Pre-Testing Effect¶
Definition¶
Pre-testing is administering a test on material before instruction occurs. Counterintuitively, bombing a pretest improves subsequent learning of that material—students who answer wrong on a pretest about scientific explanations later score about 10% higher on related questions on a cumulative exam than students who were never pretested. The pretest doesn't teach the answer directly; rather, it activates relevant prior knowledge, orients attention to the kinds of distinctions and concepts that matter, and primes the brain for what to listen for in the upcoming lecture.
In the Book¶
Bjork and Soderstrom tested UCLA students with pretests on three lectures about scientific reasoning. Students tanked the pretests. Then they attended the lectures a day or two later, effectively getting feedback and the correct answers. The cumulative exam two weeks after the last lecture showed that pretest-related questions scored about 10% higher than unrelated ones—proving that even failed tests boost learning. Bjork explains that the pretest provides vocabulary exposure and a preview of what kinds of distinctions are important. The student who bombs a pretest on "What are the characteristics of scientific explanations?" walks into the lecture primed to recognize relevant contrasts with belief-based reasoning. This is different from practice tests, which are typically taken after learning to assess knowledge; pretesting flips the sequence and harnesses testing's power as a primer for learning.
Why It Matters¶
This finding inverts the conventional sequence where learning comes first, then testing measures it. It suggests that testing can enable learning, not just measure it—a subtle but powerful shift that means introducing questions and uncertainty before providing information can deepen understanding. For instructional design, it implies that opening a course or chapter with difficult questions, mystery, or apparent confusion isn't a bug; it's a feature that primes deeper learning of subsequent material.