The best way to do something successfully is to do it beforehand- just like a dress rehearsal. And like they say as well: “Practice makes perfect”. Athletes, musicians and actors who excel in their respective fields can attest to that. But what about an upcoming major exam, such as the ACT, the SAT, GRE or GED, among others? How can you pass that which you have to take with flying colours? Well, with practice, too- and that’s by way of taking practice exams.
Research has proven that taking practice tests is one of the most effective ways of studying. Why so? What are the benefits of taking practice tests? Here are 7 of them:
- It boosts your stamina. It normally takes hours to complete a standardized exam. Not to mention that they are also time-pressured. This can indeed be very tedious, especially as everyone is getting accustomed to multitasking nowadays. Tackling an exam for hours could become quite rigorous. But you can learn to handle that, in the same way as bodybuilders build muscles slowly over time. That is by taking practice tests. Access an official practice test and time yourself in the same way as the actual test every week. Eventually, you’ll find that taking a long exam can be easy.
- You’ll get to know the quirks of the exam. Standardized exams can get quirky. That is, they may be designed with traps and various strategies to test your reasoning and critical thinking skills. They tend to be not as straightforward as you might expect them to be. But practice testing can combat your anxiety or confusion when it comes to these. In fact, if you do it repeatedly, you can master your test-taking skills and prevent yourself from being taken off guard by whatever tricks there are in the exam.
- You can ascertain your skill level. Practice tests are a reliable way to assess your skill and knowledge level. Through your score, you can determine what subjects and topics you falter at. By knowing your weak areas, you’ll be aware of what you need to work on.
- It will pacify your anxiety. You might have high expectations for taking your exam. Are you planning to get into the college of your dreams, or aiming to get a high score to be able to achieve a promotion? A lot might be at stake if you don’t pass your exam, thus your anxiety levels could be far above the ground. But you could alleviate your anxiety if you take practice tests, mainly because it will acclimatize you to the real situation. Getting familiarized with the format and content of the actual test can placate your tension for your upcoming academic feat- thereby increasing your confidence and paving the way for your acing it.
- Enhance your test time-management skills. You can’t simply go your own way when taking a standardized test. That is, you have to be wary of your timing. Such tests are usually designed with time limits that you have to adhere to. But through practise testing, you can allocate the most appropriate amount of time to answering each item in the test. It will prevent you from getting lost when responding to your exam in terms of the imposed time limit.
- It allows you to keep track of your progress. As you commence on your test prep program, you initially should take a practice test. The purpose of this is to get your baseline score- to evaluate where you currently stand to pertain to your know-how. From there, you can establish a study strategy in order to reach your target score by taking another practice test at the end of your study program.
- Reduce your stress levels. At the gist of it, practice testing will develop your mastery for taking your exam. It’s a preparation that gives you a “feel” of what the actual event is like. Ultimately gaining confidence, it’ll be easier for you to surmount your test. There are other significant factors to consider, but by no doubt, practice tests are one of the most important tools you can utilize to become successful in your approaching academic undertaking and your future.
There are countless more benefits of taking practice tests. Apparently, this method of studying is smarter, more practical and definitely effectual.
Author Bio
Winnie Custodio has been a publicist and writer for over 10 years, and she has broad experience in online and personal mentoring. Working with Test Prep Toolkit, an online GED, ACT and SAT study guide has been one of her most fulfilling careers where she and her fellow TPT staff work together as a power team in helping thousands of test-takers pass their exams. With such an outstanding achievement, Test Prep Toolkit has become one of the top test prep websites on the Internet today.
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