By Sky Linker Media 
Every spring, millions of students across the country sit down to take high-stakes standardized assessments that can shape academic placement, graduation eligibility, and scholarship opportunities. For many kids, the pressure is real — but so is a factor that most parents never consider: it is not always the subject matter that trips students up. It is the screen.
As testing has shifted almost entirely to online platforms over the past decade, a new source of anxiety has quietly taken hold. Students who know the material cold still freeze up when an unfamiliar interface appears in front of them on test day. Buttons are in unexpected places. The navigation feels foreign. The clock starts ticking and the panic sets in — not because of the questions, but because of the software.
The Real Enemy: Novelty
Educators and child psychologists have long understood that novelty is a significant stress amplifier. When the brain encounters something unfamiliar under pressure, the fight-or-flight response activates, narrowing focus and compromising higher-order thinking — exactly the kind of thinking a student needs on a reading comprehension or math reasoning section.
The 2026 state assessments are no exception. Platforms like TestNav, developed by Pearson and used by numerous state education agencies, have specific tools, timers, and navigation features that students encounter only once or twice a year — unless they practice beforehand.
What Parents Can Actually Do About It
Here is the straightforward truth: standardized testing has changed since we were in school. There are no more No. 2 pencils — only digital dashboards. If your child is preparing for the ACT or a state-level assessment this spring, the best support you can provide is familiarity. Before the official Infrastructure Trial at school, encourage them to run through a TestNav practice test on their own device. This simple step turns a scary software program into a familiar tool, allowing them to walk into the classroom with confidence and clarity.
Think of it the same way you might approach a driving test. You would not send a teenager to the DMV having only studied the rules of the road — you would take them out to actually drive the route. Simulated exposure works the same way for academic assessments.
What the Infrastructure Trial Does Not Cover
Schools typically conduct an Infrastructure Trial — a brief technical check — to confirm that devices and internet connections can handle the testing platform. What this trial does not do is give students meaningful practice navigating the actual test experience. It is a systems check, not a readiness exercise. Parents should not confuse the two.
According to Pearson’s official TestNav resource hub, the platform is designed for seamless assessment delivery — but seamless for students only happens when they already know where things are. Familiarity cannot be assumed; it has to be built.
A Practical Pre-Test Checklist for Parents
Here is a simple game plan to put in place two to three weeks before test day:
- Set aside 45-60 minutes for a low-stakes practice session on the same type of device your child will use during the exam.
- Walk through the interface together first — point out the flag-for-review button, the timer, and how to navigate between questions.
- Time at least one full section so your child develops a real sense of pacing.
- Debrief afterward on what felt awkward or confusing — then practice those parts again.
- Recreate realistic conditions: same room, same time of day, no interruptions.
Confidence Is a Skill — Teach It
No parent can guarantee a certain score, but every parent can help remove unnecessary obstacles from the path. The software should never be one of them. When your child sits down on test day, the only thing that should feel new is the specific set of questions in front of them — not the screen, not the buttons, not the timer.
Simulated exposure is one of the most research-backed, low-effort interventions a family can make. It costs nothing but an afternoon, and it can make a genuine difference — not just in scores, but in how your child feels walking into that room. That matters too.