In a recent article, the Wall Street Journal questions the value of test preparation programs for standardized educational tests.
I am a common sense kind of guy, who likes to nutshell. I believe you can reduce the literature on coaching programs for standardized educational test taking to the following:
Coaching does have an effect on test performance but not much different than schooling itself, which of course could be seen as a type of ultimate test coaching.
So if you want your child to do well on the SAT:
- Have them pay attention and learn a lot in school.
- Have them read a lot outside of school.
- Have them write a lot outside of school.
- Give them a good breakfast (guess I watch too many commercials).
Having said that, the problem I have with a lot of commercial coaching programs is that they teach the student that doing well on a test is all about tricks and learning the tricks. That is the worst message you can give. Doing well on a test is all about studying hard, being prepared, and putting in a lot of effort. It is not about learning tricks.
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Again, a comment that did not post from the original author. This is also from Tim:
You are right that the best way to prepare for a test is to work hard at knowing the material. However, I think you may discount the value of what you call “tricks” and I would call smart test-taking. For example when you read a multiple choice question do you stop reading the answers when you find what you think is the correct one? Not a good test-taking strategy if you do. As an undergraduate I came to adore multiple choice exams as a fun mental exercise on par with the enjoyment some derive from say crossword puzzles. Yes I studied hard and knew the material, but I also believe this strategy (reading all answers before selecting) helped me substantially in maintaining high marks in these exams.
Further, what is a test? In large part it is regurgitating information not just as cold facts but also to satisfy the world/material view of the test-giver (e.g. instructor). That is to say how you frame and present the facts. Especially at university level you may find professors whom you would otherwise find quite unfair in grading if you did not adopt their sometimes subjective views of the material they teach.