You know our mantra here at Certiport: Learn. Practice. Certify. GMetrix practice exams are a great tool to manage the “Practice” part of your students’ certification journey. Check out some helpful tips to make sure your GMetrix experience is successful.
You Need More than Practice Tests
Keep in mind that GMetrix practice tests are just that: practice tests! They aren’t designed to replace your instruction as an educator, learning materials, or courseware. To properly prepare students for their certification exam, you’ll want to cover the “Learn” portion of the journey as well. Make sure to prepare them using a course that covers your certification’s objective domains. All courses resold by Certiport align to these exam objectives.
LITA or Simulation?
During, or at the completion of your course materials, see how your students perform on an official, timed practice test. They have a few practice test options depending on their technology environment.
Official Live in the Application (LITA) Practice Exams: These are indicated with a GMetrix symbol. You’ll notice that the skill reviews, concept reviews, and simulations do not have a GMetrix symbol. The LITA practice exams most closely mirror the format of the live certification exam. Where possible this should be the first option for practicing.
These LITA exams will require the GMetrix application (SMS) download to students’ computers as well as a local installation of the Microsoft Office or other application they plan to test on.
Simulations: These are newer to the GMetrix line up and offer a simulated application environment. Currently, not all exams have this option for a simulated environment. However, for those exams that are covered, they are a great option for students with limited application access, or for students working on Chromebooks. These simulations are web based and accessed through a browser. They will not require the local installation of the application.
Select the Correct Mode
Once students have selected the official exam or the simulation exam, they will be given two options: Testing Mode or Training Mode. Testing mode simulates a certification test. They will be timed and will not receive feedback on how they did until they have completed the practice test. If they select Testing Mode, we recommend they take the practice exam all in one sitting. (Though if they must leave, there is a save feature so they can come back and start where they left off.)
If your students aren’t not ready for a timed exam, Training Mode will be the best option for them. In Training Mode they’ll be able to see several additional features:
- Step-by-step help. They can click the Lightbulb icon anytime for additional help and instruction.
- A count-up timer. Rather than counting down from 50 minutes, this timer shows them the total time it takes them to complete the exam, so they know their general pace. In Training Mode there is no time limit.
- Immediate feedback. Submit the answer to a question and it will tell them if they got it right or not. If they didn’t get it right, GMetrix will tell them what the correct answer is and how to get it.
- Save anytime. They can come back and pick up right where they leave off.
Analyze the Results
Whether students test in Testing Mode or Training Mode, it’s important to review their results. Did they have enough time, or do they need to work on your pacing? Check out their score report. What objectives did they master? Where did they struggle? Which brings us to our next point…
Take Advantage of Additional Training Tools
If candidates didn’t do as well on the practice exam as you or they would’ve liked, no fear! GMetrix has plenty of other tools to help them better learn the objectives they may have missed. Here are some of the additional training options (availability varies by program and exam):
- Study Guides: If available for your selected program, candidates can find these on the Student Dashboard. The Study Guides are great for quick tips on how to perform various skills, especially since they’re organized by objective.
- Glossary: If students are struggling with a term, make sure to refer them to the Glossary, found within the study guides. Here your students can ensure they understand the meaning of terminology used in certification exams.
- Skill Review: If students can download the GMetrix application (SMS) and have a local installation of the program, then skill reviews can be a great support. They are like a LITA practice test but broken down into much smaller chunks. Instead of having a single document requiring multiple tasks, each Skill Review question is its own document, with one task at a time.
- Concept Review: The concept review tests your knowledge of overall concepts as opposed to specific skills. All items are selected response, not live-in-the-app.
- Custom Tests: You know what your students need. Custom Tests can be created by teachers or administrators on the GMetrix Admin Portal. Custom tests help to drill down to specific exam objectives and be used to give additional practice on a given topic. Not only can you select specific objectives you want covered, you can also decide on the number of questions per test. After you select the objectives and the number of questions, a custom test, using a vast database of items, will be produced. Once produced, you can assign this to your students.
Aim for 80
Now that you’ve used all the tools in your toolbox, it’s time for your students to try another timed practice test in Testing Mode. Based on our experience, you want to aim for a score of 80% or higher before you’re considered ready for your certification exam. Remember, if candidates don’t get at least 80%, they can always dive back into the GMetrix tools for additional study time.
Don’t Overdo It
Be careful not to have students take the practice exams too often, as they will lose their effectiveness. Memorization of a practice exam does not always lead to a positive outcome on the live certification exam.
With these tips, you’re set up for success with your MOS certification preparation. However, we’re more than happy to help with additional questions.
Still have questions about GMetrix? You can contact the GMetrix Support Team here. Looking for additional information on learning products options, or have questions about how you can use GMetrix for Certiport’s other certification programs? Contact your Certiport Territory Manager here.