... I was allowed to view the proceedings from a side room via a double mirror.
Did the observation arrangements allow for seeing the child's overall body language and behavior only, or were any test questions/items discernible?
I could see her flagging towards the end of the test - I had no idea of what to expect and had naively thought it would only take 30 minutes or so. Instead, it went on for over 90 minutes, at least, and I regretted not having brought a snack or a drink as the test spanned her usual school lunchtime... I think that her lack of vigor towards end of the test was reflected in her a average WM scores.
I'm sorry to hear this, as it seems the test center might have notified you in advance of what to expect time-wise and in regard to planning a snack for your child. Did the test center make any allowance for the possible impact on scoring, because the child had not eaten and was slowing down? It might seem that some arrangements for re-testing that portion might be made (with another test instrument) due to the unusual circumstances?
Possibly this experience provides one more idea of what some families may want to tell their children prior to a test... the child may feel free to request a break to have their snack or beverage.
