ou wouldn’t show up on game day without putting in some practice, or walk onstage without any rehearsal. Test taking is no different. As well as learning the content, successful standardized test-takers practice improving their focus, endurance, and confidence in a testing environment. In our experience, mock tests are the single most useful technique for developing your test-taking skills—whether you’re preparing for the SHSAT, SAT, ACT, LSAT, or indeed any standardized test.
So what exactly is a “mock test”? Unlike a practice test, which you might take in the comfort of your own home, mock tests are taken at a “mock” testing center—an office, classroom, or conference room, for example—alongside other students and under the supervision of a proctor administering the experience under “real test” guidelines.
Why Should I Take a Mock Test?
Taking the test is how you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Studying vocab, grammar, and math is important, but many additional factors come into play when you’re taking a standardized test, like stamina and focus. Doing sections one at a time is great, but you won’t really see how you’re doing until you take an entire test, under real testing conditions. This is one of the reasons why mock tests are such an important test prep tool—they give you a chance to rehearse, to take a trial run and identify areas in which you need to improve.
That’s why mock tests are an integral part of CATES test prep programs. At several strategic intervals, students sit their test under actual testing conditions: at a neutral space, timed by a proctor, and alongside other students. Answers are entered into CATES HQ, an AI tool which assesses student exam performance and calculates an achievable target score and priorities for preparation. These insights, alongside our tutors’ qualitative analyses of student performance, guide further refinements of individual learning plans to maximize scoring potential.
In order to feel “ready,” you should have achieved your target scores in each section on at least two mock tests. Build your schedule around the mock tests and work backwards. For example, if your first mock test is scheduled for early May, you will ideally have mastered the content, strategies, and timing by that early May test date, so that you can practice implementing your skills successfully during the 4-hour long exam experience.
Overall, mock tests prove time and again to be the most critical factor in standardized test preparation. In fact, we’ve found that students who take more mock tests are significantly more likely to score within their target range when the real exam arrives. Here’s a sample graph for one student:
As you can see, this student saw significant score jumps as his mock testing continued, and he ultimately scored within 2 points of the average of his last three mock tests. Generally, we find that these later mock tests are crucial in insulating students from significant score drops on test day. The data also reveal another common trend: students tend to experience quick starts and plateaus, and the last 20% of their preparation requires 80% of the time. Mock tests prove to be the best way of getting over the hump and achieving target scores.
