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In this post, I will teach you my tried and true system for helping students with ADHD prepare for tests.
I have used this approach with many students who have ADHD, Autism, or a combination of both and helped them achieve success on even the most challenging exams that they had previously failed multiple times.
Why does learning how to prepare for tests matter?
Tests are not made with neurodivergent students or adults in mind and thus can be significant barriers to many key areas of life, including:
Being able to drive
Any licensed or credentialed profession
Getting into graduate school
And more.
Having a systemized approach for preparing for tests and exams helps neurodivergent students reduce their anxiety, increase their chances of accessing opportunities, and builds confidence.
Most importantly, through the process I teach, students learn how to look at challenges and identify their skill gaps, creating self-reflective learners.
Why do students with ADHD struggle with exams?
Here are the main reasons students with ADHD struggle with exams:
Lack of Formal Instruction
Preparing for tests is one of the key executive function skills that most teachers assume students know but do not explicitly teach.
Thus, many students go through their education years with little to no instruction on preparing for exams, even though they are expected to master this skill.
Generic Advice
There are many bogus ideas out there that may have a positive impact on test-taking results but don't address the core issue.
Here are some examples of relatively useless advice given to students with ADHD on how to prepare for tests:
Get plenty of rest
Drink more water
Chew the same flavor of gum while studying and taking the tests
Read the study guide ten times
They Cram
A prevalent misconception is that cramming is an effective study method.
Students often believe that last-minute studying will help them retain information, but this approach leads to stress and poor retention.
This process likely only leads to students feeling fried and overwhelmed on the day of the exam, usually leading to poor results.
Lack of Deliberate Practice
Some students feel the need to cover every topic in detail, which can be overwhelming and counterproductive. This approach spreads their focus too thin, preventing them from mastering key concepts.
Without a clear plan, students may not know where to focus their efforts. This lack of direction can lead to frustration and a sense of being overwhelmed, hindering their progress.
How to help a student with ADHD prepare for a test
To help students overcome these challenges, follow this step-by-step guide:
1. Identify Weaknesses
Encourage students to assess their performance in different subjects and pinpoint areas where they struggle.
This self-assessment can be done by reviewing past tests, assignments, and teacher feedback.
As they go through this process, have them put what they are learning into one of three columns:
Know
Somewhat Know
Don't Know
2. Set Specific Goals
Once weaknesses are identified, help students set specific, achievable goals for improvement.
This can be done by taking a practice test, then setting a specific goal around beating the first score achieved in the practice test.
If students need additional practice tests, they could use ChatGPT or AI technology to generate a practice test asking questions in their area of weakness (if the teacher does not have any practice tests to supply).
3. Create a Deliberate Practice Plan
Work with students to focus on learning the missing concepts in their areas of weakness.
This is know as an Error Log, and the goal of this is to simply move things from "Don't Know" to "Somewhat Know", and then eventually to "Know For Sure."
4. Reflect and Adjust
Encourage students to reflect on their progress regularly. At the end of each study session, ask them to share what went well, what didn't, and how they can improve.
This process of self-reflecting or self-reporting helps them adjust their practice plan as needed, and also has a strong research basis.
5. Involve Teachers
Teach your student how to involve their teachers for feedback throughout the process by offering them a template like this:
Subject: Preparing for the exam
Hi (Teacher Name),
I hope you are doing well. Thank you for sharing that I could get closer to reaching my goal by earning a better grade on the upcoming exam. I have been taking the following actions to prepare for your exam:
(Describe any actions here)
Is there anything else you recommend I do to most effectively prepare for your exam? Any practice tests you can share for me to evaluate my current level of expertise?
Thank you for your guidance.
Sincerely,
(your name)
Summary
Test taking preparation often fills students with dread, but it is actually an amazing opportunity to help students learn how to become self-reflective and deliberate learners.
This approach improves their academic performance but more importantly, teachers them how to prepare for the challenges of adulthood.
Here's a quick recap of the steps to implement this strategy:
1. Identify weaknesses through self-assessment.
2. Set specific, achievable goals for improvement.
3. Create a deliberate practice plan focusing on weak areas.
4. Reflect on progress and adjust the plan as needed.
5. Communicate the plan to teachers for feedback.
Hope this helps 🤙🏻
P.S. These are skills that executive function coaches work on with their students. If you want to try working on them with your students, consider joining hundreds of other educators and parents who have completed my Semester Success Blueprint Course. In less than 2 hours, this comprehensive course will teach you and your student the system I developed to help hundreds of students learn how to manage school effectively and raise their self-awareness and engagement with school.
About Me
Hey! I'm Sean 👋
I'm a former public school special education teacher who realized that executive function skills are more important than knowing when George Washington crossed the Potomac.
Since then, I've made it my mission to teach anyone who will listen about how to develop these key life skills.
In 2020, I founded Executive Function Specialists to ensure all students with ADHD and Autism have access to high-quality online executive function coaching services. We offer online EF coaching and courses to help students and families.
Realizing I could only reach so many people through coaching, in 2021 I started the Executive Function Coaching Academy which trains schools, educators, and individuals to learn the key strategies to improve executive function skills for students.
In 2023, I co-founded of UpSkill Specialists, to provide neurodivergent adults with high-quality executive function coaching services.
When not pursuing my passions through work, I love spending time with my family, getting exercise, and growing my brain through reading. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.