Many students take a practice test, look at the score, and move on. That skips the most useful part. A test helps most after you finish it, when you know exactly what you got wrong. This guide shows what to do with your results.
Why the review matters more than the score
The score is a rough number. It tells you how you did today on these questions. Your misses tell you much more: what you don't know, and why.
Feedback is a big part of how a test helps you learn. Butler and Roediger (2008) studied this with multiple choice tests. Feedback after the test helped students give more correct answers on a later test. It also made them less likely to later recall a wrong option as if it were true. Without feedback, a wrong pick can stick in your memory.
Step 1: Go through every miss
Right after the test, open each question you got wrong. Read the right answer and why it is right. Then work out why your answer was wrong.
Also look at the questions you got right by guessing. Be honest with yourself. A lucky guess is a miss you haven't found yet.
Step 2: Sort your misses by why you missed
Not every miss needs the same fix. Put each one in one of four groups.
- Did not know. You never learned it, or you forgot it. Fix: study it again, then make a card.
- Misread. You knew the answer but read the question wrong, for example you missed the word not. Fix: read every question to the end and mark key words.
- Careless. You knew it and read it right, but slipped. A wrong sign in a sum, or a click on the wrong option. Fix: leave time to check, and learn your usual slips.
- Mixed up. You confused two close ideas, terms, or dates. Fix: study the two side by side and write down the difference.
Count how many misses fall in each group. If most are misread or careless, more facts won't help much. You need better test habits. If most are did not know, you need more study time on those topics. If many are mixed up, compare the similar ideas directly.
Step 3: Turn the misses into flashcards
For the did not know and mixed up groups, make one card per miss. Write the card so it tests the idea, not the exact wording of the question. For a mix up, make a card that asks for the difference between the two things.
Keep each card small. One fact per card is easier to review than a whole paragraph. Skip cards for the misread and careless groups. You already know those facts.
Quizfix does this step for you. After a test, the Fix round turns your misses into flashcards and drills them right away. The cards then come back on a spaced repetition schedule, when they are due.
Step 4: Retest later, not right away
Getting a question right a minute after you saw the answer proves little. The answer is still fresh. Wait at least a day, then test the same material again. Spreading practice out like this helps memory last. Cepeda et al. (2006) found this across many studies.
Try not to retake the exact same questions in the same order. You might remember the answer pattern instead of the content. Use fresh questions on the same topics, and mix in your old misses.
For a fresh test, add new pages or notes on the same topics to the quiz generator. Without an account you get 3 runs a day.
Step 5: Track progress over time
Keep a short log. After each test, write the date, the score, and how many misses fell in each group. Over a week or two, you'll see if the did not know group is getting smaller.
In Quizfix, you can set your exam date. Then Today's session gives you due cards plus a few questions on weak topics. The Readiness number shows how much of the material you know now, based on your real answers.
If your exam is close, read how to study for an exam in a week. If it's tomorrow, read how to study the night before an exam.
Mistakes to avoid
- Looking only at the score and closing the test.
- Reading the right answer and telling yourself you knew it all along.
- Making cards for every question, even the easy ones you got right.
- Retesting five minutes later and feeling good about a perfect score.
- Getting upset about a low score. A low practice score is useful. It shows you where to work while there is still time.