Michele, I don't think there is a precribed "right way" to use pretests. Most often, I'll put together a brief test that covers the main objectives of my course. Collectively, if most students perform well on one category, that suggests I might not have to spend as much time with that area. As a motivator, I have had students retake the pretest at the end of the course. The benefit is to show how far students have come in their learning. So, any way you want to configure it, it'll ultimately benefit your students. Barry Westling