Effect of test retakes on long-term retention

Abstract

This study examines the effect of an optional retesting strategy on long-term retention of course content. It does so by comparing the number of retests a student chooses to take during the semester to the student's performance on the semester exam. The rationale for this instructional practice is that when a student takes the time to restudy material for a retest, the mastery level and long-term retention of that content should increase, which would lead to better performance on cumulative assessments such as the semester exam. This study does find a small trend toward higher performance on semester exams for students who choose to take more retests throughout the semester, though the effect size is not statistically significant.