Why I Changed My Mind About Testing

Testing. Let’s be honest: it’s not anyone’s favorite. It throws a wrench into the schedule. It’s tedious. And many students simply don’t enjoy doing it.

It’s natural to want to protect our children from unpleasant experiences. I don’t love watching my kids struggle through something that can sometimes feel unnecessary.

But my perspective on testing has shifted as my students have gotten older. They still don’t love it. I still don’t love it. Yet as they prepare to enter adulthood, I can see how test-taking skills have real-life applications. And I realized: maybe the goal isn’t to make testing enjoyable—but to make it meaningful.

At its core, a test is simply a way to demonstrate our knowledge in a specific, time-sensitive environment. It isn’t just about school—it’s about how we process information, make decisions, and respond under pressure.

When our students are young, we have the opportunity to introduce these skills in a low-pressure, safe environment. Instead of viewing testing as a stressful performance task, we can reframe it as an important practice.

Practice slowing down and reading carefully.
Practice eliminating incorrect choices.
Practice making thoughtful decisions.
Practice managing deadlines and time.
Practice building the mindset of, “This may be unfamiliar, but I have the tools to figure it out.”

Let’s talk about a few of the ways these skills show up as our children grow.

Academics

This one is fairly straightforward. You may not always be your child’s teacher. As they get older, they may take Virtual Academy or Dual Enrollment courses. You might enroll them in a lab at a local enrichment center. Eventually, they will graduate from high school and may pursue college or technical training.

All of these paths involve testing. Whether it’s a test in class or an essay for an application, students will be asked to demonstrate what they know in specific ways. It may be time sensitive, length-restricted, format-specific, or all three. They don’t get to choose the format—they have to show their knowledge in the way the professor or school asks for it. 

The years you spend teaching them at home are a unique opportunity to introduce these skills in a non-threatening way. That way, when they encounter a timed essay, a graded lab, or a proctored multiple-choice exam, they can approach it with confidence rather than anxiety.

The goal isn’t testing well; it’s being prepared for real life. 

Real-Life Tests

Sometimes people say, “They’ll never have to do this in real life.” But that simply isn’t true.

To get her driver’s license, my daughter completed 30 hours of driver training and then took a test to earn her certificate. After that, she went to the DMV with the required documents and took a written test. Next came behind-the-wheel training, followed by the behind-the-wheel exam.

No matter how much she prepared, she couldn’t predict every variable. Would the tester be friendly and chatty, or quiet and stern? Would they be patient, or eager to finish the day? Which route would they ask her to take? Would traffic cooperate, or would something unexpected happen?

Preparation mattered—but so did the ability to stay calm, think clearly, and perform under pressure.

There are many other real-life tests our students will encounter, especially in the workplace. Pre-employment screenings and assessments are common for entry-level jobs, and many positions include live skill evaluations. An interview is essentially an oral test: demonstrating knowledge, responding thoughtfully, and adapting to the interviewer in real time.

Once they’re hired, testing doesn’t disappear. They may complete training assessments or performance evaluations. I still remember my manager at one of my first jobs at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf standing behind me with a checklist while I demonstrated how to make an Ice Blended Mocha. Even now, I complete performance evaluations every year.

This Isn’t a Test: Self-Advocacy and Testing Skills

Perhaps the most important application of testing skills is self-advocacy.

At some point in the too-soon future, your children will move out into the world. You won’t be standing beside them at doctor’s appointments or helping them draft important emails. They will need the confidence and skill to advocate for themselves with doctors, landlords, employers, and financial institutions.

Knowing not only what to say, but how to say it, is one of the most important skills of adulthood.

In a perfect world, simply telling the truth would be enough. But often, it isn’t. The way someone describes symptoms to a doctor can influence whether they receive the right treatment. Making the right request to the right person in the right way may determine whether a security deposit is returned or withheld. Presenting finances clearly and confidently can affect whether a bank approves or denies a loan.

These situations aren’t literal tests—but they are real circumstances with real stakes.

The goal isn’t testing well; it’s being prepared for real life. 

When we shift our perspective, testing stops being a hurdle to survive and becomes another tool we can use to prepare our children for adulthood.