Exams of any kind are stressful to humans, largely because the brain doesn’t like to exert effort under any circumstance and panics when stressed out. According to a new study, one of the best ways to help students perform well during tests is to do a practice round beforehand. This helps preserve memory, allowing it to remain intact under pressure.
According to a study conducted by researchers at Tufts University, learning practice tests or retrieval practice is a good way to protect the mind from damages caused by stress. This helps students remember their lessons more clearly, and thus answer questions more easily, MedicalXpress reports.
The study involved 120 students, all of whom had perfectly working memories. The study’s senior author Ayanna Thomas and her team then proceeded to put the students through a series of tests designed to see the effects of retrieval practice on memory.
"Typically, people under stress are less effective at retrieving information from memory,” Thomas said. “We now show for the first time that the right learning strategy, in this case, retrieval practice or taking practice tests, results in such strong memory representations that even under high levels of stress, subjects are still able to access their memories."
The results also serve to highlight a particular flaw in a standard practice among students before exams; cramming. This is basically a method of studying where students try to learn as much as they can within a short period of time just before an exam. Based on the results of the study, this simply does not work, the Daily Mail reports.
For a majority of people, the brain goes into panic mode if it is subjected to an unusual amount of stress, which is exactly what exams are. By subjecting the brain to, even more, stress during the learning process, memory starts to fray once the actual exam starts. At that point, it wouldn’t be surprising for the students to remember only a fraction of what they studies.


Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028
The ghost of Robodebt – Federal Court rules billions of dollars in welfare debts must be recalculated
6 simple questions to tell if a ‘finfluencer’ is more flash than cash
The Beauty Beneath the Expressway: A Journey from Self to Service
Trump and Merck KGaA Partner to Slash IVF Drug Costs and Expand Fertility Coverage
Time to buy local: war fuel price shocks reveal the folly of a long food supply chain
Trump Administration to Launch Autism Initiatives Targeting Acetaminophen Use and New Treatment Options
Tabletop particle accelerator could transform medicine and materials science
SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO
Is space worth the cost? Accounting experts say its value can’t be found in spreadsheets
FDA Pilot Program Eases Rules for Nicotine Pouch Makers
Disaster or digital spectacle? The dangers of using floods to create social media content
Britain has almost 1 million young people not in work or education – here’s what evidence shows can change that
NASA and Roscosmos Chiefs Meet in Florida to Discuss Moon and ISS Cooperation
Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission 



