Learn From Your Mistakes

When reviewing practice exams, you will learn more from the questions you get wrong than the ones you answer correctly for several reasons. First, if you answer a question correctly, presumably you already know how to do it, so there is no reason to focus on something you already know. Or worse, if you got the question right because it was a lucky guess you may think you know something you don't. Wrong answers represent with certainty, questions and concepts that must be studied. Ask yourself, "Was this a careless error? Do I understand why it is wrong? Is there a better method to get the correct answer?" For sentence completions, study all the vocabulary word answer choices you don't understand. Re-read a passage and try and find the answer. Learn a new rule of grammar from an incorrect short answer writing question. Look for patterns. Do you find that the same type of questions always give you the most difficulty? For example, a student of mine had trouble answering the critical reading main idea questions. So I directed the student to some study aids and quizzes designed specifically for that type of question. This is what I call efficient study time. Use your time wisely by zeroing in on those questions that pose the most difficulty.