<p>I used to be sick of excuses for low standardized test scores, but I have a friend who scored <1000 on his SAT. He told me he was just a bad test taker, and since he’s my friend, I believe him.</p>
<p>Test anxiety is one issue. My son has a high GPA, and once he gets to know a teacher and a test style, he is OK usually. But he he does have issues with test taking. He tends to over analyze the questions and read more into them then what they are asking. It is improving. But when there is so much riding on a test score, like SAT/ACT, AP exams, and finals, it is un-nerving to him. And he can freeze on part of, or all of a test. The worst thing that can happen to him is that the first question on a test be one that he does not know, did not study much, or is a trick question. That can set up the whole test to be a challenge.
Am I worried about him in college? You bet. Especially those classes that will have two grades, a mid-term test and a final exam. In HS, HW, projects, quizes, and class participation scores have all helped to even out a grade if he has a bad test score. That will not be the case in college. And we continue to work on those skills this year.
So, test taking can be a weakness with some people.</p>
<p>Personally I think that no one should really make any excuse about their scores on anything. I just think that they should just say “I screwed up” and work hard to achieve desired results. I didn’t make excuses in English 1 when I made 40s-60s on a test. I always asked for a retest, studied correctly, worked harder than I did before the test, and made way higher scores the second time around. By using this philosophy, I learned about myself academically and mentally and had the highest state exam score for my school district.</p>
<p>Tests in school and a standardized test aren’t the same thing. One test in one semester in one class out of 7 or 8 classes a year from three years of high school does not have nearly as much pressure as a standardized test, which is arguably a big part of college admissions. That puts a LOT of pressure on standardized test-takers.</p>
<p>Plus, one test in one class can come with possible extra credit or test corrections, or you have other tests, quizzes, and assignments throughout the semester/year that can help balance out a bad grade. You can’t do that with standardized tests.</p>
<p>That would be one theory for people who don’t do well on standardized tests.</p>
<p>Well, I always get tense when the proctor calls five minutes, even if I’ve practiced before and try to focus, I always end up rushing.</p>
<p>@ Wiscogene: That, I admit, is something that takes practice. I used to be like that too, but then I just thought positive thoughts and continued working as though nothing happened. It works every single time.</p>
<p>It’s great that this happens because it allows colleges to differentiate between the smart and the intelligent, the cheaters and the honest, the memorizers and the thinkers, etc. A couple ppl at my school who have a 4.5+ GPA score lower than I expected because IMO they either cheat their ways toward As or their not really as smart as they seem.</p>
<p>I totally agree with the OP.
Bad test-taking is BS, if you can’t handle the pressure, how are you going to be able to handle much tougher situations in college and life?</p>
<p>Another thing I hate is “I did so bad on the SAT, I only got >2000.”
That’s not a bad score, that’s above the 90th percentile.</p>
<p>lol “all you need to buy”…you could also check out a couple of practice tests from your school or local library for (gasp) free, subscribe for collegeboard’s (admittedly crappy) question of the day, and take their free practice tests online. You don’t need to spend a cent to ace the SAT.</p>
<p>Although the bad test taking excuse could have a bit of a point to it. People tend to perform at different levels in response to different stress levels. I personally do better with a tight time frame and the pressure of official test taking conditions. Other people can focus more when they’re relaxed in familiar environments.</p>
<p>I don’t see why this bothers you.</p>
<p>In school, you get used to a teachers style of testing. Tests in school usually only cover a chapter or two of material. A pre-calc test may be on one chapter, while the math portion of the SATs is on 2-3 years worth of math. For some people, they have trouble retaining all that information, and even with preparation. </p>
<p>Some people actually do have test anxiety. Does this mean they won’t do well in the real world? No. When you have secured a job, when are they ever going to make you take a 4 hour multiple choice test? Never.</p>
<p>Before you make a generalization about people with low test scores (and that is below 2000 according to you), consider that standardized testing may not come naturally to everyone. But just because they don’t get a 2000+ on a four hour multiple choice test doesn’t mean that they are not smart.</p>
<p>I got an A in all maths and a 790 on the Math section. SNRS.</p>
<p>The only thing I can add without utilizing an excessive amount of capitalization and exclamation points is that 2000 is by no means the “you’re dumb if you don’t get it” mark. That kind of assertion is just pompous and silly.</p>
<p>Btw, the SAT isn’t life 
so don’t kill yourself over it haha (I totally get what your saying, though).</p>
<p>Happens a lot a my school. The people who take harder classes tend to have no common sense. 4.0 gpa’s are as common as those with low SAT scores, even though I live in a rich neighborhood. I only have 3.56 gpa and I got 2000 sat first time, then 32 act first time, compared to my friend who had about a 3.8 and got a 25. Really I think it’s about who has common sense and can look up from the books to see the real picture.</p>
<p>Really? Well, my best friend is in the top 10 at my school, but she does a lot to stay there. It’s so competitive; she takes 3 AP classes online, plus the 4 AP’s she takes at high school. That being said, she told me that she devotes most of her time for studying for these classes, and she puts her GPA/class rank above the SAT/ACT. She’s always tired/sleepy/etc. from studying for these classes, and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t get as much time to prepare/study for the SAT as I do. Or at least, she doesn’t focus on them like I do.
When she took her SAT, she actually got a high 1900, but she’s satisfied with that.</p>
<p>So really, I think it’s what your priorities are/what you want to focus on. On a side note, she has gotten a 5 on every single AP exam she’s taken so far.</p>
<p>The excuses do not change the mediocre SAT scores. Time management,managing anxiety, and adapting to the style of the SAT questions are part of the game. I’m ranked in the 2nd quarter of my high school(albeit mainly due to laziness) and managed to score in the 2100s on my first SAT with a week and a half of intense(several hours per day) studying. If the problem isn’t a lack of intelligence, then the kids busting their ass through 3 years of high-school for 4.0 GPAs should be able to score highly on the SAT with proper preparation, no excuses.</p>
<p>gonna thread derail:</p>
<p>this reminds me of the chick at my school who was a complete workhorse, but dumb as a rock. she got into berkeley with like a full ride. my friend apparently wrote her IAP essay for her or some ****. i asked him about it, and he didn’t say he did (he didn’t deny it either)</p>
<p>i don’t know man. the SAT isn’t that hard if you can see what they’re trying to ask. a lot of the people at my school have like 4.0+ and they do pretty bad on the SAT. even with SAT classes, a lot of them don’t even break 2000. maybe it’s grade inflation.</p>
<p>The only thing I got out of this thread:
“I was sick” sucks as an excuse. But whenever I make an excuse, I do it so the other person thinks, “Oh, she would have done much better if…”</p>
<p>So yeah.</p>
<p>OP seems a little over-concerned about this topic.</p>
<p>I have a hard time sympathizing with people who complain about the SAT and anxiety. I have a terrible anxiety disorder. The first time I took the SAT I could barely write the essay because I was shaking so badly and having a full-blown attack. Sat through it, rode it out, and I STILL have a 2220/2250 (highest/superscore). Most of the people I know who “are bad test takers” are dumb as bricks. </p>
<p>If you get a 1900-2000 that’s still perfectly respectable, though. I’m talking serious low scores here.</p>