I got sick during Test Day and ruined the test but did I ruin my life?

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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Hey guys, I’ll just cut to the chase here that I suffer from extreme anxiety disorders. There are quite a few mental health conditions I’ve been diagnosed with but anxiety should sum it up. I’ve been taking different medications due to this. I was to appear for the SAT with Essay in November last year but my anxiety climaxed during test day! Part of the reason being insomnia hitting me just the night before. It was a nightmare. I couldn’t think straight at all, let alone attempt the so-called ‘most difficult test in the world’. The time ticked slowly and gradually, the breaks went by and then boom, it was over. I had ruined it. Was all the prep I had been doing for the past year for this to happen? Was this what I got for all the endless hours and days and slowly - months of hard work and effort I put into putting this monster back into its cage? It was horrifying. The invigilator snatched my paper leaving me left half-dead from the inside. I started to think straight again. WHAT HAD I DONE? HAD I RUINED MY LIFE? Well, truth is, I’m not sure to this day so that is why I am making this post.

So, after the test I faxed the Score Cancellation Request Forms to the College Board but sadly, it was, to no avail. The other end wasn’t receiving the fax for some odd reason. I was so disheartened by this, I stopped trying. I received my score - a big fat 600, while my friends received their exceptionally good scores (most were over the 2100 margin). But I had worked really hard and used to get 2200+ in my practice tests so this really destroyed me from the inside out. Since, then I forgot about the SAT and that ugly score and have been focusing on my high school GPA. But it’s just that thing about this monster that someday it’ll return and I’ll have to face it so that is why I decided to make a post today. Now, as we all know, we have the new SAT so I kind of have to begin preparation from a very early level if not from scratch. Also, there’s always the ACT waiting for you to choose it over the SAT so I’ve been considering giving the ACT instead of the SAT due to my 600 and the fact that some (actually many) high-level colleges require us to send our full SAT score report. Now considering I’m going to be applying to top colleges in the US, this is a tough decision. Also, I was thinking (BIG question in my mind), because the SAT is now redesigned and is out of 1600, will universities accept either the full score report of the earlier version or the newer version. What I mean is that, if i give the newer sat, those scores are incompatible with the ones of the older one (due to new 1600 margin), so a full score report would mean score of only this SAT and I wouldn’t have to send that hasty 600, right or wrong? If not, then I guess the ACT is the choice for me? I know this is a long post but thank you in advance guys, I really need help on this one. Also my first post here! Cheers, Jeff.

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Okay, first of all, don’t psych yourself out – the SAT is not the most difficult test in the world. I’ve had organic chemistry tests harder than the SAT. So you definitely have the capability to score well.

Secondly…

W H Y ? What happens when your anxiety acts up at a stressful school like that? Will you feel the pressure to keep up with everyone else?

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The College Board offers score choice (although some top schools make you send everything). If you did, I imagine that the AOs would consider that an anomaly. I am still wondering how one could score a 600 unless one left the test completely blank.

Maybe you could appeal for special accommodations (more time to take the test), given that you have a documented medical condition.

Or you could try a different test, like the ACT, but my kid’s experience is that it is faster-paced.

Or you could target test optional schools. A list can be found at fairtest.org

How do you manage test anxiety for regular tests at your school?

You may want to think about easing into college part time. In college, your course grade typically is based on fewer, and therefore higher stakes, exams and papers. In some classes you might have only two or three exams for the whole semester.

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…Wait what? If you cancelled your test, then no scores should be sent - it’s as if you didn’t take the SAT in the first place.

Not quite. There is quite a bit of overlap between the old and new SAT, although the new SAT seems to emphasize certain things more and also removed some.

I agree with @bodangles here. Your exams in freshman year of college will likely be harder than the SAT and require more and better preparation. Mine were like that too. So you will have to learn to study more efficiently and calm down when the exam comes.