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One of the biggest challenges in standardized test prep isn’t a lack of knowledge—it’s the brain’s tendency to resort to quick, impulsive thinking. What these exams actually test for is the ability to effectively utilize focused, logical reasoning. This is not simply a matter of being more methodical in your approach. It is about accessing a completely different part of your brain.
I first learned of this from a book called Thinking, Fast and Slow by Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman. In short, Kahneman identified two modes of thinking done by two totally different parts of the brain, which he simply called: System 1 and System 2. System 1, or “fast thinking,” involves quick, reflexive hunches, while System 2, or “slow thinking,” involves deliberate, logical and more effortful reasoning—precisely the kind of thinking you want to employ when taking a standardized test. To better understand the difference between these two types of thinking, let’s take a deeper look at both of them. Fast vs. Slow Thinking Fast thinking is lightning quick, it is impulsive, and it helps us make snap judgments. It likely evolved as a survival mechanism: when facing imminent danger, we can’t afford to spend time contemplating life. We need a quick, “good enough” approximation of the situation, one that will allow us to spring into action and get to safety. Slow thinking is thought to have developed more recently evolutionarily speaking. Again, this kind of thinking is deliberate and methodical, and brings in logical reasoning. This type of thinking takes more effort, but is necessary for solving complex problems. To help demonstrate the difference between these two types of thinking, Kahneman came up with a series of puzzles designed to trigger the fast-thinking part of the brain. One of my favorite examples of this is as follows: Together, a bat and a ball cost $1.10. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? If your first instinct was to answer ten cents, you’re not alone. That’s not the correct answer, but it is the tempting wrong answer that this problem was designed to elicit. (The correct answer can be found at the end.) This reveals one important aspect of how fast thinking operates. It often looks for short cuts that seem plausible, regardless of how logically sound they might be. Fast Thinking Won’t Cut It on the SAT or ACT This distinction between fast and slow thinking is crucial for maximizing your performance on standardized tests. In fact, I would say that the SAT and ACT are primarily testing how well individuals can utilize slow thinking within a timed test-taking environment. The fact that standardized tests are timed tends to impact students in a typical way: it causes them to feel rushed, which often leads them to unintentionally switch out of slow thinking mode into fast thinking mode. I have never seen this lead to improved performance. Many of the wrong answers on the SAT and ACT are designed, like the problem above from Daniel Kahneman, to tempt the fast thinking part of our brain. For example, the test makers will use more exciting language, which appeals to fast thinking, for a wrong answer and more dull language for the right answer. To overcome this fast thinking bias that favors exciting language, we must use logic and reasoning–aka slow thinking. Training Your Brain for Slow ThinkingAs stated above, most students feel pressure to move quickly on standardized tests, especially early on in the test prep process. However, when you first start prepping, speed should not be the priority. Instead, it’s crucial to slow down and ensure you’re engaging in clear, logical thought. This helps you get used to accessing the correct system and strengthens your ability to access it under pressure. Over time, this deliberate practice builds a strong foundation for effective slow thinking. But what about the time limit? This is a fair question. After all, these tests are timed. However, as students get increasingly familiar with the exam they’re studying for, their pace naturally speeds up. This is the result of two main factors: the gradual strengthening of their slow thinking capacity and practice working through the various kinds of problems encountered on that particular standardized test. Strengthening your slow thinking capacity is extremely beneficial, and not just for the SAT or ACT. One of my favorite things about emphasizing the practice of cultivating slow thinking is that it is something that will stay with students long after the test is behind them. Being able to think clearly and logically is a helpful life skill. In addition, as you are strengthening your slow thinking ability, if you also take the time to fully understand each problem you encounter—even if it takes you 15 or 20 minutes to do so—you’ll end up improving your ability for solving similar problems in the future. The next time you see this kind of problem you won’t need anywhere near as much time to solve it. If you take this approach, and work through enough practice tests, by the time test day arrives you’ll know exactly what to expect. You’ll walk into the exam confident, knowing that you are bringing with you a memory bank full of past problems you’ve already thought through. Some Final Thoughts One advantage of the strategy I am recommending here is that it is straightforward. The goal is simply to work methodically through practice exams and understand each problem you encounter. This approach doesn't require you to learn a bunch of test-taking "tips and tricks" that may or may not turn out to be helpful on the day of the exam and, worse, end up distracting you from the kind of effort that will really pay off. It keeps you focused on what matters most. That said, just because this strategy is straightforward doesn't mean it’s necessarily easy. Trying to fully understand each problem you encounter is challenging, which is why outside support can sometimes be helpful. Whether you tackle test prep on your own or with some outside support, investing time in improving your ability to think clearly and logically will not only boost your test scores, it will also prepare you for success in college and beyond. Good luck with all your test prep process! PS - As promised, the correct answer to the bat and ball problem above is: five cents. The bat costs $1.05, while the ball costs $0.05—proof that slow thinking really does pay off.
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Imagine a group of science students trying to absorb the information in their anatomy textbook. One group takes a traditional approach, dividing their time into four short study sessions, during which they read, and then reread, the textbook. A second group uses a concept mapping approach (favored by so many teachers), organizing information into a diagram where lines connect related facts. A third group jumps right to quizzing themselves. Without the textbook in front of them, they give themselves 10 minutes to write down as many details as they can remember. They then grade their first practice test and immediately take a second one. A week later, all three groups are given a short-answer test that assesses their recall of the information they studied, and their ability to use that information to draw logical conclusions. Which group performs best? Luckily, we don’t have to rely on our instincts here. When researchers conducted this very experiment, the students in the third group were the clear winners, performing 50% better than students in the other two groups. If you’re surprised, you’re not alone. A growing body of research reveals that the practices that make us feel like we are learning are not the same as those that actually help us learn. One reason for this is that the most effective study strategy—attempting to recall material without support—tends to make us uncomfortably aware of what we don’t know, while more traditional approaches, like rereading notes, tend to give us a false sense of confidence. There’s a great New York Times article that captures this very paradox: “The struggle helps you learn, but it makes you feel like you’re not learning,” reports Nate Kornell, a psychologist at Williams College. “You think: ‘I don’t know it that well. This is hard and I’m having trouble coming up with this information.’” By contrast, Kornell explains, when rereading texts “you say: ‘Oh, this is easier. I read this already.’” In light of this research, here is the method I encourage students to use when preparing for exams: The Mini-Test Method |
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Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 383-4412
[email protected]
© 2024 LifeWorks Learning Center LLC
Privacy Policy