Which statement is a tenet of deliberate practice?

• A. Practice should be frequent with high quality
• B. Practice should be random with inconsistent effort
• C. Feedback should be avoided early in learning
• D. Practice should be done without setting goals

Answer: (A)

Deliberate practice centers on purposeful, focused training that is aimed at improving performance, with tasks designed to push just beyond current ability and with timely feedback to guide adjustments. The statement that practice should be frequent with high quality captures this idea: regular, well-structured sessions that target specific aspects of a skill, done with effort and precision, and paired with feedback so you know what to change next. This combination of consistency, focus, and feedback creates the cycle of attempting, adjusting, and improving that drives real skill development.

Why the others don’t fit as well: practice that is random and done with inconsistent effort lacks the focused refinement needed to progress; avoiding feedback early in learning deprives you of the guidance necessary to correct mistakes and refine technique; practicing without setting goals removes the specific targets that direct what to improve and how to measure progress.