If a child does poorly on a state test, there can be many reasons. Not being good at taking tests is one explanation, but he might also not know the answers, or he might not have been feeling well that day, etc. How old is your child? Did he ever take CST's before? If so, how did he do? What concerns do you have about his academic work? If you're worried about specific things, you can always opt to have your son take nationally normed achievement tests, not state standard testing. Private evaluators can administer them, but they will charge you. If you suspect your son might have a learning disability, you can request that the school do a comprehensive educational evaluation, which should include IQ and achievement testing, as well as tests in specific areas of weakness...