Exam season does not have to mean panic and all-nighters. Decades of cognitive science research have identified which study techniques truly improve retention and which are a waste of time. By switching to evidence-based methods, you can study less, remember more, and walk into every exam with confidence.
Why Most Students Study the Wrong Way
A landmark 2013 review published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest evaluated ten popular study strategies. Re-reading and highlighting — the two most common techniques students use — were rated as having low utility. They create an illusion of knowledge because the material feels familiar, but familiarity is not the same as recall. When the exam arrives, students realize they cannot actually reproduce the information.
The Top Evidence-Based Study Techniques
- Active recall (retrieval practice): Close your notes and try to write down everything you remember. Self-testing is the single most effective study method.
- Spaced repetition: Spread your study sessions out over days and weeks instead of cramming. Each review session should happen just before you are about to forget.
- Interleaving: Mix different topics or problem types within a single study session rather than studying one subject in isolation.
- Elaborative interrogation: Ask yourself "why?" and "how?" questions about the material to build deeper understanding.
- Practice testing: Work through past exam papers, problem sets, and sample questions under timed conditions.
Building Your Exam Study Schedule
Start by mapping out your exam dates and working backward. Allocate at least three to four review sessions for each major topic, spaced across multiple days. During each session, spend the first few minutes on active recall of previous material before introducing anything new. This approach leverages the testing effect and spacing effect simultaneously.
Keep sessions focused — 25 to 50 minutes of deep work followed by a 5 to 10 minute break. This Pomodoro-style rhythm prevents cognitive fatigue and maintains high-quality encoding throughout your study block.
"Students who use retrieval practice remember 50% more material on their final exam compared to those who simply re-read their notes." — Roediger & Karpicke, 2006
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid marathon study sessions the night before. Cramming can help you pass a quiz the next morning, but the information vanishes within days. Also resist the temptation to study in a perfectly comfortable environment — introducing mild difficulty (such as switching rooms or writing by hand) actually improves long-term retention through desirable difficulty.
How Technology Can Help
Modern study tools automate the hardest parts of effective studying. Apps that implement spaced repetition algorithms decide when you should review each piece of information, removing the guesswork. Flashcard apps with built-in active recall features ensure every study session is productive. The Memorize app, for example, uses progressive blanking and sentence-ordering exercises to turn passive material into active retrieval challenges.
