While preparing for the Patent Agent Exam, we hate to put ourselves to difficulties. Despite having 5 revisions tests and the Patent Agent Exam Paper 1 (2016) fully solved posted on our website, we find that only some have braved to take the tests. We know this as we have the numbers with us now: more than 500 aspiring patent agents are now learning on LexCampus.
This is understandable. Many of you may be waiting to gain more proficiency before you take the tests. But empirical evidence on study strategies is against procrastination in putting yourself to difficulty, i.e., delaying in taking the tests. Putting yourself to slight difficulty, like what you will experience while taking our Quizzes and Revisions tests, is an integral part of effective learning. A small setback while learning is a sign of effort and should not be seen as a failure. Evidence shows that effortful learning changes your brain by making new connections and building new models. In short, effortful learning builds your capacity for learning.
Self-quizzing is an excellent study strategy in preparing for the patent agent examination. Self-quizzing, also known as retrieval practice, refers to retrieving knowledge from your memory. As a strategy, it is more effective than rereading. And here’s how you can put self-quizzing to practice on LexCampus. After watching a video, or pausing in between a video, on a lesson topic ask yourself the following questions:
- What are the key ideas covered in this video?
- What are the terms and ideas that I don’t know?
- How will I define the terms and ideas in my own words?
- What is the relation between these terms and ideas to what I already know?
By asking these questions soon after your first exposure to knowledge, you are (1) identifying the important points; (2) identifying what you need to learn; (3) paraphrasing the new knowledge in your own words which helps in retention; and (4) creating connections to what you know which helps in retrieval.
Your learning will be better if you can take time to capture the results of your self-quizzing. Our Take Notes feature should help you to do this online, while watching the lectures. Writing down what you know works better than passive techniques like underlining and highlighting. And quizzing is a means by which you can gauge what you have mastered and what needs to be learned. In short, quizzing stops you from forgetting what you have learned.
Our quizzes that follow the video lectures are designed to help you in retrieval practice. But the best results come when learners take charge of their own learning and follow a discipline. Our course structure will provide the necessary discipline. The impending exam should provide the necessary motivation.
Forgetfulness is a part of our nature. By practising new knowledge by self-quizzing and by taking the quizzes at the ends of our video lessons, you will strengthen what you learn, secure your memory and will hopefully be able to recall it on exam day. So, even if you forget much of what you learn, don’t forget to take our quizzes and our revisions tests. And take them periodically, till you master them.