Why Is My Daughter Failing Math Tests but Acing Homework?

Let me share a puzzle from my own life—one that’s left me feeling like I’m shouting into the wind. My 15-year-old, thriving in Honors Pre-Calculus homework, is somehow crashing and burning on every test. Homework: A’s, B’s, C’s. Tests: F’s, every time. I’ve pored over her assignments and exams, and the gap is so wide it’s almost comical. Is she getting too much help, or is homework just a box to check off these days? Some teacher friends whisper that accuracy doesn’t matter—just completion. I’ve tried to raise the alarm at her California school, but the response is a collective shrug. They wave her homework grades like a magic wand and ignore the real issue: she’s not learning what she needs. Am I the only one seeing this? Has anyone else battled this strange system? Drop your thoughts, corrections, or wild theories below—maybe together we can crack this code. Or at least laugh at the absurdity! 😂🤔 Let’s brainstorm solutions—should I push for a level change, or is there a better way? #Education #MathStruggles #Parenting

2025-06-06

Jennifer Dieter

She is not practicing the skills intended on her homework. She is either using Quizlet, ChatGPT, or another source for homework that is not available on tests.

06-06

Bel Air, MD

Reply(1)

Moderator8G56K

You can use all sorts of tools you have access to complete the homework, but do you actually understand the concepts? Let her do the homework as if they are tests, and see how she performs.

06-06

Brooklyn, NY

? Man 79

Homework is usually cheated on . You can take your homework and have your computer do it for you . In class during tests there is no cheating .

06-08

Davie, FL

Reply(2)

Jo Phillips

this is usually a sign that they are getting homework answers from a friend and not actually doing the work. most often on tests you MUST show each step in the process, failure to do so can really bring down grades.

06-07

Allfor One

It’s called , cheating on the homework . And what schools have kids do homework anymore ? They stopped homework 15 yrs ago cause parents were bitching , kids had no personal / down time . BS

06-06

Wilmington, DE

Steph

Hi. Teacher here. A lot of people are suggesting the child in question must be cheating which is a big leap. Do some kids use technology to help them do their homework? Sure. But that isn't always the case as many automatically concluded. There could be a multitude of reasons why this is happening. The teacher could be grading homework simply on completion and then testing on concepts, the child may have some kind of undiagnosed learning disability, she may have test anxiety, or perhaps the child understands the concept one way but the tests require her to answer the questions in a different way. If l were the parent, l would ask to meet with the teacher and the child to see if A. we could find a pattern to see why it was happening and B. Make a plan going further.

06-08

Pontiac, MI