What Changes When EA Practice Becomes an Exam Simulation?
Among matched learners, answered practice-exam accuracy trails test-bank accuracy by 5 points in Part 1, 6.2 in Part 2, and 5.2 in Part 3. Unanswered slots lower the recorded exam score further.
What this result includes
- 88 matched Part 1 learners
- 33 matched Part 2 learners
- 27 matched Part 3 learners
The transition gap appears in every part
Answered-item accuracy is about five to six points lower under practice-exam conditions for each matched cohort.
Blank answers create a second penalty
The matched Part 2 cohort leaves 9.8% of slots blank on average, reducing its recorded exam score to 48.2%.
This is a within-learner comparison
Matching reduces the distortion of comparing unrelated community averages, though question mix and preparation timing still differ.
Matched test-bank and practice-exam accuracy
Each row follows learners who have at least 25 current-bank attempts and at least 25 answered practice-exam slots in the same part.
Matched performance by part3 rows
Exam score including blanks counts every assigned slot; answered accuracy excludes blank slots.
| Part | Learners | Exams | Test bank | Answered exam | Score incl. blanks | Blank rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 88 | 546 | 58.6% | 53.6% | 50.3% | 6.1% |
| Part 2 | 33 | 170 | 58.9% | 52.7% | 48.2% | 9.8% |
| Part 3 | 27 | 136 | 66.9% | 61.7% | 58.6% | 5.5% |
What the data cannot establish
Matched learners chose both practice modes and may differ from learners who did not complete an exam. The comparison is observational and does not prove that simulation caused the gap.
Turn the finding into a decision.
Use the report to choose a focused action, then test that decision with current material. The evidence should reduce uncertainty; it should never replace the complete exam outline or promise an official result.