In this meeting of the new Carolina Teaching and Learning Colloquium (CTLC) series, Dr. Neil Mulligan, Dept of Psychology and Neuroscience, discusses the testing effect.  Dr. Mulligan notes that tests do not just reveal what has been learned but can be powerful learning experiences in their own right. Over the past 15 years, substantial research has examined the ways that tests influence subsequent memory and learning. In simplest form, the testing effect is the finding that taking a test can increase memory for the tested material on still later tests more so than do many forms of study. However, retrieval-based learning does not simply benefit the tested materials but can also (1) enhance memory for related but non-tested material (transfer); (2) enhance learning of new material presented after the test (the forward testing effect); (3) influence the learner’s metacognitive awareness of effective and less effective learning strategies; and (4) decrease mind-wandering. Limitations and unanswered questions will also be discussed.