How are practice tests made available?

[RootBrewskies]

ive read advice to take as many practice tests from your teacher as possible.  how are these tests made available?  do schools stockpile old tests and allow their students to access them?  if so that seems a little strange, almost like encouraging the same actions that fraternities do in undergrad.  granted the tests wont be exactly the same but it still seems a little strange to me.

or am i wrong in thinking that you can access these tests through the schools?  is there another way of gaining this kind of info?

[margee]

lots of schools keep old tests and make them available in the library.  Sometimes they're only available a month or two before finals, though.

[elemnopee]

The test archive is usually available on-line. IMHO, you should only look at them/take them a few days before the final for that class.

[phosita]

ive read advice to take as many practice tests from your teacher as possible.  how are these tests made available?  do schools stockpile old tests and allow their students to access them?  if so that seems a little strange, almost like encouraging the same actions that fraternities do in undergrad.  granted the tests wont be exactly the same but it still seems a little strange to me.

or am i wrong in thinking that you can access these tests through the schools?  is there another way of gaining this kind of info?

As mentioned, they're generally available online and/or in the library.

At my school, there's no requirement that the profs make their old exams available, and more often than not there's just the exams - few or no example answers.

Why do you think it's strange?

 

[rapunzel]

Practice tests were hands down the key for me in law school.  So, I'll contradict the advice about waiting until just before the final.  I've found I do best if I work through them several times a piece, plus discuss it with my study group.  It focuses my studies and tends to highlight what subjects are likely to be tested again.  Plus it gives you a sense of how that prof frames the issues and let's you pratice structuring an exam answer. 

At our school professors make their old exams available in the library if they choose to.  I can't tell you how many times my test has been nearly identical to what was on file.  But I don't think it's a bad strategy from the prof's point of view.  By working through the practice tests I learn the material the prof wants me to learn.   

[RootBrewskies]

Why do you think it's strange?

 
[/quote]


i just think its ttrange because in almost any other setting it might be considered cheating.  like rapunzel said, many of his/her tests have been almost identical to the practice tests.  granted law school tests are different, so its not like you can just memorize answers and come in and ace the test, like you could with some areas of study, but it just seems like to me that professors would want you to prepare for the test in such a way that you would be unable to predict what would be tested.  that way you would have to be knowledgable in all the fields that were covered.

dont get me wrong, i'm not complaining about it.  if schools want to offer tests out then i'm all for it, i'll take every chance available to help me do better in school, but the truth is that i'm just a little surprised by it.

[RootBrewskies]

oh, and also, why have i heard so much talk of 1L's being so scared about their first set of finals because they dont know what to expect.  i can understand anxiety about your first tests and being nervous about how much value is placed on them for your grade, but if sample tests are available, then why is it that people get scarred and say they dont know what to expect, etc.

[jason1114]

oh, and also, why have i heard so much talk of 1L's being so scared about their first set of finals because they dont know what to expect.  i can understand anxiety about your first tests and being nervous about how much value is placed on them for your grade, but if sample tests are available, then why is it that people get scarred and say they dont know what to expect, etc.

I think because most people will talk the talk about b=putting in the work required to be fully prepared; i.e, brief all the cases, read supplementals, and do practice exams, but in reality, most people are probably only going to do that for the first month before settling back into their previous study habits.

[rapunzel]

Think about it- if the goal is that you comprehend certain important areas of law than practice tests help professors meet that goal.  They give you the opportunity to truly integrate your knowlege under non-testing conditions.  You can look up pieces of law you need to learn, discuss it with your study group, practice the way you want to present what you know.  By the tiem you take the test you have those important areas of law down.  Profs who publish practice tests are interested in helping you really learn, becuase they have given you the tool you need to be ready for the test.  Many more of the exams they read will be of high quality. 

The profs who just want to make you memorize reams of information with no guidance clearly don't mind reading a lot of crappy exams and aren't really concerned about whetehr or not the class comprehends the complicated information.