Mock Exams: The Ultimate Guide for Success

PSAT Mock Exams

The PSAT or NMSQT is the perfect mock exam for your SAT. The preliminary SAT has another great benefit. NMSQT stands for National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, means the results of those tests are used for awarding students with merit scholarships. Amazing.

But back to its function as a mock exam for your SAT. Did you know that you can take the PSAT three times during high school? Kinda nice right? But only once per year. However, this is the perfect opportunity to test your knowledge. And the feedback you gain through those tests is an excellent base to improve your learning process. We discuss later why mock exams are so remarkable. So read on.

When	every October
Where	your school, ask your teacher
How often	once per year
How much	nothing, the school will cover the fees
Max. Score	1520

 

SAT Mock Exams

The infamous SAT, formerly the Scholastic Assessment Test, is often used for college admission. Preparing for this test is critical. We already talked about the PSAT. Nonetheless, there are other possibilities for mock exams and optimal prep for the SAT. The World Wide Web has a lot of free online tests as preparation. I recommend the practice tests on the official website of The College Board. Along the PSAT it is a stunning tool.

ACT Mock Exams

If you want to attend college, you are mostly familiar with the SAT and ACT. The ACT or American College Testing is important for your college application. A Mock Exam for the ACT has therefore numerous benefits.

As like for the AP mock exams, there aren’t mock exams in school. But the official website of the ACT has a ton of free tests and questions you can use. For a realistic experience, you have to time them yourself. But they are wonderful for testing your knowledge before you take the real exam.

AP Mock Exams

Finally: AP Mock Exams. They aim to prepare you for your upcoming AP exams. There are plenty of possible tests online.

Are Mock Exams important?

Yes, mock exams are important – I can’t stress it enough. Even if they don’t count towards your final grade, mock exams offer invaluable insights. Here’s why:

• Identify your strengths. Mock exams highlight the topics you are already strong in. Use this to your advantage – you won’t need to invest as much time revising these areas. However, don’t neglect them entirely; review them regularly!
• Identify your weaknesses too. Mock exams can also help you identify the topics that you need to work on – but don’t despair. This is a positive! Because these aren’t real exams, you now know what topics need more attention and further revision. It’s a perfect tool for optimising your exam prep.
• Beneficial for teachers. Looking at your results, your teachers can determine which topics are challenging for the class. In the months before the real exam, they can offer more support in those topics.
• Test your learning strategy. Hopefully, you have a study plan for all your exams. It’s the perfect time to test its effectiveness. Based on your mock exam results, you can work out if your strategy is any good or if you need to adjust it and come up with a more effective exam prep.
• Mock exams predict grades. Even if the grades from the mock exams don’t count towards the final grades, they give you an insight into your current performance. Especially for year 13 students, the predicted notes can be helpful when you are applying to colleges or universities, as they can give you an idea of your chances of being accepted.
• Simulating the real exam. This means you get a realistic experience of the actual exams without actually sitting them yet. This definitely helps with getting used to the exam format and the time constraints, and helps combat test anxiety.
• You learn how to manage time during the exam. Time turners don’t exist (I think?), so you can’t turn back time to do better in your actual exams. But you can take mock exams instead. They help you practice time management skills, which will help you stay on track during the real exam.
• Boost your confidence. Sounds odd, but mock exams can boost your confidence. Understanding time management, the quantity and format of questions, and the amount of concentration needed can help calm your nerves before the actual exams.
• Valuable feedback. The whole mock exam experience provides comprehensive feedback on topics, time management, confidence, and more. All this feedback helps you refine your study plan and make the most of your remaining preparation time.

Mock Exam Revision: 7 Steps to Success

Mock exams are an excellent opportunity to practice your skills and get a feel for the real thing. By following these steps, you can make the most of your mock exams and improve your chances of success in the real thing.

• Step 1: Mark your mock exam dates in your calendar. Our brains and short memories are better at remembering things when they’re written down. They aren’t built for stuff like imaginary calendars! Mark the dates on your phone or a physical calendar, and don’t forget the actual exam dates as well. This might seem basic, but it’s essential, trust me! When every little thing can stress you out, this prep trick will help you stay on track and avoid forgetting about the exams.
• Step 2: Know the topics you have to revise. Make a list of all the topics that could be covered on the exam. You can find this information in your syllabus or by talking to your teacher.
• Step 3: Make a study plan. Now that you have your list of topics, use it to create a realistic study plan. Decide how much time you need to spend studying for each topic. Be realistic about your time commitment and don’t try to cram too much information into too short a period. For more advice, check out this article. The Vaia app also offers features to assist you in creating a plan.

• Step 4: Take breaks. A sensible study plan should include breaks. These are essential for your success, as a rested body and mind retain information much more effectively. Breaks will help you avoid burnout too.
• Step 5: Enough sleep and a healthy diet. It’s not just about studying; sleep, diet, and consistency are equally important. Pay attention to your sleep hygiene and ensure you are sleeping enough. Try to maintain a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates and proteins to fuel your brain with all the good stuff. Consistency is also a key element in being successful. Try to learn a bit every day, rather than cramming long sessions over the weekends.
• Step 6: Don’t sacrifice your weekends. For your own happiness and well-being, remember to maintain a social life and take breaks on the weekend. Don’t spend your entire weekends on long, exhausting, and ineffective learning sessions. If you must study, limit it to around 8 – 12 hours of learning over the whole weekend, leaving the rest of the time to enjoy with family and friends.
• Step 7: Find balance. It’s important to find a balance between school, learning, hobbies, family, and friends. This will help you stay sane, mentally healthy, and productive.

 

Mock Exam Preparation with Vaia

Vaia is your next best study app, helping you with your prep for your mock and actual exams. Still with me? Let’s explore why.

The Vaia App is completely free

Voted number 1 learning app, Vaia is free to use on almost all your devices. It holds thousands of explanations on different topics, you can browse or create flashcards, a study plan, take mock exams and much more. Get it now for iOS and Android devices, or simply sign up using the web platform.

 

Mock Exams with the Vaia AI

Vaia offers mock exams to help you prepare for real exams with the help of the newest feature – Vaia AI. Want a personalised mock exam? The Vaia AI has got you covered! Plus, it will provide feedback on your answers! Try it today, it’s fantastic!

Explanations on all topics covered in your mocks

The app holds thousands of explanations on all your subjects, whether it is maths, physics, biology, history, politics or English literature.

Flashcards

Have you ever tried revising for your exams using flashcards? Flashcards are an excellent, easy and effective way of retaining a significant amount of knowledge. That’s why we love them. You can easily create your own or ask the Vaia AI for help.

Bonus: Every one of our original explanations comes with ready-made flashcards!

Personalised study plan

Study plan creation is my favourite feature because I am a huge fan of to-do lists and plans. The statistics tab is very helpful and shows you an overview of your study sets, flashcards and hours. You can set goals such as how many hours you want to study for, how many days, and much more.

And with that said: I wish you good riddance and good luck with all your exams!