As the recent SAT exam, held March 8, released scores to test-takers, students felt conflicted about whether or not they were prepared for the exam in terms of atmosphere, studying, and the testing process.
“[The exam] is more about understanding patterns and solving the questions in the way College Board formats them,” junior Liad Studnik said. “I personally believe it’s less about academic skills, but about test-taking ability.”
Many of the test-takers felt as if this recent exam has been especially difficult, with the adaptive modules giving them an indicator if they did well or not by the second portion. Students have expressed a sense of appreciation for the exam’s adaptability, as before they felt that the same questions for every student could have been unfair and not an accurate display of skill.
“I didn’t feel too prepared going into the exam, since this was the height of all of my AP and honors classes,” junior Taye Sangkhae said. “I barely had any time to study throughout the week.”
Despite the large amount of studying students worldwide use to prepare for the exam, no student believes that they have ever prepared enough. Common faults these students believe they had were issues of focus, procrastination, and overall discipline. The amount of hours students put into studying for the SAT is reflected in their scores, but many believe after receiving their scores that they did not put in enough effort. The anxiety over this exam has caused many students to experience burnout when studying or self-blame if their scores aren’t ideal.
“I think your state as you are taking the exam really affects performance,” Studnik said. “The [location] really is a confining variable that can really mess up some students.”
Along with the amount of preparation students have, another factor that many believe will affect their scores is their testing atmosphere. College Board offers different locations where students can take the test, and multiple locations are in loud areas where students may not be able to focus properly as the day continues. For example, for this past SAT, there was a location in particular that was near an airport and test-takers had to endure the sound of planes taking off for the full three-hour period, which led to issues of distraction and the question if every location is fair.
“Everybody is supportive of each other, especially since you can take the SAT multiple times to [improve],” junior Suriya Joseph said. “I think [the exam] is good for truly testing your knowledge.”
Although the stress of the SAT can get to many students, the positive side of this exam is that it helps many learn how to manage their time and find ways to study that work for them. Since students are able to take the exam multiple times, they are able to figure out what methods are truly helpful for them, and redirect their energy to improving for their next exam. The most important factor in performance for many in the SAT is prioritizing mental health, since a clear head space will allow for students to work at the best of their abilities. If they perform worse than expected, there are different ways in which they can pick themselves up and get to work again.
“Your problem solving skills that you can use in both the English and Math portions really captures how well you’re able to integrate your knowledge,” Studnik said “I think that’s what [the exam] wants to teach students.”
