{"id":12112,"date":"2020-01-07T16:47:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-07T23:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/?p=12112"},"modified":"2020-01-28T09:10:09","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T16:10:09","slug":"why-you-should-take-practice-tests-before-an-exam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/why-you-should-take-practice-tests-before-an-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Take Practice Tests Before an Exam"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a student you\u2019ve probably been taught not to walk into an exam room without prior preparation. From flashcards, to course videos, an array of study tools are available to you that may seem more appealing than buckling down and taking a practice test. While those options may help to deepen your understanding of the material, your test preparation will be left incomplete if you make the mistake of skipping the <\/span>practice tests<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like to think of preparing for exams in a similar way as training for a marathon. You wouldn\u2019t go out and run a race without first completing some practice runs,\u201d says Elizabeth Barry, Director of Marketing at Peterson\u2019s. To help you cross the finish line on test day, we spoke with Barry to understand why practice tests are your best bet when preparing for a standardized exam.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Practice tests assess how well you know the content.<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cTaking a practice test gives you a baseline for understanding where you\u2019re starting from. You can use that as the basis for planning the rest of your studying,\u201d says Barry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Factor in time for several practice tests throughout the duration of your study process. On average, Peterson\u2019s recommends students start preparing for an exam at least six weeks in advance. Barry suggests using a multi-step approach when utilizing the practice tests that come with <\/span>Petersons.com<\/span><\/a> test prep subscriptions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor many of our exams, we have a series of three practice tests. I recommend taking the first one in a simulated environment to see how you perform. Based on those results, you can create a study plan and brush up on the areas in which you need help. This may include watching videos,\u00a0 practicing with flashcards, or re-reading your reference material. The second test is good to use as a question bank for content study purposes, where you can tackle questions without timeline parameters and get used to different question types.The final test I would take in the confines of what would be the official test environment to see if you\u2019re ready for test day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So to recap the multi-step approach:<\/span><\/p>\n