Q. How do you help a student who knows the information but cannot show it on a test? This student can complete a practice test and earn a score of 100 percent, but when he takes the actual test, he fails or receives a much lower score. I am not sure how to help him.

A. Your student is suffering from unusual test anxiety, unless the practice test and regular test have some differences. For example, if one test is multiple choice and other is in a different format like an essay test, then the variations in his performance can be related to the difference between recognition and recall memory or his writing capabilities. If the practice test is untimed and the real test is timed, the timing could increase the child's anxiety even if he completes the test in a timely manner.

If the two tests are identical in format and timing, and if, as I assume, you are the teacher, I would count only the practice test and dismiss the other grade as inaccurate. I would guess that your student would build confidence based on his excellent grades on the practice test and that this increased confidence would soon have the effect of diminishing his test anxiety. If you prefer not to give students two tests for the same material, you could encourage your student to make up his own practice test. Even though you could not count that grade, it would continue to build his confidence.

I am guessing the element of timing is part of your student's problem. I have worked with many students who have processing speed disabilities. This can be caused by handwriting problems, but can also be related to perfectionism or anxiety. I typically ask the school to allow the child to take all their tests without time limits based on an apparent learning (processing speed) disability. The surprising positive result is that these students improve their test performance dramatically and typically complete their tests in the same time frame expected of the other children who are being timed. In other words, the timing exacerbates the anxiety they feel about testing thus limiting the quality of their performance.

If this approach is not effective for your particular student, he should see the school or a clinical counselor about his concerns. It is even possible that improved study habits would reduce his test anxiety.

Practice tests are a great way to help children address test anxiety or to deal with other learning disabilities. For free newsletters about learning disabilities, text anxiety, and/or competition in school, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address below. Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many books on parenting. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Please send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or [email protected]. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Jeremy Segrott