Final answer:
A pretest is used to assess students' knowledge before instruction begins, offering a baseline for comparison with post-instruction assessments. It is commonly used in educational settings, including high school test preparation, to guide teaching strategies and measure progress.
Step-by-step explanation:
A pretest is an assessment given before new learning takes place. It is designed to evaluate what students know prior to instruction, helping educators understand students' baseline knowledge and guiding curriculum decisions.
For instance, if you are investigating the effectiveness of a new math textbook for high school students, a pretest would be administered at the beginning of the semester to assess their current math skills. At the end of the year, after instruction using this textbook, a posttest is administered to compare results and gauge students' progress.
Pretests can also serve as a tool for test prep, which helps prepare students to face the format and rigor of standardized tests. This usually involves practicing multiple choice, short answer, and extended response questions similar to those that might be found on actual exams.