Using Anki to Review Practice Tests

In this article, I will outline a workflow for reviewing your practice tests and making Anki flashcards. The goal of this workflow is to identify the information you did not know and proceed by creating an associated flashcard that will be integrated into your spaced repetition studies. However, before we dive into the workflow, I want to outline how you can increase the efficiency with which you review your test results on DATBooster.

The feature you will be taking advantage of is the “Mark” feature on Practice Tests/Extra Questions. Check this article out on how to utilize this feature. Throughout your practice test, mark any question you were not sure about (i.e. narrowed down to 1-2 answers but were not confident) and questions you guessed on. Using this feature will allow you to access these questions quickly while you are making your cards.

Here is the workflow we recommend using when reviewing practice tests/practice questions:

I. Go through each question you answered incorrectly

1. (a). Identify why you answered incorrectly:

• I. Did you not know the material?
• II. Did you know only some of the material?
• III. Did you make a careless mistake?

1. (b). Identify what information was needed to correctly answer the question

• (c). Create a flashcard(s)

II. Repeat (1) with “Marked” questions

1. (a). Identify why you answered the question correctly:

• I. Did you know the material?
• II. Did you get lucky?

1. (b) if (II) make a flashcard(s)

• (c) If (I), you do not have to make a flashcard — but you most certainly can.

Pro Tip: When reviewing the explanations for each question, don’t fall into the trap of only focusing on the information that leads to the correct answer. Make sure you also understand why other answer choices are incorrect. Even if you get a question correct, it is possible that there is peripheral information around the question that you did not know. Make flashcards for these details too.

Doing this thoroughly for every question you ever do is very time-consuming but I believe in its worth as you are both reviewing material and creating a bank of flashcards that are geared towards your personal needs. However, time constraints may prevent you from thoroughly completing each step and I think it would be unreasonable to expect full completion for every question of every practice test. Therefore, if you are strapped for time, here is how I recommend prioritizing questions: Incorrect > Marked > Correct.

Over time, utilizing this workflow will allow you to develop an Anki deck that is tailored to your specific weak points. And for the DAT, this is a priceless study resource.