Meaning & use
pretest
A test given before a course of study or treatment to measure existing knowledge or ability.
See it in a sentence
The teacher gave a pretest on fractions to see which skills the class already understood.
Researchers gave every volunteer a pretest before the experiment to record their starting fitness level.
A note on using this word
A pretest is compared with a later posttest to measure how much someone has learned or changed.
Words with a similar meaning
baseline test
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
posttest
Another way to use it
2. verb
To test someone or something before a main study, course, or treatment begins.
The lab pretested each battery to confirm it held a full charge before shipping.
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