"Students take a nongraded test the first day of the term that consists of questions that are similar to the Final Exam, and then identify the questions they found easiest and those they found most difficult. At the end of the term they take the real, graded Final Exam and the results are used as a reference point to demonstrate learning gains and achievement over time."

"A First Day Final activates prior knowledge and also provides students with a preview of what is to come, letting students know on the first day of class the kinds of things they are expected to learn in the course. Students can use the knowledge about their weaknesses and strengths that they gain from taking the first test to focus their study efforts. At the end of the term when students take the graded Final Exam, they can see the gains they made in acquiring and deepening foundational knowledge." — Learning Assessment Techniques, Barkley, EF and Major, CH, 2016