Maya turned over the paper her teacher had handed her. Her stomach sank when she saw the barely passing test score. What happened? she wondered. She’d studied, right up to the night before. She’d reviewed her notes and thought she understood the material. Her grade suggested otherwise. “What’s the point of even trying if I’m still getting grades like this?”
If you’ve ever been in this situation, you also may have been tempted to just give up. But a disappointing grade doesn’t have to be the end of the road – in fact, it might just be the beginning of a better approach. Before you admit defeat, take a closer look at that test. It may help you figure out what went wrong… and what to do differently next time.
Figure Out What Went Wrong
To decide what you could change for your next test, take a hard look at this one. Start by looking for patterns in your mistakes. Did you mostly miss answers you thought you knew? Did you misapply concepts you thought you understood? Did you misread questions or run out of time?
These could all lead to wrong answers. They call for different solutions, though, so you’ll need to be honest with yourself about how you prepared. If you waited until the night before to study, for example, you may not have had enough time to practice difficult concepts. The point isn’t to blame yourself; it’s to identify areas that could be improved.
Review Your Mistakes, Not Just Your Score
Once you’ve identified possible problems, go through the test carefully. Don’t just look at the questions you missed. Look beyond the obvious to pin down why your answers were wrong and how that differs from the correct answer.
When you review a wrong answer, try to figure out why you missed it. In math, check each step and ask yourself why you did it that way. Look for the first step where your reasoning or calculation went wrong. In history, look for facts or events you forgot, or consider whether you missed something important about the time period. If you misunderstood the question, identify what it was asking and what clues you missed.
Before reading the explanations, try answering the questions you missed again on your own. If you’re still stuck, take the question to your teacher.
Ask Your Teacher for Help
Sometimes, reviewing a test on your own won’t be enough. You don’t need to feel embarrassed about asking your teacher for help: that’s what they’re there for.
At the same time, you’ll usually get more out of the conversation if you go in with an example. Asking your teacher about a specific problem works better than simply asking how to get a better grade.
For example, you might say, “I understand the first step, but not what to do next. Can you walk me through it?” Or you could ask, “What can I practice to get better at these questions?”
Study to Understand, Not Just Remember
Memorization has its place. You need to remember vocabulary, formulas, dates, and other basic information. But simply memorizing an answer may not be enough unless you understand the idea behind it. You could be tripped up if a test asks the same question in a different way.
As you study, try explaining concepts in your own words, without looking at your notes. For a math or science problem, look beyond the steps to understand why each step works. That can help you apply the method to unfamiliar problems.
In history, ask yourself about the context: for example, memorizing the dates of the Revolutionary War is fine, but understanding why it was fought may help you answer questions that go beyond a few specific details.
You don’t have to fully understand everything immediately. The goal is to keep working until you can explain the idea or apply it without relying on a memorized example.
Look for Progress, Not Perfection
A better grade on your next test is a worthwhile goal, but jumping from a D+ to an A- may take time. Pay attention to smaller signs of progress, and learn from every improvement
One bad test doesn’t mean you’re incapable of doing well in a subject. It may simply mean you need a new approach to studying. Before you decide you’re just not good at something, give yourself a chance to find out what you can do differently.