Practice testing is using low-stakes tests, such as quizzes, past papers, practice questions and flashcards, as a study method to strengthen memory and find gaps, rather than only as a way to measure what you know.
How it works
Practice tests do three jobs at once. First, answering a question is retrieval practice, which strengthens memory more than rereading; this is the testing effect. Second, tests show you what you do not know, which helps you spend time where it counts and improves your metacognition. Third, practice tests in the exam’s format build familiarity with question styles, timing and pressure, so fewer points are lost to surprise.
How to use practice testing (steps)
- Start early. Use short quizzes from the first week of a course, not just before exams.
- Match the format. Use the type of question your exam uses, and official past papers where they exist.
- Mix topics. Draw questions from several topics so you practise choosing the right approach; see interleaving.
- Check every answer. Feedback is essential; read explanations for right and wrong answers.
- Keep an error log. Note the topic and cause of every mistake.
- Retest. Return to the same material after a few days, using spaced repetition.
- Simulate the real thing. In the final weeks, take full timed practice exams under exam conditions.
Common mistakes
- Saving all practice tests for the end. You lose the chance to fix gaps and to benefit from repeated, spaced testing.
- Checking scores but not reviewing. The learning comes from understanding each error.
- Memorising specific questions. If you have seen a past paper many times, your score may overstate what you know. Use fresh questions to check readiness.
Evidence
In their 2013 review of ten learning techniques in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Dunlosky, Rawson, Marsh, Nathan and Willingham rated practice testing as high utility, one of only two techniques to receive that rating, because its benefits held across many kinds of learners, materials and test delays. Rowland’s 2014 meta-analysis in Psychological Bulletin and Adesope, Trevisan and Sundararajan’s 2017 meta-analysis in Review of Educational Research both found consistent benefits of practice testing over restudying or other control conditions. Roediger and Karpicke (2006) remains one of the most cited demonstrations of the effect.
Using practice testing with Duetoday
Duetoday generates practice tests from any lecture recording, PDF, slide deck or YouTube video, with an explanation for each answer. Use them after each lecture and again before exams. Turn the questions you miss into flashcards with spaced repetition, and ask Galileo to explain any answer using your own course material. For official exam practice, combine Duetoday with your exam board’s or testing body’s past papers. See our exam study hubs for exam-specific plans.
