Having a Diffucult Time With Testing...Need Advice, Please

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I've been having a horrible time on tests this school year. I do fine on my assignments and even the review sheets for the tests, but come test time I just can't do it and I score C's and below. I've never had a problem with this until recently. I can't figure out what is going wrong, especially since I am doing so well on my assignments. I don't know if it is anxiety, the classroom environment, or what. But something has to change before I fail.

If anyone has any suggestions I'm listening. Also, how can I bring this up to my teachers? I am not diagnosed as an aspie, so I can't really use that to help me work this out.

Please, I am becoming desperate.

Thank you.

You should discuss your difficulties in doing well on exams with your high school teachers...they are your BEST source of help in finding solutions that will help you to do well on these exams.

Now analyze everthing in detail
It can be a very simple detail that disturbs you. If and when you find it then it hopefully makes it better for you

You might get too blocked by just beeing aware you have to show your best under limited timepressure
Your sleep and food habits. Are you well prepared and relaxed before you start?

Be honest to your teachers. Say you worry about your results and ask how you can improve. You dont have to say anything related to AS at all.
Just say you need feedback related to your studies and say that its something that disturbs you and you dont know what.

If they are good then they are willing to find a solution to work for you.
Maybe you can be allowed to do the tests in another room alone so you dont have to feel the stress seeing others leaving as finished before you do?

Hopefully they have the best suggestions for you to improve as they meet you and see your progresses.

Good Luck I hope it will go well for you!

Something that worries me is that they will assume I am just being lazy. I am in AP and honor classes at my high school and doing very well other than the testing. I am mainly having the problem in my math (pre-calculus) class, although it is apparent in some of my other classes (just less severely). I went in to talk to my math teacher this afternoon and just ended up asking to see my test because I chickened out.

I have to get this taken care of. Do you think we (WP'ers) could work together to help me come up with some things to say to get the problem out into the open? I work better with talking when I script it beforehand. Here's my start, any reccomendations are much welcome:

"May I speak with you about my grades?"
(Hopefully teacher says yes, and we continue)
"I'm concerned about my test scores. I'm doing everything I can to prepare for them but I keep scoring below where I feel I should. What can I do to improve?"

What next? I know it's impossible to predict what the teacher will say, but having some basic guidelines would probably make this much smoother and easier.

Thank you.

So far as math, I don't know, cause what I was thinking applies less to math tests, but is there a specific type of test that you have trouble with? I'm usually fine on an essay or multiple choice test, but I cannot do fill-in-the-blank. I didn't realize this until recently, but I think that this is an aspie trait; if I know what I'm talking about, I can ramble on in an essay, and if it's multiple choice, I can figure it out logically, but correctly answering a fill-in-the-blank requires knowing exactly what it is that's being asked. So for some types of tests, theory of mind becomes a serious issue. My mind doesn't fill in the intent of the question.

Is there a specific kind of test that's giving you a problem? It could be that the style of test is not the one that's best suited to your learning style. Some people do very well on multiple choice but freeze up on essays, or do very well on essays and short answer but simply can't find their way around a multiple choice exam. Of course, there's very little you can do about that except learn the specific techniques that work for that kind of test -- your teacher or the guidance councilor should be able to help with this. You could also discuss it with your teacher and find out if the style of test can be varied.

Do you have a diagnosis? If you do talk to your school's CSD office (Center for students with Disabilities) they should be able to provide you with such accommodations as a Quiet room and extended time to take your tests .

I think it's the noise and percieved stress of others (as well as your own) that might be your main problem, I know that with me, the little noises really stressed me out, until I stopped remembering my exams.

I forget that I even did the exams sometimes when I was doing exams (due to my stress over exams). Though I did ok enough at them afer my brain decided this was the best way to cope. I know that this won't be a help to you though.

I'd say to tell the teacher that you were nervous about talking about this but that you want to know how you can do better at tests.

An sample possible conversation:

You: Hi Mr./Ms./other. I was wondering if you had some time for me to ask you a few things about my tests?

Teacher: (hopefully says something like) Sure.

You: I'm kinda nervous asking about this but I want to know how I can do better in these tests. I study and I feel like I do the homework much better than I achieve in the tests. Is there anything that you can suggest that would help me achieve my potental?

The teacher may interrupt you at some point in the above but it is best for you to talk to them, it will help you learn better and also help you at college level (where you really need to be able to ask questions).

Well, I'll focus on the math, since that's what I know about (I teach it.)

It seems like you are saying one of two things: 1 -- you are pretty sure that the reason that you do poorly on the test is environmental. In that case, you bring that up pretty specifically to the teacher, and try to figure out if there is somewhere in the room where you will be more comfortable (in the back, front, in a corner facing away from rest of the class, using ear plugs . . .whatever seems like it might help.)

or, 2-- You are not really sure why you have the problem with the tests. In this case you should ask the teacher if you can sit down with her and do a test analysis. You bring with the test, all of the homework you have done, and all of the practice problems you have done when studying for the test. You explain to (and show) the teacher how you study and prepare, and ask her if she can suggest alternative strategies. (I would be really impressed with any student who did that!)