Should You Use Quizzes to Help Your Child Prepare for School Tests?

Why quizzes feel like a double-edged sword for many parents

You sit down at the kitchen table, your child across from you with a pencil in one hand and a melting expression in their eyes. The test is tomorrow, and despite your best efforts—and theirs—nothing seems to stick. You’ve downloaded worksheets, rewritten notes, even tried acting out the French Revolution using rice and Legos… but still, you wonder: is it sinking in?

That’s the moment when someone suggests, “Why not use quizzes?” And immediately, images of online drilling platforms flash in your mind. More screens. More stress. More disengagement. But is there another way to use quizzes—not as pressure, but as discovery?

From test prep to connection: Rethinking what a quiz can be

At their worst, quizzes can feel cold, mechanized, and punitive. But used with care and creativity, they can turn into something quite different: a game, a safe way to make mistakes, and even a source of confidence.

Take Léa, a bright but dreamy 8-year-old who struggled with multiplication tables. Her mom, Claire, was at her wit’s end—frustrated by after-dinner tantrums and endless reminders that seemed to fall on deaf ears. “I thought quizzes would just become one more battle,” she said. “But when we started using them like little treasure hunts—ten quick questions at the end of our study session—Léa leaned in. She wanted to beat yesterday’s score. Suddenly I wasn’t the enemy—I was her teammate.”

This shift isn’t magic. It’s psychology. Quizzes tap into something deeply human: our love of challenge and instant feedback. But more importantly for kids, especially those who deal with anxiety or focus issues, they reduce the overwhelming mass of ‘studying’ into manageable, bite-sized moments.

How quizzes can quietly build understanding

We often think of quizzes as tools to test knowledge. But their true power lies in how they help children build knowledge. Recalling information strengthens memory pathways, and practicing questions in different formats allows kids to transfer what they’ve learned—not just parrot it back.

For example:

• A child who struggles with reading comprehension can break a complex lesson into a set of multiple-choice questions that highlight key ideas
• A child with ADHD might benefit from focused bursts of review, with quizzes acting like mini sprints
• A child with low confidence feels empowered by small wins: “I got 7 out of 10 right!” is more motivating than “You need to revise this chapter again.”

And for parents navigating this process, it doesn’t have to add more to their plate. Solutions now exist where you can simply snap a photo of a school lesson and turn it into a personalized quiz with 20 tailored questions—an approach that feels less like ‘extra homework’ and more like interactive review. With apps like Skuli (available on iOS and Android), this transformation becomes seamless and adaptable to your child’s pace.

What to watch out for when using quizzes

As with any tool, it’s not about the quiz—it’s about how you use it. Some parents fall into the trap of over-quizzing, turning every evening into a graded performance. The point isn’t to mimic the pressure of school at home, but rather to create conditions where your child can sharpen their understanding in a more relaxed environment.

Here are a few guiding principles:

• Keep it short and light. Ten questions is enough. Let your child suggest questions or even create a quiz for you.
• Celebrate effort, not scores. This underscores that reviewing is collaborative, not evaluative.
• Make timing flexible. Some families do a quick quiz in the morning while brushing teeth or during school pick-up. Quiz formats that use audio or storytelling can make this surprisingly fun.

Real stories, real experiments

Sébastien, a dad of two in Paris, started using voice quizzes during car rides to judo practice after his 10-year-old son, Hugo, began dreading math reviews. “We found these audio adventures where Hugo was the main character solving mysteries with fractions,” Sébastien said. “We laughed, we played—and later, he remembered the exact steps to simplify ratios because it was part of a story. No worksheets. No meltdowns.”

For children who absorb better by listening, turning written lessons into audio can unlock a whole new level of understanding. And blending quiz formats into storytelling combines familiarity with curiosity—a powerful formula for kids who are easily bored or discouraged by traditional studying.

So, should you be using quizzes?

The short answer? Probably—if you reimagine what a quiz can be.

Use them not to measure your child’s worth, but to help them organize their thinking. Choose formats that invite play instead of stress. And remember: it’s less about the perfect score and more about strengthening the path between what they learned and how they can now recall it.

If your child hates homework, personalized quizzes might even shift the emotional tone of your evenings. And if regular studying is a battle, gentle routines with mini challenges could help restore some rhythm to your after-school rituals.

Quizzes, when done right, don’t just prepare for tomorrow’s evaluation. They can deepen understanding, build joy, and—for a few precious minutes—make learning feel like winning together.