Why relying too heavily on practice tests can have an adverse effect on your actual test performance.

As I wrote in my last entry, taking practice tests is the best way to study. However, there is one major pitfall that all avid practice test takers must avoid; we'll call it the "one trick pony syndrome." The point of practice tests is to ensure that you can apply what you learned in class to paper, to ensure that you aren't the guy with a 50-inch vertical who can't make a shot to save his life.

The point is not to bond yourself to the practice test to the point where switching numbers will result in temporary brain paralysis.

Many students will run through the teacher-provided practice test five, ten or even twenty times as their only form of studying. Doing this can easily result in an inability to solve questions with slight modifications. Sure, knowing the steps to solve problems may be more important when taking a test than knowing the theory behind the steps, but don't put all your eggs in one basket.

"Man, you sure can ace that practice test… but can you do anything else?"

Don't be that guy. Know the methods to solve test questions but also understand why step A leads to step B. Two-story houses need a staircase. Trust me.

Ever fallen into the practice test trap? Any thoughts on strategies to avoid the trap?