As testing season approaches, teachers have been implementing a lot of practice tests for students to do. Many students, however, don’t take these practice tests seriously and may feel that the practice test is useless…While this may be the case, practice tests aren’t as useless as they seem.
According to Mind Base Education, a website with the mission to empower students through expert education and guidance, “Practice tests help you become familiar with the structure, question types, and time constraints of the actual exam, reducing anxiety and boosting confidence.” As we begin to get more familiar with practice tests, students are able to build up strategies. Therefore, when the real test comes up, we aren’t surprised with the contents in the test.
Familiarity can also reduce anxiety, “Familiarity with the test format and process can reduce anxiety, making it easier to stay calm and focused during the actual exam.”, Mind Base Education said. As we begin to approach testing, students forget how serious the test is. This can cause lots of anxiety to those who are inexperienced with the testing, but with practice tests, students can simplify what the test wants you to do.
However, there are some cons to taking too many practice tests. With too many practice tests, students have a higher chance of putting less effort on the practice test. As students fail more practice tests, instead of prioritizing the need to understand what went wrong, they keep taking multiple practice tests until satisfied with a passing score. According to PrepSchoolar, a website by Harvard grads providing guidance for high school students to get into their dream colleges, “Practice tests don’t help you if you mindlessly do one after another without taking the time to study in-between.”
Taking too many practice tests can lead to burnout. As students forget about improvement for testing, they burn out from so many practice tests just to get a score for something that’s not even the real thing. According to College Raptor, a free online platform that provides guidance to help college-bound students through their college journey and more, “In addition, burn out can become a serious problem. It can be tedious retaking the same exams over and over; when it’s time to take the SAT, it can severely have an effect on your grade.”
Overall, practice tests are here to help you improve for your actual test. Pace yourself and balance your sessions out to prevent becoming stressed and having a burnout. To actually review and improve for your actual tests, look over explanations for incorrect answers for more understanding to what went wrong. It’s not best to aim for a perfect score and you must accept that you’ll probably get some of the topics wrong on the actual test because we all have some weak points when learning about new things.
