My child fails tests. Nerves? Or poor study?

Q: My 11-year-old sixth-grader seems to do very well on her homework and gets good grades in most of her classes because of this. However, when it comes to quizzes and tests, she seems to “freeze up.” I’ve heard of test anxiety and don’t know whether this is what’s occurring or if she’s just not studying appropriately for her tests. How can I tell the difference between true test anxiety and poor studying?

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A: True test anxiety is really quite rare. For this condition, psychologists generally suggest relaxation techniques, getting enough sleep the night before and not cramming for the test, among other remedies.

Most of the time, however, when parents come to me trying to figure out why their child is not doing well on tests and quizzes, I find that the answer resides in poor study habits. Most kids who seem to freeze up on the tests do so because they simply do not know the material well.

Many children will skim over the book but not study it in depth. Some depend upon memorizing facts without actually understanding the concepts, whereas others resort to prayer!

When it comes time to take the test and things aren’t exactly as they expected – for instance, the teacher has changed the format (such as asking for a short essay instead of multiple-choice answers) -- they realize that they have merely memorized the material rather than having truly understood it.

Rarely do I find a child who has “over-learned” the material -- knows it “cold” -- having difficulty with an examination. If the youngster understands the concepts as well as having memorized dates and names, most likely the test questions will be familiar and she can confidently complete the test; however, if your child has only skimmed the material or has memorized it but not understood it conceptually, the test can look quite different from what she has studied, and that can cause a cycle of fear to begin.

Once your child becomes anxious, the fear grows, pressure increases and errors occur. Once a youngster reaches that stage of anxiety, it’s virtually impossible to remember even what she has memorized, and this leads to the feeling of “blocking’ during test situations.

In summary, the answer to your child’s test-taking problem may stem more from inadequate studying techniques that from true test anxiety.

Check it out next time she has an exam to take. Study with her and make sure that not only has she memorized vocabulary, names and dates, but also understands why things occurred and can relate logically to the material. This is “over-learning,” and my guess is that the test will appear much easier to her and that she’ll be more confident.

Ruth A. Peters, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and regular contributor to “Today.” Her most recent book is "Laying Down the Law:The 25 Laws of Parenting" (Rodale, 2002).  For more information you can visit her Web site at www.ruthpeters.com. Copyright 2004 by Ruth A. Peters, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this column should not be construed as providing specific psychological or medical advice, but rather to offer readers information to better understand the lives and health of themselves and their children. It is not intended to provide an alternative to professional treatment or to replace the services of a physician, psychiatrist or psychotherapist.