Take 2 for Teaching & Learning - Exam Wrappers: Turning Grades into Learning Opportunities

An exam does not have to end with a grade. While students often focus first—and sometimes exclusively—on their score, a graded exam can provide valuable information about how they prepared, what they understand, and where their learning strategies may need to change. Exam wrappers are a simple teaching strategy designed to help students use that information to become more effective, self-directed learners. 

An exam wrapper is a brief, structured reflection that students complete after receiving a graded assessment. Rather than simply asking students whether they did well or poorly, an exam wrapper prompts them to examine three areas: how they prepared, what happened on the exam, and what they will do differently next time. Students might reflect on the study strategies they used, analyze patterns in their errors, and identify specific adjustments for their next assessment. 

In this way, exam wrappers turn assessment into part of the learning cycle rather than treating it solely as an endpoint. They are a form of metacognitive practice: students are asked to reflect on their learning and make intentional adjustments based on evidence from their performance. 

Effective learning requires more than acquiring knowledge; students also need to monitor and regulate how they learn. Exam wrappers provide a structured opportunity to develop these skills by helping students connect their preparation strategies with their actual performance. 

The goal is not simply to encourage students to “study harder”; instead, students can learn to recognize patterns—for example, discovering that rereading notes consumed considerable time but did little to prepare them for application-based questions. They can then identify a concrete alternative, such as beginning earlier, practicing without notes, or completing practice problems. 

Getting Started: Exam wrappers do not need to be complicated. After returning an exam, give students 5–10 minutes to consider three questions: 

1. How did I prepare? What strategies did I use, and how much time did I spend? 

2. What happened? Where did I lose points, and what patterns do I notice in my errors? 

3. What will I change? What is one specific adjustment I will make before the next assessment? 

Emphasize specificity. “I’ll study more” is less useful than “I’ll begin studying four days before the exam and complete practice problems without looking at my notes.” 

For online courses, an exam wrapper can be incorporated directly into the LMS as a quiz, survey, or assignment. Most importantly, revisit students’ plans before the next assessment. When reflection becomes a recurring cycle of prepare → analyze → adjust, exams can become opportunities for students to learn not only the course material, but also how to learn more effectively. 

References

Carpenter, T. S., Beall, L. C., & Hodges, L. C. (2020). Using the LMS for exam wrapper feedback to prompt metacognitive awareness in large courses. Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology, 9(1), 79–91. https://doi.org/10.14434/jotlt.v9i1.29156 

Gibbons, R. E., Hokien, D., Hutson, B. L., & Maness, H. T. D. (2025). The potential of exam wrappers in higher education assessment practice: Fostering self-efficacy through guided self-reflection. Intersection: A Journal at the Intersection of Assessment and Learning, 6(1), 80–127. https://doi.org/10.61669/001c.129036 

Hodges, L. C., Beall, L. C., Anderson, E. C., Carpenter, T. S., Cui, L., Feeser, E., Gierasch, T., Nanes, K. M., Perks, H. M., & Wagner, C. (2020). Effect of exam wrappers on student achievement in multiple, large STEM courses. Journal of College Science Teaching, 50(1), 69–79. 

Lovett, M. C. (2013). Make exams worth more than the grade: Using exam wrappers to promote metacognition. In M. Kaplan, N. Silver, D. LaVaque-Manty, & D. Meizlish (Eds.), Using reflection and metacognition to improve student learning: Across the disciplines, across the academy (pp. 18–52). Stylus. 

Swalve, N., Harwood, A., & Calhoun, E. S. (2021). Use of exam wrappers and measures of anxiety on class performance in six gateway STEM courses at a small liberal arts college. College Teaching, 69(3), 138–149. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2020.1833826