Preparing for standardized tests, whether it’s the SAT, ACT, or state assessments, can be a daunting task for students. Pressure to achieve high scores can cause anxiety and self-doubt. However, by fostering a growth mindset—the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort—students can approach test prep with confidence and resilience.
Here’s how parents, students, and educators can apply growth mindset principles to the test prep process.
1. Recognize Effort Over Outcomes
Instead of focusing solely on the test score, emphasize the importance of effort and learning during the preparation process. Praise your child for their dedication to studying and their progress, even if it seems small.
Tip: Replace phrases like “You’re so smart!” with “I’m proud of how hard you’re working!” This goes for positive self-talk too: as a student, try not to refer to your abilities as fixed (as in, “I suck at the math section”), but rather flexible and effort-driven (“I know I do better on tests when I stick to a study plan”).
2. Create a Positive Study Environment
Provide a space where your child or student feels comfortable making mistakes. Encourage them to see wrong answers as learning opportunities, not failures. This will help them become more resilient when they encounter difficult material.
Tip: Set up regular check-ins to discuss challenges, and remind them that struggles are part of the learning process.
3. Embrace challenge
A growth mindset encourages us to see challenge as a necessary ingredient for true learning; by embracing challenge rather than avoiding what’s difficult, we stretch our capacities.
Tip: Mistakes on practice tests are opportunities for earning: build a notes document tracking trends in student errors, and encourage them to participate, so they gain ownership over their own learning.
4. Compete with yourself
Remember that, even while the testing process pushes students to compete with their cohort of peers, the healthiest (and most effective) way to approach the prep process is as a competition with oneself. Students should be encouraged to focus on their own growth and development.
Tip: Tracking score growth over time—but also reflecting on what strategies and efforts lead to improvement—can foster metacognitive awareness and a growth mindset.
Final Thought
A growth mindset isn’t just about academic success—it’s a life skill. Standardized tests are only one part of the education process, and the habits formed while preparing for them can extend far beyond the classroom. By shifting the focus from test scores to continuous growth, we can help students build resilience, curiosity, and a passion for learning that will last a lifetime.
As students learn to embrace challenges and persist in the face of setbacks, they will not only perform better on tests but also become more confident and motivated learners. And that’s a win for parents, teachers, and, most importantly, the students themselves.