Most students believe this thing is garbage but could be the difference of a whole grade on your next test!

So here is a question for you, what if you could figure out how to improve test scores by:

Cutting back on your study time for the test

Less stressed about the test?

Understand what you know right now so you know what to study?

figured out what that worthless thing is yet?

…all to help improve your test scores, which is usually worth lots more. All this from that worthless 8.5x11 piece of paper. I would keep reading if I were you, this article could mean a major grade change on your next test.

Figured out what it is yet? It is a Quiz

You think it would be worth taking another look at that quiz??? You need to keep reading.

Awareness of when you make a mistake on any type of a test is the beginning to improve your test scores. If you think about it, a quiz is actually a mini test focused on one very small concept, out of all the concepts to be covered on the test. If you can understand where you go wrong on the quizzes leading up to the test, any poor quiz marks will be ideally be irrelevant, due to having figured out where you need work to improve test scores, which effect your grade a lot more. The concepts that you need work on, to improve your test scores, are those associated with the questions you lost marks on the quiz. If it was just a silly mistake then acknowledge how you made the silly mistake, so you do not make it again. If the mistake was an issue of understanding the concept tested in that question, then you will need to do 2 things to improve test scores:

1. Improve your test scores: Ask your teacher to get clarification on the concept (ie not just understanding where you went wrong, but what is it that you are not understanding about the concept)

2. Improve your test scores: Do extra practice to ensure you really do get it (MEMORIZING does not equal LEARNING, understanding will get you on the correct path, but is not the whole picture).

This may take multiple rounds of this 2 step process to improve your test scores.

If you want to begin to improve test scores, then do so by figuring out what do you actually know right now??? The quizzes that you did not get perfect on give the indication of where you will need to do the process above the most to improve your test scores. Be less stressed studying for the unit test, by making sure that you clarify and practice anything you do not fully understand based on the quizzes right away. Finally improve test scores by spending less time on what you are confident about, and more time on what you are less confident. Although not absolute, most concepts of low confidence for you will be those you have taken through the two step process and still get practice questions wrong, or still feel uneasy about. These are the things to focus on in your test studying to improve your test scores.

Please keep in mind to improve test scores, you will likely need to do this process, or at least number 2, on concepts you were confident about based on the quiz. As quizzes only typically test quick facts or quick calculation and not application. Thus looking at the concepts associated with a question you got incorrect on a quiz, are just the concepts that need the most immediate attention to improve test scores.

Thus what I am saying with this post to improve your test scores, is quizzes point out the areas you need to work on at the basic level; where as tests point out concepts you need to work on at all levels. It is important to establish an understanding at the basic level and then build on that until the day of the test (I will have to cover this another time), to improve test scores at all levels with every concept. This is why it is important to go through the 2 step process asap after each quiz, to improve test scores.

Keep reaching for your full potential. Check out more ways to improve test scores