California Standards Test (CST) Preparation

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - July 26th, 2014

In the state of California, home of the California Standards Test, there are very specific testing criteria in place to ensure that each student receives a quality education. The standardized tests used to assess student progress are known by several different names. The California Standards Test (CST) is also commonly called the STAR exam or STAR test, referring to the Standardized Testing and Reporting program which the test represents.

Helping your child prepare for any standardized test can be a challenge. Thankfully, there are many resources available to help you. Here, we’ll review the core subjects involved in the California Standards Test (CST), as well as provide a link to some helpful practice questions.

Choosing a Prep Method

Hard-copy or software-based study guides, online practice tests and sample questions are all potential options. Yet another is to create your own study guide based on your child’s current textbooks. With all these options, it’s no surprise that the majority of parents choose to incorporate several different elements into their child’s individualized testing preparation plan. However, if you know that your child learns best and most easily using a particular form or type of material, by all means choose that one – there is no wrong way to study, as long as the studying itself is effective. For some sample practice questions, visit http://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/california-standards-tes and visit the California Department of Education’s website for test information.

Helping Your Child Prepare

Younger children, obviously, need supervision and guidance while studying for the California Standards Test. In your role as ‘study instructor,’ do all you can to keep things light and fun. Students who feel too much pressure to succeed often develop anxiety regarding testing, which can lead to inaccurately low scores.

Older children typically prefer to study independently, but there are still ways you can help them achieve optimal results. Checking in on them now and then as they study for the California Standards Test is a small step with a big impact – students studying for a big test often forget the importance of taking breaks. Studying too hard for too long can easily lead to burnout, which can also create inaccurately low scores due to nervousness or fatigue on testing day. In addition to reminding your older student about breaks, offer to quiz them on the material they’ve just covered. Regardless of age, there’s really no substitute for quizzes; they can help identify strengths and weaknesses much more effectively than a student studying on their own.