When the time for exam preparation is over and you are in the midst of giving your exams, with papers going on every day, the best thing to do is to focus on what you already learnt so far and how well you’ve understood it. You now need to reinforce your learning and understanding of the subjects, and feel more confident while answering the question paper. And the best way to do this, and also a scientifically-back method, is by testing or quizzing yourself.

Yes, self-testing is a very vital step in getting ready for exams, and this comes usually after you have finished most of the learning, or even earlier as you wrap up learning a particular topic or subject. By testing yourself, you can easily identify what you know well and what you need to work on. By identifying the gaps, you can use the very little time available during the exam days more effectively to learn those areas and not be burdened with trying to go over everything.

This is why many schools have mock exams and tests before the actual one, to make the student go through the drill of answering questions beforehand. And I am sure many of you attempt past papers for these very reasons. Whether you have been self-testing or not, here are some things that you should know about this important method of exam preparation so that you can do it now and in the future too. So let’s check out why self-testing is so useful and how you can go about it.

Benefits of self-testing

Improves memory: By trying to remember what you’ve learnt, you are strengthening your memory through a process called ‘active recall’. The harder your brain works to find an answer, the better it gets at it, making it easier to do so during the actual exam.

While traditionally we learn by putting information into our brain, in active recall, we do the opposite – we learn by retrieving information from the brain. How it works is that when you are learning a topic, you keep testing yourself to retrieving information and making your brain remember it through this exercise. This not only improves your knowledge, but also your understanding of the topic you are trying to learn.

Improves retention: While reading is a somewhat passive activity, retrieving information during self-testing is an active exercise that tends to store things in the long-term memory.

Identifies weak areas: Self-testing and quizzes help you to easily spot what you don’t know. So in the little time you have between your exams, you can easily focus on filling gaps in your knowledge which you have identified through quizzing yourself.

Reduces exam anxiety and builds confidence: Giving tests and exams of any kind is very stressful. Even if you have studied and prepared well, the pressure you feel when answering the questions can stop you from performing to the best of your abilities. You may become too nervous to read and understand the questions, or you may not write the answers correctly.

But when you practice doing a test and familiarise yourself with the question format of the exam paper, this stressful situation becomes less daunting and you gain confidence to handle the actual exam well.

Keeps a track of progress: When self-testing is done on a regular basis, you can monitor your progress to see if you are making any improvement with time or not. This gives you a reality check, besides a sense of achievement when your performance improves.

Effective self-testing ways

Practise with various types of questions: Depending on your class and the subject, you can get different or just one type of questions in exams, such as essay questions, multiple choice questions (MCQs), short answer questions, and true and false questions. Each of these questions require different abilities and style of preparation to attempt well.

Find out the style of questions you can expect in the exams. I am sure most schools and teachers always disclose this beforehand. Then practice quizzing yourself with the same style of questions.

We all have the tendency of answering certain types of questions better than others, therefore, it is important to practice more of the ones we have difficulty attempting.

Make your own question paper: Open you books and notes, and turn the information in it into questions. This will make you go deeper into the topic to form questions, with the result that you will get better understanding of it — it’s like doing a revision of the topic.

But don’t be too easy on yourself and make very obvious and easy question, try to quiz yourself in a more challenging manner.

Practise with past papers: If there are past question papers available, use them for self-testing and practice. This will familiarise you with the format and make sure to follow the time given in the paper to improve time management.

Attempt online quizzes and use flashcards: There are innumerable websites offering all kinds of quizzes on all topics and subjects under the sun. Use them to your advantage. Some websites even offer you a chance to generate your own quizzes, so try them out to see what works. But while online, resist the temptation to surf and waste your time.

You can also make flashcards, with questions on one side and the answer on the other. Use them yourself or ask a friend or sibling to use them to test your knowledge. Use whatever works for you best.

Simulate exam conditions: Try and sit in a quiet place without distractions, keep your books, notes and gadgets away, set a stopwatch and do your tests. This will somewhat replicate the exam conditions and develop the discipline and composure you need while giving exams.

Incorporate spaced repetition: Redo the quiz after a gap to further reinforce your learning and make sure that it stays fresh in your mind until the exam.

Learn from your answers: Your answers are going to be the best indicators of your preparedness. Review your answers honestly, be very strict in judging your answers and then analysis how you could do better, what you still need to learn and what you know well.

Reward yourself: After every test you attempt, take a break to relax, do something that you enjoy as a way to reward yourself for your effort. This will keep you motivated and positive.

Self-testing is a great way to ensure exam readiness. And it doesn’t even have to be something you do before exams only — do it every time you learn a topic or have a class test. Answering questions helps you learn more, remember better, feel confident about what you already know, and exposes your leaning gaps.

This study technique works well for all the different types of learners, and for all grades and subjects. So make it a part of your study and exam preparation routine, and reap its rewards.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 14th, 2024