| We've heard a lot about the conventional methods - | | | | or "cram sheets." Candidates for IT certification, for |
| classroom learning, practice exams, simulation-based | | | | example, will often need to read explanations for the |
| testing - that have been employed to assist students in | | | | answers to questions as many of the questions will |
| preparing for these key exams. Long tests and | | | | test each candidate's ability to analyze rather than to |
| practice exams are often appropriate preparation | | | | simply recall knowledge. |
| methods however sometimes they may be too | | | | Online quizzes also offer the ability to include special |
| broad-based or inflexible to fit a student's need to | | | | media in questions that may appear on actual exams. |
| work on specific weak areas. Short, material-targeted | | | | For example, GED exams sometimes feature |
| practice quizzes have proven to be effective in helping | | | | specialized images or pictures in order to assist the |
| students strengthen specific weak areas. Students | | | | test-taker on a particular problem. Some IT or |
| who have used short quizzes in conjunction with | | | | professional certification exams may even require a |
| traditional, practice exam preparation methods have | | | | video demonstration of a particular problem to |
| reported strikingly positive results. | | | | troubleshoot. All of this media and more can be |
| What makes short quizzes so effective in preparing | | | | included on an online practice quiz, which can |
| for exams? A major factor is the ability of a short quiz | | | | significantly improve the testing experience and offer a |
| to test a specific area of knowledge rather than all of | | | | great deal of realism to the test-taker. |
| the required material. For example, the SAT Critical | | | | The shorter length of the online quizzes combined with |
| Reading test contains two major sections of questions | | | | the customized feedback makes for an incredibly |
| "reading comprehension" and "vocabulary in context" | | | | personalized and flexible exam preparation experience. |
| and even within these questions, different types | | | | Students note that while these large exams are useful |
| appear. For example, a student may be very bad at | | | | to take as gauges or diagnostics, short quizzes are |
| summarizing a passage's main focus, which in turn | | | | useful to improve on a specific weakness. In response, |
| results in him getting a lower score every time on a | | | | these same students have turned to a preparation |
| major practice test. With shorter quizzes on only the | | | | regimen that includes both full-length exams and |
| main focus questions, the student will be able to quickly | | | | frequent quizzing. |
| see how much room he has for improvement. | | | | It's not by chance that so many students are using |
| Pinpointing weaknesses, however, is only one part of | | | | short, targeted online quizzes to quickly enhance their |
| the equation. With shorter quizzes, students can also | | | | exam scores. The flexibility of these quizzes, coupled |
| receive customized feedback. Online practice quizzes | | | | with their customizable feedback, offers to the |
| in particular offer students the chance to receive | | | | test-taker the chance to improve on the areas that |
| instant feedback, which can be very helpful if a | | | | they need the most help with. In conjunction with |
| student is trying to "cram" for a big exam. Most | | | | classroom learning, everyday studying, and practice |
| students who take online practice quizzes agree that | | | | examinations, short quizzes can offer students the |
| instant feedback is a major reason why they take the | | | | ability to significantly improve their performance on |
| quizzes instead of simply reading preparation material | | | | even the toughest exams. |