Time spent studying for exams is challenging and often stressful. But if you take the time to plan ahead and organize your preparations, you may reduce your anxiety and arrive at your destination with poise. Regular quizzes are an excellent way to ensure exam success.
Studies have shown that taking mock tests is the most effective strategy to get ready for the real thing. This is because the learner engages in spaced retrieval practice by drawing the relevant material from memory before answering the question, thus cementing the knowledge. Moreover, they help the student identify areas in which further study is required in advance of the actual exam.
Exam preparation also helps close the achievement gap between students of different socioeconomic statuses. In terms of academic essay assessment, many students come from less-than-ideal circumstances. As part of their mission, private college preparatory schools simulate the testing conditions, Quizzes Database, and free examples of pressures that students would face in higher education.
Students from large public schools, which have to accommodate a diverse student body (including those who have no intention of going to college and may have special needs), are less likely to have those opportunities. This puts them at a disadvantage compared to their similarly-qualified peers when they first enroll in college.
5 Reasons Why Quizzes Help Make Perfect Exams
There are many wins for everyone involved when candidates can take a quiz or mock exam before taking the real exam. Here are five reasons why you should incorporate practice exams into your assessment plan:
Improve Academic Performance
Students do better on exams when they have taken quizzes because they remove the element of surprise. Instructors can get a better sense of their student’s strengths and weaknesses by giving them quizzes. They can then do the best they can to hone and perfect those areas in the time remaining before the test.
Higher Confidence
Students who are aware of their weak areas prior to an exam are better prepared. These mock exams are dress rehearsals for the real exam. Thus, there will be less worry and stress among the student body. They will feel more confident when test time finally arrives. That confidence was earned by addressing the knowledge gaps they discovered during test prep.
Since quizzes are a tool for learning and not a real assessment, students are more likely to approach them favorably. Students’ self-esteem will increase as a result of the material’s familiarity. Having completed tests with a similar format will boost their confidence.
Boosts Exam Stamina
Time spent on a standard test is often measured in hours. Since students aren’t tested very often, this can be very challenging. They won’t be able to keep their focus for so long, so their performance will suffer significantly.
According to the ETS, “the longer you’ve practiced sitting for, answering questions during, and regulating your pace during tests, the better you’ll do,” the more relaxed you will feel during the test. Students can improve their stamina through consistent practice in the form of practice tests. The more practice they get taking exams, the less taxing the actual one will be.
Understanding Information Discrepancies
Students need to study a lot of material for exams like the SAT, Common Core-aligned assessments, and the ACT. The quality of their work may suffer if they are unable to evaluate the efficacy of their study strategies. Students can gauge their knowledge with the help of quizzes. They may become aware of knowledge gaps they were previously unaware of.
If they know what they need to work on to improve, students will put in more effort and make more progress. They won’t need to study material they already know because the quiz will reveal their weaknesses.
Improved Teacher-Student Relations
Students’ negative perceptions of teachers can be mitigated by providing ample opportunities for quizzes. The instructor’s role is that of mentor and coach. The rapport between the two groups will strengthen as a result.
The teacher and student can discuss any problems after the mock exam. If a student is having difficulty with a particular topic, they can also ask the instructor for help. Students will view their instructors in a new light thanks to this partnership. With this shift, the focus of the class will shift from grading to teaching.
Retain Information
The amount of material learned in a single, long study session is often retained by the student at a lower rate than that learned over the course of multiple, shorter study sessions. This is because, via repeated testing, information is stored in a way that makes it nearly impossible to forget.
Exam preparation routines that include note-taking and flashcards help students recall important knowledge quickly and confidently during the real thing.
Teachers Get Feedback
Teachers can use the results of quizzes to see which concepts their pupils have mastered and which ones need more explanation. If the majority of students in a class struggle with a particular test section, the instructor can plan a separate lesson to go over the material in greater depth.
Feedback from mock exams is also useful for focusing on specific individuals. Teachers will be better able to aid some students in improving their exam performance if they have the tools necessary to do so. Teachers can accommodate these students in a number of ways.
Practice exams are a great way to boost students’ performance and confidence in examinations. Using this strategy, pupils can improve their academic performance significantly. And it can help them develop an effective approach to studying and improve their abilities overall. Students and instructors alike can gain knowledge and experience from taking and analyzing quizzes.
