Taking a practice exam is only half the job; the real gain comes from analyzing it. To avoid repeating the same mistake you need to find its cause.
Label every wrong and blank
Write a cause for every wrong and blank:
- Topic gap: I did not know that topic.
- Attention error: I misread the question or made a calculation slip.
- Time problem: I could not finish.
- Indecision: I was torn between two options.
Take action based on the labels
- For topic gaps, set aside study hours on that topic and solve related questions.
- For attention errors, build habits like reading the question twice and solving by writing out the operation.
- For time problems, practice a strategy of ordering questions and leaving the hard one.
- For indecision, review the basics of the topic again.
Track your progress
Write the per-subject nets of each practice exam in a table. Look at the trend of the last few exams, not a single one; fluctuations are normal.
To calculate your nets you can look at the net calculation guide.