Pre-Testing

Pre-Testing

Pre-testing involves giving students a short, low-stakes quiz or set of questions before formal instruction begins. It serves multiple purposes: activating prior knowledge, surfacing misconceptions, and conveying learning objectives. 

Alternative/linked methods: Pre-questioning, Pre-instruction testing, Diagnostic assessment, Formative pre-assessment, First-day quiz 

Why?

  • Clarifies expectations 
  • Activates prior knowledge 
  • Surfaces misconceptions 
  • Boosts engagement 
  • Improves retention 
  • Motivates learning 

How?

  • Administer a short quiz before instruction 
  • Use responses to tailor content 
  • Highlight common misconceptions 
  • Create interactive activities using student-generated data 
  • Revisit concepts during instruction 

When?

  • Before lectures or seminars 
  • At the start of a new unit or module 
  • In flipped or blended learning environments 
  • In one-shot instruction sessions 
  • As a diagnostic tool 

Get Started

  • Begin with a short quiz 
  • Use pre-test data to tailor instruction 
  • Highlight common misconceptions 
  • Create interactive activities 
  • Encourage peer discussion 

Digital Enhancement

  • Use polling tools for live pre-questioning (Vevox/Mentimeter, MS Forms, Kahoot!)
  • Combine pre-testing with peer assessment 
  • Display anonymised responses in class
  • Embed pre-test questions in asynchronous modules (Moodle Quiz/MS Forms/Kahoot!)

Resources

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