How to Review the Practice Tests

[cyruswhittaker]

After completing a practice test in a timed setting, can you please tell me any tips/methods that would help get the most out of reviewing it?

For example,

*What kinds of things should I focus on?
*How do you structure the review?
*From the review, how do you develop ideas, tips, methods to improve on the next PT, i.e., improve score in general?
*What should I ask myself as I review?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I know that reviewing is important, so I want to get the most out of the time I have to review.

[aileenann]

There are a few levels of review. Here's a brief overview of the process I'd recommend:

(1) Start by grading the whole thing. After all, it's your entire performance that matters, so get the big picture before you jump into the details. Did your score go up or down. How did you feel relative to how you did? If you went up or down, why do you think it was? Luck, practice, a bad hair day ;p ?

Also think about how your performance is changing in each individual area. Are some areas getting better faster than others? Are there some areas where you are less predictable that other areas? If so, these are where you are going to want to put more focus into your practice.

(2) Start with your weakest area for that particular test. It's always nice to save the best/easiest for last, so you might as well confront the worst part first. Try to remember how you felt how that particular section was going. See if the questions you got wrong correspond to those you starred for yourself or guessed on. See if you're good at knowing when you're having a hard time.

Then go through the questions individually, using all the good practice habits we discuss in class so far as developing mastery and understanding. Remember, you should spend far more time reviewing a question - especially a question you missed - than you actually spend doing the question. Note that I'd recommend you review both the questions you missed and also the questions you got right but that took you a while or that you starred as difficult.

(3) Once you've worked your way through all the questions, do any patterns jump out at you? Maybe you tend to get more questions wrong towards the end of the test when you get tired? If so, work on endurance. Or maybe it's quite the opposite and you mess up easy early questions? If so, you may have some test anxiety issues to address.

Also look for patterns over time. Don't take each practice test separately but rather cumulative your results to see how they are evolving. Use this to drive your practice - work on weak areas while keeping strong ones consistent.

I hope this helps! I'd also recommend you watch Atlas class sessions # 1, 2, and 12, which all have excerpts on how to study and deal with practice exams