Quizzes are tools to help determine what you know, or what you don’t know. Many students think quizzes are a nuisance and are not worth investing too much time or effort into. However, did you know that quizzes provide valuable insight as to what’s coming down the road in future tests and final exams? Here are 5 ways you can use quizzes to your total advantage.
Do you get it, or not?
Questions on quizzes that you have no difficulty answering and get correct, are areas of coursework you can skim over when it comes time to prepare for the end-of-semester exams. On the other hand, questions that were challenging to you, or those which you couldn’t answer and get wrong, provide a clear indication of what areas you need to thoroughly understand and review.
Can you analyze your mistakes?
Ask yourself what could be the reason for your incorrect or incomplete quiz answers. Did you simply forget the answers? Or not know them altogether? Was it just carelessness? If you had some difficulty understanding or answering some questions, or if you got them wrong altogether, you may want to reach out to your teachers for support to help clarify the material.
Do you know how to prepare?
Thorough preparation is one of the essential ingredients to success in school, (and actually in life too!). Time spent preparing will ensure that you will almost always do well on quizzes. The key to preparing is preparing and not waiting till the last moment for review. You will be rewarded if you spend time reviewing and understanding your notes, readings, and past homework assignments every day. This habit will serve you extremely well when it comes time for your finals and exams.
Do you know how to follow directions before?
Before your teacher administers a quiz, she will in all likelihood give you certain instructions on how to prepare for it, what you need to study, and when it will take place (unless of course, it’s a pop quiz!). What you do with these instructions can make the difference between a good result, and not. What material will be on the quiz? What type of quiz will it be? What needs your review? How much time will you devote to studying for the quiz? These are questions you should get answered in your preparation.
Do you know how to follow directions during?
Taking quizzes tells you how well you follow directions and helps illuminate whether you need to develop that skill further. Following the directions during the quiz can make or break your result. Are you taking the time to thoroughly read the directions? Did you “explain” when the question asked you to “analyze”? Slow down and carefully read the quiz instructions as these are critical skills that will help you do well on upcoming tests.
Summary
Quizzes are a lot more helpful than one might think because they provide insight into future tests and finals. These quizzes provide opportunities to gauge whether or not you know the material, help you pinpoint the areas that need more attention, and help determine if instructions were followed, and what extra support might be needed. The best thing about quizzes is that they don’t count as heavily as other graded assessments, which means that there is ample opportunity to regroup to do better the next time.
For more test prep resources, check out our customized academic tutoring for middle school students and high school students.