Did you get the AMC 10 results and are not happy with the score? Here are some questions for the parent and student to discuss as they plan for the comeback. The questions are grouped by topic to help guide a productive and constructive conversation:
1. Test-Day Performance
- How did you feel during the actual test? Were you nervous, distracted, or tired?
- Did you manage your time well during the test? Were there questions you spent too long on or skipped unnecessarily?
- Did you make careless mistakes on problems you knew how to solve?
2. Study and Preparation Methods
- Were the homework problems you practiced similar in difficulty and style to those on the actual test?
- Did you review solutions and fully understand your mistakes from practice tests and homework?
- Did your teacher focus on specific areas of improvement, and the topics covered were useful?
- Did you work enough on the past AMC 10 problems to get used to the test format and question styles?
3. Accuracy of Practice Test Results
- Did you take the practice tests under real test conditions (timed, no interruptions, no external help)?
- Were you honest about your scores and any hints or corrections you used during practice?
- Were the practice tests you took reflective of the actual test difficulty?
4. Weaknesses in Content Knowledge
- Were there specific topics or question types that consistently gave you trouble?
- Did you focus more on topics you enjoy rather than areas where you struggle?
- What do you think you should study more?
5. Teacher’s Role and Support
- Was your teacher’s guidance tailored to your needs?
- Did your teacher give feedback on your specific mistakes and how to improve?
- What do you wish the teacher did differently?
6. Mindset and Motivation
- Were you motivated and focused during your preparation, or did you feel burnt out?
- Did you feel confident in your abilities before the test, were you expecting a better score?
- Do you feel upset because of expectations or because you know you could have performed better or because you could have worked more?
7. Plan for Next Year
- Should you take more timed practice tests to simulate test conditions?
- Should you go over the mistakes with more diligence?
- Should you adjust your study schedule (e.g., shorter but more frequent study periods)?
- Do you feel motivated to work towards a high score?
- Should you do more frequent timed practice to avoid careless errors on easier problems?
- How can you keep yourself motivated?
- What are specific lessons you can learn from this experience?
- How can you balance high expectations with maintaining a healthy mindset?
Goal of the Discussion:
The focus should be on understanding what worked, what didn’t, and how to make the preparation more effective for the next year. Encourage open communication and ensure the student feels supported while being realistic about the improvements needed.
