Why Smart Students Score Higher

Study hard, play hard, and be smart. Education quote with modern background illustration

Chancy and consequential exams like the SAT & ACT have long been conflated with IQ tests. While there may certainly be some overlap–historically, SAT scores correlated highly with the g factor or general intelligence–these different assessments are designed for dramatically different purposes. Even so, smarter students tend to score higher on these and any other exams.

But smart doesn’t carry the same connotation as intelligence, at least in this context. Instead, I favor the way Seth Godin–-a genius in his own right–-defines what smart really means:

Smart is no longer memorization. It’s not worth much.
Smart is no longer access to information. Everyone has that.
Smart is:
Situational awareness
Filtering information
Troubleshooting
Clarity of goals
Good taste
Empathy and compassion for others
The ability to make decisions that further your goals
The good news is that smart is a choice, and smart is a skill.

Anyone old enough to remember the Goofus and Gallant cartoons in Highlights magazine will understand the obvious dichotomy between doing and avoiding the smart thing, even in the context of a high stakes test.

Smart test takers prepare.
Smart test takers practice.
Smart test takers manage their physical, mental, and emotional readiness.
Smart test takers seek help when they need it.

You don’t need a Mensa-level IQ to excel on tests like the SAT or ACT. You just need to be smart!

intelligence preparation test ready

Leave a Reply