How to use a mock exam
A mock exam isn't just a test. Used well, it's rehearsal for exam conditions and a map of what to study next. Make it feel like the real thing Set the same time limit and number of questions as the real exam, as closely as you can. Sit it in one go, somewhere quiet, with your phone silenced. Only use what you will be allowed to use in the real exam (a calculator, a permitted reference). When to sit one Don't wait until you feel ready. Do one early, as a baseline, to see where you stand. Then sit mocks regularly through your study, and do a few full, timed ones in the last two or three weeks. Review it properly The review matters more than the score. Go back through every question you got wrong or guessed, and read the explanation. Then ask yourself why you got it wrong: I didn't know the content. (Go back and study that topic.) I misread the question. (Slow down and underline key words.) I ran out of time. (Practise pacing.) I changed a right answer to a wrong one. (Trust your first instinct unless you have a clear reason.) Don't read too much into one score A single result can be a good or bad day. Look at the trend across several attempts and across topics. Steady improvement is what you are after.