AskesisRecord the decision, not only the answer
For each missed or uncertain question, save the date, section, skill, question source, your answer, the correct answer, and the amount of time used. Then write one sentence describing the decision that led you away from the correct answer. That sentence is usually more useful than copying the explanation.
Use four diagnostic categories
| Category | What it means | Useful response |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge gap | A rule, definition, formula, or concept was missing. | Review the concept, write one example in your own words, then solve three related questions. |
| Reasoning error | You knew the content but chose an unsupported step or inference. | Identify the exact decision that failed and write the evidence or condition you should have checked. |
| Pacing problem | Time pressure caused a rushed choice, unfinished work, or poor question order. | Retake a short timed set and practice a clear skip-and-return rule. |
| Execution error | Arithmetic, transcription, sign, unit, or answer-entry error. | Add a specific final check, such as units, signs, or substitution—not a vague reminder to “be careful.” |
Write a correction you can test
A correction such as “read more carefully” is difficult to practice. Replace it with an observable rule: underline the quantity being requested, predict the transition before reading choices, substitute the solution into the original equation, or leave a question after a defined amount of time.
Retest on a schedule
- Redo the original question without viewing the explanation after one or two days.
- Solve two or three different questions testing the same skill.
- Review the category totals at the end of each week.
- Move recurring categories into the next week's study plan.
What patterns should change your plan?
Repeated knowledge gaps call for instruction and untimed practice. Repeated reasoning errors call for slower evidence-based review. Pacing problems call for short timed sets, while execution errors need a precise checking routine. A single miss is an event; a repeated category is a study priority.