Acing Tests For Beginners: 7 Secrets To Instantly Getting Grades You Want

Do you want to know 7 secrets to acing tests in college?

If so, then read on to know how you can use these 7 secrets to ace your college tests on a consistent basis!

Let’s jump right into it with the first secret.

Secret #1: Active Recall

This is the most effective study strategy according to top college students and research alike.

They both say that this is the #1 method towards acing tests on a consistent basis.

Multiple research studies were performed on active recall’s effectiveness in helping students do well on their tests compared to other studying methods.

One study asked students to either read the book once, read the book four times, read the material and then make a mind map or read the material and recall as much of the material as possible.

The results of the study?

It wasn’t even close.

The active recall students significantly outperformed the group that read the material 4 times (the group that had the 2nd best results in the study).

In the 2011 study I’m referring to, the active recall group outperformed the reread 4 times group by 15-20%.

As you can imagine, an extra 15-20% on tests can mean a lot, especially if this result is added to your test scores on a consistent basis that results in numerous opportunities stemming from a high GPA.

Additionally, there was a 2010 study on active recall and this study showed that compared to studying the material 1 time, students scored, on average, 30% higher than the group that just studied the material 1 time.

And it doesn’t end there.

In a 1939 study, active recall was pitted against normal studying methods to determine which method yielded the highest test scores.

Half the class were instructed to study normally without active recall and the other half of the class were instructed to utilize active recall. 

Some of the class were instructed to take the test a day after studying the material and the rest of the class were told to study the material and take the test one week later.

The results:

Regardless of what each student was told to do, active recall produced better test results, up to 30% (15-20% on average) better than normal studying methods for those who took the test a week later.

These results indicate one thing and that is:

Active recall is the superior study method compared to anything else you can do.

Period.

You can see a summary of the results here if you wish.

I for one can say that I had substantial academic results compared to the rest of my peers in college as a result of using active recall.

On average, I was able to score at least 20-30% higher than the class average on most tests due to active recall alone.

Additionally, during my last year of university, my midterm test scores averaged 94.5% and 96% respectively for the last 2 semesters.

For the classes I was taking, these were really high numbers very few people were averaging.

And many other students have achieved similar results with this strategy.

There was a case study done on an MIT student who blitzed through a Chemistry program with a 4.0 GPA and had the highest GRE (Graduate Records Examination) scores in his applicant class.

The case study documented this student struggling through a Physics book since he wasn’t using the technique.

Then, he discovered the technique and over time, his results gradually increased and eventually, went off the charts.

The variation of active recall he was using was lecturing to the wall whereby you teach the material to an imaginary class in your mind and as a result, you will poke exactly where your deficiencies are and be able to correct them immediately.

Speaking first hand from using the technique, it’s extremely powerful to test yourself before you go into the test because you are basically assessing your weaknesses and strengths for virtually no penalty.

It’s like you’re cheating without cheating!

Think of active recall as a way to take the test an unlimited amount of times before you have to take the real thing.

And the best part about it is this is completely allowed.

There is nowhere in a code of conduct that says you can’t practice test yourself nor can’t you use active recall before a test.

It’s a ridiculously powerful learning technique that you can implement starting today and achieve incredible results shortly after implementing it (it can take longer depending on how much time it takes for you to get used to it).

With this, I challenge you to do something right now.

Print out this post, read it and recite in your own words a summary of what you just read.

You will notice an incredible improvement in how you comprehend the information in this post.

Try recalling the information again tomorrow and you will find that you will recall, at the minimum, most of the material in this post.

Now, there are more techniques to go through to fully perfect this process of acing tests, so stick around and know what they are so you can become a Test Taking Jedi Master 😉

Secret #2: 90-20 Rule

This is a productivity technique used by many of the world’s top performers at what they do.

Here’s how it works.

You work in 90 minute intervals and then take a 20 minute break afterwards.

You repeat this process for the rest of your study sessions (or work sessions).

That’s it.

Really.

Now, let me show you research that proves why it works.

Researchers at Florida State University performed a study on high performing individuals in fields they were occupied in, be it athletics, chess, performing arts, etc.

They found that those who worked in 90 minute intervals performed far better than those who chose to work in different intervals.

The reason this occurs is because our body works in what is called an “ultradian” rhythm, which says that we go through an active-rest cycle whereby we work productively for 90 minutes before needing 20 minutes to recuperate from working 90 minutes.

This is the same cycle that dictates how we sleep in that we go through phases of sleep that follow this method.

All information means that if you implement this technique on a consistent basis, you will optimize your body and your brain to be productive for the most amount of time it can take on to work with full focus.

This is how you work smart.

You game what works and you implement it.

You can read more about the 90-20 rule here if you wish.

For the rest of the day, I challenge you to study/work 90 minutes straight without stopping.

Afterwards, take a 20 minute break to recuperate your mind.

The article I linked to says to do something a bit different.

That is based off of another technique called the Pomodoro Technique which is also used by many successful students.

However, the one I have experience with is the 90-20 rule and it worked just fine for me and hence why I’m recommending you to try it.

In some cases, you will not be able to use the 90-20 rule like taking a test or working a job.

In those cases, you have to suck it up and deal with the slog of pushing through the mental fatigue.

However, if you follow the 90-20 rule or the Pomodoro Technique (feel free to choose the one that works best for you) on a consistent basis, you will minimize that fatigue and you WILL eliminate all-nighters.

Guaranteed.

Now this next technique is going to surprise you.

Read on to see what it is.

Secret #3: Close Your Eyes To Study

That’s right.

Surprising, isn’t it?

It’s as unconventional as it gets!

However, just like the previous 2 points and the rest of the points in this article, there is research to back this technique up and here it is.

In a study done by the University of Surrey, 4 groups of people were instructed to watch a film about an electrician performing jobs and stealing equipment.

One group had their eyes open and no rapport with the interviewer (the person asking questions about the film), another group had their eyes open and rapport with the interviewer, one group had their eyes closed and no rapport with the interviewer and the last group had their eyes closed and built rapport with the interviewer.

The study tested whether closing eyes and/or building rapport with the interviewer increased factual recall of events in the film.

This in turn sought to prove whether closing eyes and/or building rapport with someone or with a book/video increased factual recall of facts/concepts.

The results of this study proved the following:

As a group, all participants who closed their eyes recalled 23% more facts from the film than those who didn’t close their eyes.

They did a 2nd test of this study with a different film and they concluded the same thing:

Closing your eyes improves factual recall.

Additionally, an interviewer building a rapport with examinees improved factual recall as well, so it is important that you choose a professor who you resonate with so you can be comfortable sharing information with and improve your test scores as documented by research.

But the moral of the story is clear:

Close your eyes while using active recall while studying to improve your test scores.

You can also close your eyes during the test and recall facts then.

The only thing during the test is you can’t speak too loud during the test to recall facts.

However, if you keep your tone low enough, you might be able to use active recall during the test.

You can see the research here.

Also, from personal experience, when you use active recall, you should close your eyes while you do it.

Specifically, read the material and then close your eyes to summarize what you just read.

Then, recall the same material in a future study session, be it on the same day, the next day or one week later and you will find you retaining the vast majority of information you read.

This is the trick barely any student knows about.

And all of this evidence proves why learning in class does not work.

When you are in class, you have to stay silent.

Clearly, this is in contradiction to active recall (specifically lecturing to the wall) which suggests you have to verbally say out loud what you just learned in your own words to recall the material properly.

Additionally, it might be disruptive to the class for you to close your eyes, even though you have to close your eyes to recall the material and to improve your retention in the long run.

And three, you can’t go at your own pace in class.

All 3 of these factors associated with going to class completely go against the research as to how you should study.

Hence, why you shouldn’t rely on class to learn the material.

Now class does have its place.

It’s to review the material and to ask questions about certain points you didn’t understand.

The difference between this and not reading before class is you will know why you are asking what you are asking and hence, refine the material right on the spot so you can do your homework like a pro.

This is why professors suggest you read before going to class.

Let’s face it, a 50-75 minute lecture is definitely not enough time to cover everything you need to know in detail.

50-75 minutes is only enough time to scratch the surface on the material.

This is why you need this groundwork done beforehand so you can make the most of the lecture.

With this said, I challenge you to use active recall while closing your eyes to summarize the material you just read in your own words while using the 90-20 rule (or the Pomodoro Technique) to schedule your study sessions.

Now we are not finished.

There’s plenty more to know to come up with a bulletproof study process, so read on to know what else there is to know.

Secret #4: Handwrite Your Notes

College students abuse this one like crazy.

And no, I don’t mean the cute drawings on the notes to make them look fancy (sorry ladies, they’re unnecessary).

What I mean by abuse is students sometimes don’t handwrite their notes.

And yet, research says you should be handwriting your notes to increase retention.

Let’s explore this a little further.

Princeton University and UCLA did a study on students who took notes with their laptops and who took handwritten notes.

They were assigned a TED talk to watch and both groups were quizzed on the TED talk.

The results?

The handwriting group significantly outperformed the typing.

Why?

Because when you take notes with pen and paper, you process the information a lot more thoroughly and you get to shape the material in your own words based on what your brain is learning.

Additionally, your brain selects what material is important and in turn, it helps for greater retention of the material stemming from greater involvement on your part during the learning process.

When you take notes with a laptop, your brain can’t shape the way it wants to understand the material and hence, you don’t retain as much.

To prove my point, let me demonstrate this.

Imagine you are trying to learn a math concept while taking notes with a laptop.

How do you think that would go?

Not good, right?

Now imagine trying to learn that same concept with handwritten notes.

How do you think that will go?

Much better, right?

You are using your hands to shape the material in a way that works best for you and in a way that’s controllable.

You don’t control how you understand something on a computer if you just type it.

Do you understand?

So next time you take notes, write them down.

You’ll be glad you did.

Now, your challenge is to use active recall, implement the 90-20 rule into your routine, close your eyes to study and handwrite your notes, at least for understanding this post.

Now there are a few learning tactics to learn in order to master the process of taking tests and doing well on them, so read on to know what these tactics are.

Secret #5: Focus On The Concepts

This is super important for many reasons.

For starters, if you understand concepts, you lower the mental burden of knowing so much information.

Why?

Because you learn the concepts once, you can apply them to any problem you do.

It doesn’t matter if you have 10 problems or 100 problems or even 1000 problems.

You will answer those questions with relative ease the vast majority of the time.

Sure, 2-3% of the questions might have some hidden details that need sorting through to master. 

However, since you know the main concepts to answer the questions, you can understand why those corrections need to be made and implement them seamlessly.

It’s a surefire way to pass your classes.

All you need to do is read the book (or an appropriate video series) and understand why everything is happening.

Sure, this might require a problem solving class to sort this issue out, but once you get the hang of knowing why everything is happening, you’ll get lightbulb moments coming to you left and right.

This is a sign that you know what you are doing.

And it’ll be evident when you do the problems and recall concepts.

And come test time, you’ll blow everyone out of the water.

This is why inventors create things that solve problems.

They understand how each part works and hence, they come up with solutions that solve people’s needs.

In essence, if you understand concepts, you can solve problems extremely efficiently.

Get this point and you’ll be on your way to becoming a super genius 😉

Now, we went over active recall, we went over the 90-20 rule, we talked about how important it is to close your eyes while studying to improve retention, we talked about the importance of handwriting notes and we emphasized the importance of understanding concepts over facts.

There is another hack you need to know that’ll be super effective come test time, so keep reading to know what it is.

Secret #6: Do Your Homework Again

It sounds rough and tedious, but it works like a charm.

Here’s why.

Repetition is the mother of all learning.

You learn more when you do it all over again in your mind.

We humans are trained to understand things when we repeat them.

To prove my point, consider this:

What are you good at?

Go ahead, write it down.

Are you back?

Good.

Now consider this:

Why are you good at it?

Maybe because you are passionate about it?

Maybe because you like it?

Well, they all play a role.

But the real reason:

You do it over and over again.

Hence, it becomes second nature to your mind to do that thing.

That’s why you are good at that thing.

You made it a habit.

When you prepare for a test, you want to get your mind in the habit of doing the same thing over and over again correctly so it’s used to it.

And come test time, it’ll just be like another time you are doing it except you are being graded for it.

This is why doing homework again is extremely rewarding at the end.

Do you understand?

Good.

So I encourage you to do more and more homework and beyond it whenever possible.

If you are still not convinced about homework’s value, I encourage you to read this article here that shows 6 benefits of doing homework and how they can improve your skill set starting today.

With this said, I encourage you to use active recall, the 90-20 rule, closing your eyes to study, handwriting your notes, focusing on concepts and assigning yourself a homework assignment to know this post in and out with all of these techniques!

You’ll be glad you did!  

And now for the BIG secret of acing tests that all successful students know that other students don’t.

Secret #7: The BIG Secret Of Acing Tests

Sleeping.

This is the big secret.

Seriously.

You’ve heard of the all-nighter, correct?

It is a serious epidemic in colleges and universities everywhere!

Every student seems to be grabbing their late night cups of coffee and drinking the Red Bulls just to get every ounce of energy to push through the night.

Guess what?

It’s the wrong strategy.

And research proves it.

When you sleep, the brain does something called memory consolidation, which transfers your short term memory (aka: what you just learned) to your long term memory.

As a result, you retain more and more information as you sleep adequately on a consistent basis.

This is why you should sleep as often as possible and no less than 8 hours per night (7 if you have to, but no less).

It’s no wonder that test averages are so low when the results come out, but very few scores are high (unless it’s a really easy class).

The all-nighter is all hype and no results, just like a lot of politicians.

You can see research here to validate my point and also this article here that cites research about GPAs of those who slept 7-9 hours per night being higher than those who do not get adequate sleep.

So get that sleep when it is time to hit the sack.

You won’t regret it.

And that’s everything you need to know about how to ace a test (well, almost everything).

If you got a lot out of this post and you want more content about how to become more productive and reach your full potential not just in college, but in life, make sure you subscribe to Join the Island, the world’s greatest blog, below with your email.

You’ll receive new posts sent directly to your inbox when they are published!

Until then, happy studying!

Until next time,

This is Evan signing off.

PS: Comment below with how the challenge went and how it improved your grades. It’d be great to know how it helped you succeed in any way!