Post-Test Analysis [Strategies]

Introduction and Definition

Post-test analysis means determining what went well and what did not throughout the exam process to make better changes for the future. While this process can be challenging and sometimes make you feel bad (let’s be honest, owning up to our mistakes can be painful), it will ultimately allow you to make better decisions before the next exam and hopefully lead to better grades.

Importance

Doing the same thing every test cycle and expecting better results each time is not a good strategy for sustained success. By digging in and determining what went well and what needs to be adjusted, you should start seeing better results.

Examples

Post-test analysis should start as soon as you finish an exam. Start by evaluating how you studied for the exam: time of day, material, study aids created, how much time you spent, how many days you spent, etc. Basically, what was your plan and how well did you execute it?

Also, it can be good to sit down with your notes and textbook (if applicable) to determine where the material came from. Was it weighted more heavily to the lecture or the textbook? Or was it fairly equal? If you have a cumulative final exam, you should mark the topics that were covered so you can start a final exam study list. Are you still shaky on any of those topics? If so, get help right away to solidify your understanding so you can keep building your knowledge base for that course.

Once you get the exam grade back (or if you don’t, then attend office hours), you’ll want to reflect on where your study strategies paid off and where you need to work some more. It’s best to do this as soon as possible after you get the exam grade back, while the information is still fresh in your mind. If the exam was online, make an appointment with your professor to review the exam and your responses as soon as you can.

You need to evaluate the types of questions you answered correctly and those you missed. Start with the questions you answered correctly on an exam to put themselves in a proper mindset for looking at the rest of the exam. You want to see if you made any careless mistakes so you can rectify them next time. Did you just not study a topic completely? Identify how you missed it so it won’t happen again. Also, be sure to check for any grading mistakes – were your points added up correctly? Read all the comments, especially on essay exams or open-ended questions, and incorporate those comments into future exams or essays.

There are three main areas to cover in your post-test analysis: how the test was made, how you prepared for it, and how you took it.

How the test was made:

• Questions used a higher level of understanding (beyond memorization, higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy).
• Questions came from a source you did not use (book, notes, additional readings, homework, etc.).
• One question type was more challenging than another (multiple choice, free response, true/false).
• Questions were tricky.
• Questions combined concepts.
• Questions required very detailed information.

How you prepared for the test:

• Did not devote enough time to studying
• Studied in an environment with distractions
• Notes were incomplete
• Only used one or two study tools
• Studied too narrowly/broadly
• Didn’t make associations or connections
• Never verbalized or visualized material
• Didn’t learn the material in multiple forms
• Studied wrong information
• Relied too heavily on the practice exam

How you took the test:

• Misinterpreted questions
• Had negative self-talk
• Did not read directions carefully
• Did not read the whole question or all the answers
• Did not check over the test before turning it in
• Ran out of time
• Spent too much time on harder questions
• Did not use authorized accommodations
• Felt rushed
• Were distracted
• Lacked confidence
• Had a mental block
• Spent too much time daydreaming
• Too tired or hungry to concentrate
• Made careless choices
• Did not notice limiting words
• Changed answer
• Misread the directions or question
• Made Scantron errors
• Skipped steps in formulas

Most institutions require your instructors to allow you to learn from your mistakes on an exam. Now, they may not let you touch the exam, take a picture of what you missed, or even take notes during the meeting, but you do have a right to figure out what went wrong so you can figure out how to do better next time.

If you get the exam back, it’s great to sit down and explain to yourself, preferably in writing, why the wrong answers you chose were wrong and why the right answer was right.  The more in-depth you can do this, the better you’ll be in the future. It can help you understand how you need to work with the material going forward and allow you to better anticipate what types of questions will be asked on future exams. If you can’t figure out what went wrong, ask your instructor, they know how they built the exam and can tell by your answers how well you knew the information.

The hardest part is following through and implementing the changes that need to occur to keep growing and learning between test cycles.

Considerations and Tips

Sometimes, even with all the best strategies and adjustments, exam grades don’t skyrocket immediately. This can be disheartening. However, the post-test analysis process can help here as well. One area to consider is how much harder the material and exam questions got from the last exam to this exam. Then, once you determine where your hard work paid off, imagine what your grade might have looked like without all the changes. Probably not as high as it was, right? So while you might not be exactly where you want to be, it’s better than it could have been. Another meeting with the instructor during office hours will hopefully help you determine even more areas for improvement to keep that grade going up.

Case Study

Max just took her second Chemistry exam. The first exam was pretty easy because it was a review of what she learned in high school. However, this second exam was much more difficult. Max did not change many of her study habits from the first exam to the second, and now she’s panicking because she failed it. What are at least four steps Max can take to increase her grade on the next exam?

Case Study Answer

One possible response: Max should make an appointment with her Chemistry professor to review her second exam in person. She should ask her professor during that meeting for suggestions of additional study techniques she can use to work more effectively with the lecture and book information. Max should also ask the professor to talk through some of the more challenging questions so she can better understand how to approach any new information for the next exam.  She then needs to prepare and execute a detailed Five-Day (or more) Study Plan before any future tests.

Actionable Items and Application

• Be persistent. Make an appointment with your professor outside of office hours if needed.
• Examine why incorrect answers were wrong and write out why a different answer was better with a detailed response.
• If you don’t follow a Five-Day Study Plan, write down how you prepared. Be sure to include days, times, strategies used, content, and location. Writing down how you prepared as you do it or right after will help your post-test analysis later.
• Compare test questions with the materials used for studying. See if you can find that exact information in your study materials or notes. If it isn’t there, figure out why.