Practice Testing, often referred to as Retrieval Practice, can come in many different forms, such as self-quizzing, flashcards and low-stakes quizzes. Knowing what works and how helps you advise your students on evidence-informed learning strategies to boost their understanding and retention.
But knowing who benefits most and is more likely to use it is equally as important.
Some students will happily quiz themselves or make flashcards, while others prefer to simply reread their notes. But what if the very students who could benefit most from practice testing are the ones least likely to use it?
In this blog we will unpack a recent study investigating this very question. Read on to learn about:
What the research says about who benefits from practice testing
Despite its proven benefits for exam performance, many students don’t use practice testing as much as they could. To understand why, a recent study analysed a wide range of student characteristics to see who is most likely to use and benefit from practice testing.
The researchers surveyed 325 students of varying achievement levels. Students were offered three quizzes across the term, each of which could be attempted multiple times. Some attempts were incentivised (bonus points for completing on time), while others were voluntary (no rewards, reflecting students’ self-motivation). Feedback was given after each attempt, allowing them to correct mistakes and strengthen their understanding.
Alongside this, the researchers measured exam performance and gathered data on students’ individual characteristics, including prior achievement, motivation, personality and self-regulation. Usage data showed who engaged with practice testing as well as how often and under what conditions.
6 key findings from the study
1. Practice testing improves exam performance
This study confirmed a well-established finding: students who engage more in practice testing achieve higher exam scores. Each quiz attempt contributed to stronger performance, reinforcing the robust link between Retrieval Practice and long-term retention. Interestingly, this effect was strongest for incentivised quizzes, where bonus points encouraged participation. Voluntary attempts were not linked to final exam grades, perhaps because fewer students engaged without incentives.
2.Motivated and interested students engage most
Not all students made equal use of the quizzes. Those with higher prior achievement, greater interest in the subject, and a desire to truly understand the content were more likely to engage in practice testing. In other words, the students who already came in with stronger academic skills and motivation were the ones who used practice quizzes most consistently.
3. Benefits for exams regardless of quiz scores
One of the most interesting findings was that the benefits of practice testing did not depend on how well students actually performed on the quizzes. Simply attempting more quizzes was linked to higher exam scores. In fact, each additional quiz attempt increased the probability of passing the exam by about 10%. Students who completed at least three quizzes gained substantial benefits, even if they only answered 35% of the quiz problems correctly. This reinforces the idea that practice testing is not about perfection; it’s the process of retrieval that drives learning.
4. Benefits vary across students
Practice testing helped all students, but not equally. Higher-achieving students showed steeper improvements when they engaged more frequently with the quizzes, while lower-achieving students required more attempts to see comparable gains. Still, the data showed that frequent use could help close gaps: even if students started at a disadvantage, engaging repeatedly in practice testing boosted their outcomes. This finding suggests that practice testing can help narrow performance gaps if previous lower-achieving students engage repeatedly.
5. The students who need it most often use it least
Perhaps the most concerning finding was that students who stood to gain the most from Retrieval Practice, those with lower prior achievement, were the least likely to use it. Prior school achievement emerged as the strongest predictor of quiz use across both incentivised and non-incentivised conditions.
Students with higher prior grades engaged much more frequently, while those with weaker backgrounds engaged less, particularly when quizzes were voluntary. This highlights a paradox: the students who most need the benefits of Retrieval Practice are often the ones least likely to take advantage of it without structured support.
6. Incentives increase participation
The study also found that incentives matter. Students were significantly more likely to complete quizzes when bonus points were on offer, while participation dropped off in non-incentivised settings. This suggests that relying on students’ self-regulation alone may not be enough to encourage widespread use of practice testing. Carefully designed incentives, even small ones, can help nudge students into beneficial habits.
How you can encourage practice testing
Introducing Retrieval Practice is powerful, but it must be targeted and accessible to the students who need it most. The testing effect can reduce exam nerves due to familiarity, and given that exam stress is a pertinent issue, this might be a simple way of boosting confidence.
Combining practice testing with motivational incentives and helping your students develop self-regulated learning skills holds promise for improving academic success, particularly for previously lower-achieving students. Embedding low-stakes quizzes into lessons could ensure students, especially those less likely to self-initiate, still reap the benefits.
Final thoughts
These findings reinforce that retrieval practice is one of the most effective strategies for boosting exam performance. However, engagement is not evenly distributed across students. Motivated, higher-achieving students are more likely to use it, whilst students who struggle, who could benefit most, often avoid it. The key takeaway? While making practice testing opportunities available is important, actively encouraging or incentivising their use may be crucial for ensuring that all your students, not just the already high-achieving ones, reap the benefits.
