"Bad Test Taker"

If you’ve ever heard someone say “I’m just a bad test taker,” I want to gently challenge that. 💡 Most of the time, “bad test taking” isn’t a personality trait it’s a skills gap (and the good news is: skills can be taught). In this video, we break down what’s really happening when students struggle on tests. Often it comes down to a few core areas: ✅ Limited recall under pressure A student may understand the material during homework or class, but can’t retrieve it quickly during a timed assessment. This can be tied to weak study methods, not enough retrieval practice, anxiety, or simply not building the memory pathways needed for fast access. ✅ Shallow conceptual understanding If learning is mostly memorization without meaning, tests expose it. When questions are worded differently, require multi-step thinking, or ask students to apply concepts, surface-level knowledge breaks down. ✅ Strategy and structure (not “smarts”) Pacing, reading the question carefully, eliminating distractors, showing work, and checking answers are learnable habits. Test performance often improves dramatically when students use the right systems. My goal is to help students move from “I can’t” to “I have a plan.” We’ll talk practical ways to strengthen recall, deepen understanding, and build repeatable test strategies that actually work. I’m Desmond Fambrini (M.S., Special Education, Johns Hopkins | Dartmouth alum), and I support students with learning differences, executive functioning, and academic growth through Xxpressions LLC. Learn more: xxpressions.org xxpressions.blog