A Brain Hack (of sorts) for Exams and Tests - College Info Geek

Earlier this year I made a video to answer the question, "Should I change answers on tests or stick with my initial answer?"

That video is now sorta kinda... wrong. The beauty of science is that, at pretty much any time, new data can be discovered that invalidates earlier conclusions.

That is what has happened in the case of this debate on changing answers, and the result is a technique that will help you more accurately judge whether or not to stick with your initial answer on each individual question. It’s called confidence tracking; here's how to use it.

My book "10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades" is completely free, so check it out if you're interested in improving your grades!

Here's the podcast interview with professor Justin Couchman:

Original video on changing test answers:

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Videos you might want to watch next:

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If you want to get even more strategies and tips on becoming a more productive, successful student, subscribe to my channel right here:

Companion article for this video:

~ created by Thomas Frank

[Thomasfrank]

So I probably should have stated this more explicitly in the video:

High-scored answers (4 or 5) are more likely to be correct, while questions with lower scores are better candidates for revisions. Also, low-scoring questions should get more thinking/reviewing time when going back through your test.

(Sometimes I get so deep in the research that I forget to view the script from the perspective of someone else - sorry about that!)

Remember, the insight of this research is that you're better off trusting your metacognition in the moment rather than later on - it DOESN'T mean you'll never make the incorrect choice when deciding whether or not to revise an answer. It should, however, help you choose correctly more often.

[amosbehavedcalm]

Great timing. My exam's in an hour.

[graciastephan]

I can't thank you enough for everything you share..

[AndyPonsG]

Hi! I just wanted to say thank you so much for your videos, your tips do actually work. I read your book before taking my first finals this year.
Before i start i have to say that I have always been a good student but i was not the most efficient one. I would spend a lot of time studying and even thought i felt like i was not ready to take my exams. ..
But this quarter was a hole different story, i am a freshman at college (I study law, in Spain) and thanks to you i studied way less hours.
I followed most of your tips, i was more organized, i had time to hang out with friends, play sports, sleep 8h, and study.
I found my self more relaxed and ready to take my exams, i felt like i did my best and i had to believe in my brain hahaha...
i didn´t skipped a single class and let me tell you guys.... That is the key to succeed ... if someone tells you another thing... they are lying to you!!!
As result... i had A in ALL my subjects... ALL OF THEM!!! i´m super exited.. i felt like it was so easy and i enjoy learning new things now that i know how to do it.
THANK YOU SO MUCH THOMAS!! :)

[anasaea]

I'm taking probably the most important exam academically tomorrow, really needed this

[grmc]

Is it ironic that I'm watching videos on improving my study skills while procrastinating at the same time? Probably. Am I going to stop watching and study for my finals instead? No...

[grena]

OMG! okay so, im in nursing school atm and i had a lot of trouble with the tests. i started off my first semester with just taking the 50 question multiple choice tests as i always did.. read the question then answer in my head and pick the answer closest to my answer i stated in my head... then during my second semester, just for fun i guess, i decided to write ALL OVER my test. for each question i would underline key words and even define them or write down what came to my head as soon as i saw a key word. then i would answer in my head and then check to see if that answer was one of the choices.. before moving on i wrote down a "G" for a guess, circle to come back to it, or a checkmark for answers where i thought i was without a doubt right. i found that doing that helped me to prioritize and finish faster so i can check my work! i thought it was very awesome to see the way i naturally decided to take a test was being studied! and all this time i thought i was a weirdo lol
also i have no shame in changing my answers on a test... i will change answers if i see fit.. i want to be ok with making mistakes and recognizing that i am indeed wrong. it doesnt come easy but i try!

[anitaw]

I'm a professional and I love watching these videos because they still apply no matter if you're in or out of college. I would love to see a video on simply how to get started faster. I have a hard time just getting myself in the mood to start working (about 30 minutes to about 2 hours work), even with it all planned out . As Mark Twain says "The secret to getting ahead is getting started."

[santiperfumo]

I think I'm doing something wrong because every answer has a 1/5 confidence

[ghuil]

With finals starting on Monday, this is a great video to have. I do wish the Study Schedule video could have come sooner, it definitely would have been a help; at least it will still be useful for subsequent final exams

[amaina]

Portgas D. Ace! Great hat on the globe in the right background. Thanks for the video. Finals start Monday. Will try out your suggestion and hopefully (Memory, as you said, is notoriously bad) post back once I get my results.

[twerkship]

My final is on Tuesday! thanks a lot for the tips man!

[air.world_emvidgrphy]

I liked and subbed bc this helped me focus on my English exam!!!

[polloverkko]

Great timing! I mean I know it's been 4 years and therefore it's actually not a coincidence I search for this kind of vids before an exam, but still great timing!

[shannonmackenzie]

Any quick tips for a study schedule? My finals are next week and I'd like to be as prepared as possible!

[slice]

i used to do that spontaneously by putting a different shape next to each question to indicate how confident i am about my answer.

and trust me it works

[sean]

I have an important exam tomorrow!!!! hope I pass:)

[jpmillard]

Thank you. Your timing for releasing this information is perfect as next week is finals week for me.

[sherryhale]

Awesome..We have always heard "go with your first instinct"; but I usually leave my second choice answer because there is a reason why I doubted the first answer

[hobbitony]

I have finals in about 2 weeks and this channel might just save my life. Thomas can you do a blog post or a video about planning a study schedule for finals?