Why Test Taking Is Like Basketball

The ability to successfully take tests will serve you throughout your life. From the ISEE and SSAT, to the LSAT and the GRE, success and upward mobility in life often comes down to the ability to perform well on tests.

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, it is actually not true.

Being successful at taking tests is to accurately demonstrate your knowledge. 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 reality, 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.

Like basketball, success on standardized tests requires hard work and knowledge of the game. We’ve 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.