MONDAY, Nov. 20, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- Most students dread them, but school tests do help kids remember everything they've learned -- even information that's not on the tests, new research shows.
In three experiments with 54 to 84 undergraduates, researchers at Washington University, St. Louis, concluded that students who wrote tests had better enhanced long-term recall of all material they studied, while students who weren't tested recalled much less of what they'd studied, even after they were given extra time to review the material.
These findings, published in the November issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, demonstrate how tests help foster learning, the researchers said. They said that exams are more than just a way of scoring students -- they're a "powerful memory enhancer," too.
While it was known that testing strengthened students' subsequent recall of the tested material, this study also found that typical classroom tests -- as opposed to high-stakes standardized tests -- also boost recall of material that's not included in a test.
The researchers also found that the use of memory strategies during learning may be especially helpful when students are writing short-answer and essay exams, which tend to rely on the recall of a range of information.
More information
The Nemours Foundation offers tips on dealing with test anxiety.
