avoid late registration penalties.
