Can Overthinking Hinder Test Performance?

As a behavioral economist, I studied how we - human beings - make irrational choices in our daily lives. In other words, behavioral economics questions the main assumptions that traditional economics makes. I could get into the reasons why we have problems with irrationality, but this is not the aim of this post (but if you are interested in further reading, contact us for a recommended book list).

Psychologist Barry Schwartz says that today we have an abundance of choices, which is making us worse off. The fundamental reason for this is that with more choices, we tend to overthink and, therefore, often not reach optimal conclusions. This rationale can also be applied to test taking.

Test performance is dependent on a number of issues, two of which are test anxiety and time management. Professor Claude Steele at Stanford University studies the effects that these factors have on academic test performance, and the results are significant.

As an SAT, ACT, GMAT and GRE tutor, I have seen this happen in practice. While more experienced test takers (those taking the GRE and GMAT) suffer less with overthinking, my younger students are significantly prone to this bias. These students either question their abilities, and therefore lack self-confidence, or are perfectionists. This naturally leads to both higher test anxiety and poor time management, thus substandard performance.

So what can be done to correct for this bias? The first step is to recognize this problem; once you’ve accepted that you either lack confidence in your intellectual abilities and/or are a perfectionist, you will be aware of what can be hindering your results. The next step is to work with a tutor and/or psychologist or parent to reverse these feelings.

If your problem is with time management in the reading section of the ACT, for instance, don’t get bogged down by the texts; you will not be asked to analyze them in depth, but rather answer questions related to the content and vocabulary used. If you lack confidence in your math skills, make a list of the essential concepts that the exam will cover to guide you though your studies. Once you’re done, you will visually see that you are fully prepared for the exam in question.

At the end of the day, test-taking skills go beyond content; they also incorporate psychological factors, which can determine whether you get admitted to a college of choice.

My advice? Stop overthinking!