- Start from what the exam covers: the syllabus, the review sheet, or the list of lectures since the last exam. Aim for 20-30 questions for a full final, about two or three per lecture.
- Match the real format. Multiple-choice exam: write multiple choice. Problems or essays: write problems or essay prompts.
- Put the answers on a separate page with where in your notes each one comes from, so you can't glance at them.
- Take it closed-book with a timer set to the real exam length.
- Grade it, list every miss by topic, and re-test only those questions two or three days later.
The template below turns those steps into a practice exam you can copy, followed by question stems that test understanding rather than recognition.
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Make free flashcards →A practice exam template you can copy
Section A: 15 multiple-choice questions. Mix plain recall ("What is...") with application ("Which example shows..."). Use mistakes you actually made as the wrong options.
Section B: 5 short-answer questions. "Explain why...", "Compare X and Y", "What would change if...".
Section C: 2 long problems or 1 essay prompt, in the same style as your professor's homework or past exams.
Answer key (separate page): the answer, and the lecture or page it comes from.
After grading: misses by topic: ______ Re-test date (2-3 days later): ______
Question stems that test understanding, not recognition
- Why does X happen? What causes it?
- What would change if X were removed, doubled, or reversed?
- Which of these is an example of X, and why are the others not?
- How is X different from Y? When would you use each?
- Put these steps in order, and say what happens at each one.
- Solve this problem, then name the step people most often get wrong.
A question you can answer by spotting a familiar phrase only tests recognition. The exam will ask you to produce the answer, so your practice test should too.
Where to get questions you didn't write
- Past exams or practice exams your professor has posted, and the questions from review sessions.
- End-of-chapter questions in your textbook, and the publisher's companion site if your book has one.
- A study partner: each of you writes a practice test for the other on the same material.
- Your own homework, re-done from a blank page without looking at the solutions.
Make a practice test with Scholarize
Scholarize's quiz generator is a practice test maker for multiple-choice questions. Type a class or topic and it writes a 5-question quiz with the answer and a short explanation for every question; you can take one without an account. To see your score and the answers you enter your email, which also sets up a free account. With the account you can make quizzes from your own notes uploaded as a PDF or text file, choose 5, 10, 15 or 20 questions, and set the difficulty to easy, medium or hard. The free plan includes 2 quizzes a month. Pro is $6.99/month or $39.99/year and includes 100 quizzes a month, or you can pay $19.99 once for a Semester Pass: 4 months of Pro that never renews.
What it does not do: it has no timer and writes multiple-choice questions only, so time yourself and write Section B and C questions by hand. The questions are written by AI, so check anything that looks off against your notes.
Questions students ask
What is the best free practice test maker?
For a multiple-choice exam, a quiz generator such as Scholarize's writes questions from a topic or from your uploaded notes in seconds. For problem-solving or essay exams, the best practice test is one you write from the syllabus in the exam's own format, because no generator knows your professor's style.
How many questions should a practice test have?
Enough to touch every topic on the exam at least once. For a full final that is usually 20 to 30 questions, or two to three per lecture. A shorter test you actually take beats a long one you never finish.
Are practice tests better than rereading my notes?
Yes, for remembering. In Roediger and Karpicke (2006), students who took practice tests remembered more a week later than students who reread for the same time, and Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) rated practice testing among the most useful study techniques they reviewed.
Can I make a timed practice test in Scholarize?
No. The quiz generator does not time quizzes and writes multiple-choice questions only. Set a timer for the real exam length yourself, take it closed-book, and write any essay or long-problem questions by hand.