Mock tests are arranged to give students a feel of the real exam. For most of the students about to take a major exam for the first time in their lives, mock tests provide a trial run. Being placed in the same situation and feeling the same amount of pressure before the actual competitive exam will inculcate some self-analytical capacity and confidence in the student.

Identifying topics that need attention

Doing mocks early enough in the year gives you time before the real thing to target areas that need improvement. Mock exam results can identify how best to spend the coming months for students.

Once these areas are identified, it is then a case of putting in the hours. It is not enough to think about what you need to do better, it is the action and the doing that really makes a difference.

Being comfortable and confident enough to ask someone else for help, be it a teacher, parent or carer, is a big part of having a growth mindset. Mock exams can be used as a way of getting students to feel comfortable receiving feedback, which paves the way for further improvement and learning.

Improving knowledge

In a study on mock exams (pdf), researchers found that students who did a practice test after a period of revision did better on the final exam than those students who didn’t do the mock exam and had just spent the whole time revising.

In fact, Mock Test helps in reducing pre-exam nervousness, as the candidate has already appeared for a version of the exam before, on the final day he will be more relaxed.