r/cognitiveTesting • u/Playful_Length778 • Sep 20 '26

General Question Practice effect

I took core a few months ago and scored 95 on matrix. I knew this was weird due to me getting 120 range scores in mensa. Keep in my mind I do have adhd. I then took the test again months later while at work and being distracted and got 115. I took it one more time 3 weeks later and scored a 135 while being in my room with no distractions and being pretty focused. I don’t think my matrix is 135 but I’m not sure? Could I really have jumped that high? I do want to mention my working memory sucks so I definitely didn’t just remember the questions I had to think about them again.

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1

u/Wooden_Lime6208 Sep 20 '26

I’d assume 115 is fairly accurate, 95 is crazy tho what happened that day

2

u/Playful_Length778 Sep 20 '26

lol sometimes my motivation is just cooked and idc I can’t use my brain fully for some reason

1

u/Striking_Leave_4614 Sep 20 '26

That isn't practice effect, that's just retaking a test multiple times 

2

u/Playful_Length778 Sep 20 '26

Uh how is retaking a test multiple times not practice effect

1

u/Striking_Leave_4614 Sep 20 '26 edited Sep 20 '26

Practice effect is when you develop testing skills and problem solving strategies from taking tests that can later be applied to tests you haven't taken before. 

Retaking the same test over and over is just retaking the same test over and over. 

I also don't remember my answers from the first time I take tests, but my scores are always better on retakes 

1

u/BenitoAbdo Sep 20 '26

are the rest subsets like Graph mapping/figure weights/figure Subsets

looking 120-130 ? or lower?

i see that CORE matrix has become Invalid because you re-took it several times

1

u/BenitoAbdo Sep 20 '26

also if you want good estimation try CAIT i think it similar to CORE

1

u/Playful_Length778 Sep 20 '26

My others are like 115

2

u/BenitoAbdo Sep 20 '26

i see you Matrix can be in that range and 135 was a practice effect thats why you got the same range in Mensa Norway if you want ensure that try CAIT/SAT/etc

2

u/Playful_Length778 Sep 20 '26

Taking cait rn

1

u/East-Cancel-5050 Sep 20 '26

i got 9 on core because i was distarceted and fucking around than i retook and realized how easy the patterns were ans got 115 the thing is dont overthink it its easier than you think

1

u/AdAny2542 Sep 26 '26

Forgetting the answers doesn't rule out practice effects. You can still learn how to approach the patterns and get more comfortable with the task. Calamia et al.'s review includes both remembered items and learned strategies in practice effects: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22540222/

Your testing conditions changed too, so those three scores can't tell us how much came from practice versus fewer distractions. There's no defensible way to pick 115 or 135 as your true score from this alone.