How to Test Your Pool Skills and Build a Better Practice Plan
A recorded baseline gives you something useful to work on before your next match.
Winning a few racks doesn't tell you which part of your game needs work. A repeatable practice test can give you a more useful starting point: specific shots, recorded results, and a reason to choose one drill over another.
Billiard University's playing-ability exams offer a structured option. The exam materials are available free through its website.
Where should you start?
Begin with Exam I, which tests fundamentals such as aiming, stroke delivery, stop shots, follow, draw, and cue-ball positioning. Download the setup instructions, diagrams, and score sheet before taking it.
Your Exam I result determines which version of Exam II to use:
| Exam I score | Exam II level |
|---|---|
| 0–49 | Bachelors |
| 50–69 | Masters |
| 70–100 | Doctorate |
Exam II broadens the assessment to skills including position play, safeties, banks, kicks, and the break. BU calculates its overall score by adding the first two exam scores.
These are BU assessment categories. They aren't tournament playing rules.
How do you make your first result useful?
Treat the first attempt as a baseline.
Follow the published procedure instead of changing a difficult layout or giving yourself extra attempts. If you alter the exercise, record that session as practice rather than comparing it directly with a properly scored test.
Keep a separate notebook alongside the official score sheet. Note where a shot broke down: the object ball missed, the cue ball finished short, or the intended route was wrong.
Those notes serve a different purpose from the score. A total tells you how the attempt went; a description helps you decide what to practice next.
What should you practice after the test?
Our suggested approach is to choose one recurring problem from your notes and build the next session around it.
For example, if you pocket the object ball but repeatedly leave the cue ball short of position, record both outcomes separately during practice. Counting only successful pots would hide the problem you're trying to solve.
Keep experimental practice separate from assessment. Practice is where you can change speed, try another route, or repeat a shot until you understand it. A scored attempt is where you follow the prescribed procedure.
How should you track progress?
Save your dated score sheets and compare individual exercises as well as totals.
For your own records, note the table used and any obvious change in playing conditions. This is an editorial suggestion for interpreting results, rather than an additional BU scoring requirement.
Avoid rebuilding your entire practice plan around one poor attempt. Look for a repeated weakness across your notes, then give that area deliberate attention.
Are the BU playing exams written quizzes?
No. They assess shots played on a pool table. BU lists knowledge quizzes separately.
Do I need to start with the hardest level?
No. Use your Exam I score to select the appropriate Exam II version.
Can I use the drills without applying for a diploma?
Yes. The exercises can provide structure for practice and a record of your results.