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For most high school students, it is the most important exam of all – the SAT. But today younger kids are facing the pressure of that test. This year over 120,000 seventh and eighth graders will take the SAT — but for children that age is this too much, too soon?

Middle schoolers like 13-year-old Madison Bajc are already thinking about the future. “I’ve really looked into (the University of) Michigan ‘cause that’s where my mother went,” she says, “and I’m interested in law.”

She’s already taken the PSAT and plans to take the SAT next year.

Experts say that for some younger kids, a college entrance exam gets them thinking about college – and, in turn, they take school a little more seriously.

“There are signs everywhere that the bar is being raised,” says eighth-grade counselor Erin Mason, “and I don’t think that that is necessarily a bad thing, because I think that there are a lot of students who are very capable and just need to be pushed.”

She says taking the test can help middle schoolers in a number of ways. Some magnet high schools or programs for gifted students, for example, require it.

It’s also a way to get middle school students ready for the next few years. “If you’re taking it because you just want the experience of taking it, and you kind of want a sneak preview of what’s going to be ahead when they get to high school,” says Mason, “I think that’s a perfectly good intent for taking the SAT.”

On the other hand, she says, some 12-year-olds take the test for the wrong reasons.

“And those kinds of reasons would be things like, you know, just wanting to take it to try to rev up the score, to improve the score, to compare themselves to other students – or, you know, if mom and dad feel like they have something to prove.”

Experts say young kids need to be reminded that their scores will probably be low -because they haven’t studied most of what’s on the test. And they need to relax.

As Madison says, “don’t stress out about it, just be well prepared – and I know that they always say ‘have a good morning breakfast,’ but that really does help.”

What We Need To Know

• Don’t pressure your preteens to take college entrance exams if they’re not ready. Eighth grade is a transitional year- between their curriculum and social issues, students have a lot of pressure on them already. (Erin Mason, Eighth-Grade Counselor)




• Let your kids know that, in this stage in the game, it’s not about the end result; it’s about what they learn along the way and what they are able to do. (Erin Mason, Eighth-Grade Counselor)




• Prepare your child by having them take practice tests at home – and going over sample questions. Realize that the scores probably will not be in the top percentile. Fortunately, there is nothing riding on the score for most kids this age. (Brian O’Reilly, College Board)




• If your child suffers from test anxiety, teach them a few relaxation techniques – like closing their eyes, taking deep breaths and stretching their muscles. (Thomson Peterson’s Learning Solutions)

Resources

• Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
• The College Board
• The Princeton Review

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