Deadlines turn up the heat so you find out what you actually know without the fluff.

Under time pressure everything decorative falls off a piece of work, and you are left holding whatever you genuinely understand. That is uncomfortable, and it is also honest feedback you cannot get any other way. A relaxed schedule lets you hide gaps behind rereading and rearranging. A tight one shows exactly which parts you can produce cold.

After your next deadline, before you forget, write down what came quickly and what you fumbled. Treat the fumbles as a study list rather than as evidence about you. That list is more accurate than any practice test you will sit.