01
Do not start with the score
Write down how the exam felt before you look at every explanation. Note fatigue, pacing, confidence, skipped items, and any section where your strategy changed under pressure. Those observations explain patterns that a score alone cannot show.
02
Classify every reviewed item
- Content gap: you did not know the tested fact, equation, pathway, or concept.
- Passage reasoning: you missed evidence, overused outside knowledge, or misread the author's claim.
- Experimental reasoning: variables, controls, figures, or data trends were interpreted incorrectly.
- Question handling: you answered a different question than the one asked.
- Execution: arithmetic, units, signs, graph reading, or answer-choice comparison caused the miss.
- Timing: the item was rushed or consumed time needed elsewhere.
03
Review correct answers too
Correct answers can hide weak reasoning. Review every question you guessed, narrowed to two choices, or answered slowly. For each one, write the rule or passage clue that would let you answer faster next time.
04
Turn the review into a study plan
- Choose no more than three high-value priorities for the next week.
- Mix content repair with passage practice so review does not become passive reading.
- Redo selected missed questions after a delay without reading your old notes.
- Wait to take another full-length until you have acted on the previous review.