Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

The present study investigates the use of exam retake as an alternative to curving low test scores and as a learning opportunity for students. Students received their scores on a midterm but not which questions they got incorrect or the correct answer (i.e., no feedback). Instead of curving the exam, the students (n = 71) were offered an opportunity to retake the exam for points back and informed that retaking would not hurt their midterm. They received two days to re-study for the exam and completed a survey after their retake. Majority (87.32%) of students retook the exam and almost everyone (90.32%) scored higher on the retake. Post-retake surveys revealed that students used more effective studying strategies (e.g., testing, flash cards) for the retake and discovered better test-taking strategies for themselves (e.g., reading carefully, not second guessing, time management).