You’ve seen it in various EPPP chat forums and online study groups, and I’ve heard it from multiple test takers, “I just need to take a bunch of practice tests.” While that advice is not entirely wrong, and you should take tests throughout your study period, you’ll need to be intentional about how you approach taking practice tests – after all, practice tests are a limited resource. Taking one test after another without reviewing answer rationales, developing mastery of the material, or developing an understanding of where you need to improve will likely cause more frustration and confusion in the long run. It’s like throwing a bunch of things at a wall, seeing what sticks, and hoping that’s the key to passing. It becomes an expensive, time consuming game of trial and error that ultimately taxes your mental resources. To make the most of your practice tests, check out the tips below.
Space the tests out throughout your study period.
The goal is to find balance -- alternate between learning and developing an understanding of material, and taking a test to see where you still need to improve. This will give you valuable feedback along the way so you can make informed decisions about next steps while you still have time to make adjustments. Most study packages come with a plan for when to take tests. If you don’t have a comprehensive study package, then take the number of practice tests you have and spread them out over the time you have to study, aiming for roughly 1 test/month initially, while you’re learning the material, and taking approximately 1 test/week in the month leading up to your exam.
Review your incorrect and flagged responses.
As much as you might cringe at the thought of going back through all those wrong answers, doing so will provide you with much more clarity about how to move forward. Less guessing = less stress = more deliberate, efficient studying. Go through each response and identify why it was incorrect, and ask yourself the following:
- Is it content mastery?
- Test taking strategy?
- Anxiety management?
Go back into your study materials to review content.
Once you’ve identified content areas that you’re struggling with, dive back into the study materials for those specific areas and focus on understanding the material. If understanding isn’t an issue, and it’s just a matter of recall, then focus on strategies for memorization and building fluency.
If you’re in a time crunch, focus on concepts that have more emphasis on the exam and then start with those content areas that you can pick up more quickly and easily. The goal is to maximize what you learn with the time you have left, so you have the best chance of answering more questions correctly.
Develop your skills for anxiety management and test taking strategies.
Once you have a sense of common issues that arise while you’re taking the exam, you can develop a proactive strategy for addressing them and practice your strategies when you take another practice exam. Notice you get anxious with research design questions or lengthy questions, then practice relaxation strategies and reframing to help keep your head in the game. Notice you’re missing key words or feel like you’re constantly picking the wrong answer once you narrow it down to 50/50, re-visit test taking strategies to help strengthen your approach and ultimately build confidence.