Testing Effect

Hello folks,

I’ve been reading about testing effect, which basically says that doing questions > reading the material (at least for review, I guess).

I’ve finished all the readings for June, and I’m really tempted to review only by questions and don’t read everything one more time.

What do you think?


Here some papers on the subject:

http://psych.wustl.edu/memory/Roddy%20article%20PDF’s/Roediger%20&%20Butler%20Encyclopedia%20of%20the%20Mind%20(2013).pdf

http://sites.williams.edu/nk2/files/2011/08/Kornell.Hays_.Bjork_.2009.pdf

I think that their conclusions are valid: testing is a good way to learn.

If you find that there are areas where you’re consistently weak, review the material. Otherwise, continue with tests.

Agree with S2000. Testing exposes your weaknesses.

Are EOCs, Schweser QBank and Concept Checks enough? What about the risk for test strictly some LOS and miss (to test) or even worse: forget (the subject of) others?

disagree. but i’m an exception.

all i do is read the slides then do practice questions. sum stuff they dont cover on slides but they cover errything in those pqs. and if ever i feel a wtf moment, they have a link to the specific study material. its gold. schwesser became a lot better this year. love the new stuff.

What slides are you referring to? The same from classes/videos? How was your approach to level I? It was this one?

Clarify, please…

I completely agree. And I think with more complex testing structures (see Level III) this matters even more. Practice the tests. Do them again and again until you’re 100%.

+1

^ +2

One thing, however–don’t do the same tests over and over again. Eventually you’ll just memorize the test and answers, and you won’t continue to develop your critical thinking skills. That’s why you shouldn’t start doing practice tests too early. You might run out of material.

This is also a good reason to get as many practice questions as you can. In my experience, if you have CFAI’s EoC questions, Schweser Q-Bank, and Schweser’s six practice exams, that ought to keep you busy for a couple of months.

yep. level 1. here is what i did. watch video if material hard. read slides if easy. then i do practice questions online. whatever i get wrong, i print out and do as a test. then i do mock exams on hard copy.

i tried the reading approach. it wasnt efficient in time and the questions got tricks so u gotta get use to them. l1 is pretty straight forward though, juss really broad.

There are enough predictable trends of CFA exams to do the tests over and over until perfection. Say you have 5 LIII morning practice exams. If you’re getting 95%+ on all 5 every single time, you’re probably going to do well on the real deal. There is nothing new under the sun, including LIII AM questions.