Why Test Taking Is Like Basketball

The ability to perform well on tests will serve you throughout your life. From the ISEE and SSAT, to the LSAT and the MCAT, success and upward mobility in life often come down to test-taking proficiency. At Test Innovators, our vision is based on one core belief: test-taking is a skill that can be learned.

However, not everyone shares this belief. Some students get discouraged early on and internalize the idea that they just aren’t good at taking tests. Not only is this a damaging outlook that often lasts beyond one’s academic career, but it is also not factually true. Being successful at test-taking means accurately demonstrating your knowledge on a subject. While it is true that some students have an innate talent for competitive tests, others find testing incredibly difficult. This doesn’t mean that they can’t learn how to succeed on tests.

In practice, test-taking is a skill like basketball. Some players start out with advantages like height, agility, or great hand-eye coordination. Some players have two left feet. But that doesn’t mean anyone who picks up a basketball can’t learn how to pass, make free-throws, and handle the ball effectively if they are dedicated to learning and improving.

“Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.” – Michael Jordan

Similar to basketball, success on standardized tests requires hard work and knowledge of the game, and it never hurts to have an experienced coach in your corner. We here at Test Innovators have been studying testing since 2012. Through helping over 150,000 students improve their performance on the SSAT, ISEE, PSAT, ACT, and SAT, we’ve developed data-informed materials, tools, and resources to help every student attain test success. Everyone can test-take because everyone has the capacity to learn.