In this article, I explain the key elements necessary for you to conduct a self-assessment. Self-assessments are a great tool for students to determine your level before facing a real exam.
The idea of a self-assessment is to simulate the same conditions you’ll face during a real evaluation at school or university. This way, when you face the actual exam, you won’t be taken by surprise.
Below, you’ll see what you need to consider when preparing for this simulation.
Keys for a successful self-assessment
1. Get questions and exercises from the subject
Sometimes, you’ll be able to find complete exams from previous years, and other times, you might not find anything.
In the second case, you can use questions from quizzes or exercises given in class or from some type of guide. You can also refer to practical sections from manuals.
Another option is to search online for exams from other universities, or ask ChatGPT to design a test for the concepts you want to test.
You can also study in groups and create exams together. In this way, you design an exam for a classmate, and they design one for you.
2. Research about the exam
In order to carry out a successful self-assessment, you need to gather as much information as possible about the exam.
Some of the information you need to find includes: how much time you have, what materials you can have on your desk, if you can use a pencil or ink, what percentage of the exam must be correct to pass, etc. All of this information is crucial.
3. Maintain the evaluation conditions
Once you start solving the exam, you must stay focused as if you were in the educational institution, taking the real test. This means you need to turn off the radio, TV, computer, and store your cell phone.
If you share your house or room, explain to those you live with that you need to simulate a real exam so that you won’t be interrupted.
Isolate yourself as much as possible, and if you don’t have a private place to do the self-assessment alone, go to a library where you can find silence. Another alternative is to use headphones to block out your surroundings.
Don’t even think about looking at your notes if you come across a question you don’t know how to answer.
4. Correct your self-assessment thoroughly
When checking whether you’ve answered correctly or solved the problems right, you must do it rigorously. If you study in a group, one of your classmates can take care of the correction.
You can’t be lenient, as the teacher who grades your real exam won’t be.
When to do a self-assessment and when not to?
As you’ve seen, conducting an exam simulation requires certain conditions and some preparation. This means it’s not something you need to do every day.
I find two key moments when a self-assessment can be very useful:
- When you have no idea about your level regarding certain topics.
- When you’ve already studied for an exam and just need to test yourself to see how well you’ve mastered the material.
Remember that for a self-assessment, you need to gather information that is sometimes difficult to obtain. I’m referring to exams from past courses and exam questions. Don’t waste this resource if you’re not in one of the two situations I mentioned above.
In fact, I think that in most cases, self-assessments are a great tool for the final days of study before an exam.
A useful tool that requires discipline
Self-assessment is a great tool for exam preparation. It only requires you to meet the evaluation conditions and avoid distractions.
Follow the recommendations in this article, and you’ll be able to simulate an exam successfully.
If you don’t do well in the simulation, no problem. Keep studying, and then repeat the self-assessment process.
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