There are many test taking skills one needs to have to succeed at taking tests. And these skills come more easily to some students than others. And some students are taught these skills better in early education than others.
Unfortunately, at some point these skills became the most important skills for students to have. Most educators don't feel that way, but the schools ability to get funding depends on students doing well on tests, so many have to choice but to acts as if they do.
Because of this, doing poorly on tests often means spending more time learning how to take test. Which would be fine if a, we were better at teaching this, b, testing skills were an actually important life skill, and c, it didn't come at a major cost of teaching other subjects much less effectively.
Meanwhile Johnny Goodtesttaker is playing with his pen only half learning enough to skate by unnoticed, ensuring that his future will be harder for everything he didn't learn.
That was me. I was very good at 1 guessing and 2 quickly taking in only portions of sentences and words and linking them together in my mind so that I could skim a study guide the class before a test and remember literally everything I needed to pass it with flying colors. Then college with its disdain for multiple choice questions and application based tests arrived and I had to completely relearn how to do everything and so far ive had almost no use for 90% of the shit i learned in high school even just in college.
Unfortunately, at some point these skills became the most important skills for students to have. Most educators don't feel that way, but the schools ability to get funding depends on students doing well on tests, so many have to choice but to acts as if they do.
Because of this, doing poorly on tests often means spending more time learning how to take test. Which would be fine if a, we were better at teaching this, b, testing skills were an actually important life skill, and c, it didn't come at a major cost of teaching other subjects much less effectively.
Meanwhile Johnny Goodtesttaker is playing with his pen only half learning enough to skate by unnoticed, ensuring that his future will be harder for everything he didn't learn.