In higher education course examinations have been utilized for many years to assess a student's body of knowledge. Unit exams are frequently used to evaluate multiple concepts and chapters of material simultaneously (Eastridge, 2019). Due to the fact these examinations are given less frequently students tend to procrastinate studying for these exams and consequently only prepare a day or two in advance, commonly known as “cramming” (Brown et al., 2014). While students may retain the ability to successfully recall information short-term for the exam; research reveals cramming provides little long-term comprehension of the material. This form of study ultimately results in individuals having a poor ability to recall the information long-term (Yang et al., 2019).

Many times the act of testing is viewed only as an evaluative process. Transitioning students and faculty alike to thinking of testing as a study strategy rather than merely a form of evaluation is essential in promoting students’ ability to recall information when needed (Adesope et al., 2017). Historically, educators have utilized tests to determine a student's knowledge base; however, testing has also been found to improve memory and encourage a stronger understanding of material (Akan et al., 2018; Ariel & Karpicke, 2018; Greving et al., 2020). Active recall of information challenges individuals more than simply reading material multiple times or listening to a recorded lecture; thereby encouraging greater mastery of the content (Agarwal et al., 2017; Binks, 2018).

Recently, higher education has shifted the focus from teaching students how to memorize content, to teaching students how to learn (Agarwal, 2019). This strategy is imperative in nursing education because students must know how to apply a variety of concepts to numerous patient care scenarios. Employing testing as a study strategy will support students in making the transition from simple memorization of facts to understanding concepts (Ghasemi et al., 2020). In nursing, lifelong learning is necessary due to the ever-evolving nature of the field. When students understand these concepts, they will be able to make better connections and integrate these concepts throughout their career (Yang et al., 2019). The purpose of this manuscript is to describe a research study which implemented testing as a study strategy within a baccalaureate nursing program as well as discuss the findings associated with this research.