It is often said that intention is one thing, but execution is another. That observation is little comfort to students who study and prepare with the best intentions yet still fail to reach their goals. Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Bobby Nicholson to unpack the regrettably common question, “Why didn’t my test score increase?”
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
- When students say, “I know the material—I’m just a bad test taker,” what is usually preventing them from scoring higher?
- Why isn’t taking more practice tests enough, and what should students actually do with the questions they miss?
- What separates test preparation that feels productive from preparation that produces meaningful score increases?
- What is the most productive response when official scores don’t match practice test scores?
- What should parents look for–and be skeptical of–when comparing test prep options?
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MEET OUR GUEST
Bobby Nicholson is the founder of Outliers ACT Prep, a Knoxville-based education company helping students achieve measurable, life-changing score increases on the ACT. What began as one-on-one tutoring has grown into a multi-coach, team-based program used by students and schools across the region, known for its data-driven diagnostics, proprietary coaching app, and five-point composite score guarantee.
Beyond test prep, Bobby is building a broader ecosystem around education, character development, and long-term human flourishing. He is a co-contributor of the FLOY project (Future Leaders of Yesterday), a multi-decade project to design a practical “life curriculum” that teaches young people how to think clearly, build strong relationships, contribute meaningfully to their communities, and pursue lives that are happy, free, and fit for the good of others.
Bobby is an entrepreneur, systems-builder, and lifelong student of learning science, psychology, and philosophy, with a particular interest in how motivation, meaning, and skill-building intersect. When he’s not working with students or building new education programs, he enjoys endurance training, cooking ambitious meals, reading widely, and designing new tools to help people grow.
Bobby previously appeared on this podcast in episode 748 for a Test Prep Profile.
Find Bobby at bobby@oaprep.com.
LINKS
Why Does So Much ACT Prep Fail—and What Actually Works?
Standardized Test Preparation Checklist
RELATED EPISODES
WHAT TO DO WHEN A TEST SCORE DISAPPOINTS
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A BAD TEST TAKER?
BRINGING GRIT TO TESTING AND ADMISSIONS
ABOUT THIS PODCAST
Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS
Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. Get in touch with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, consulting, or anything podcast related through our contact page. We’d love to hear from you!