RSpec: Testing out models with methods that call update_attributes

Question

RSpec newbie here.

I'm trying to test my models, which have methods that uses update_attributes to update values of other models.

I'm sure that the values are persisted in the database, but they are not passing the specs.

However, when I include something like @user.reload it works.

I'm wondering if I'm doing things wrongly. Specifically, how should one test models which change attributes of other models?

UPDATED with code:

describe Practice do

before(:each) do
    @user = build(:user)
    @user.stub!(:after_create)
    @user.save!

    company = create(:acme)
    course = build(:acme_company, :company => company)
    course.save!

  @practice = create(:practice, :user_id => @user.id, :topic => "Factors and Multiples" )
end

describe "#marking_completed" do

    it "should calculate the points once the hard practice is done" do
        @practice.question_id = Question.find(:first, conditions: { diff: "2" }).id.to_s
        @practice.responses << Response.create!(:question_id => @practice.question_id, :marked_results => [true,true,true,true])
        @practice.save!

        lambda {
            @practice.marking_completed
            @practice.reload # <-- Must add this, otherwise the code doesn't work
        }.should change { @practice.user.points }.by(20)
    end
end

end

In Practice.rb

def marking_completed       

# Update user points
user.add_points(100)
self.completed = true
self.save!

end

In User.rb

def add_points(points)
self.points += points
update_attributes(:points => self.points)

end