The Role of Prior Warning on Test Performance: How Effective Is It to Improve Students' Grades?

Students' use of test information to prepare for a test in a controlled or supervised test environment has been examined in studies outside Australia. This paper reports the findings of the use of test information and its value, in terms of an improvement/decline in marks, in an actual test of an undergraduate subject taught at an Australian university. Using a questionnaire survey of students, the study finds that students overall don't perceive test information useful, there is no statistically significant difference in performance between known and unknown questions, students' scores improve from the use of information and in some instances the improvements are statistically significant between students with different characteristics. The paper contributes to our understanding of students' willingness to use information and the benefits of such information to study and perform for improved test scores. The study has implications for educators making test information available as a preferred practice or universities using it as part of a policy to improve student retention rates or supplement evaluation of students' learning.