Exam Revision Techniques That Actually Work (Backed by UK Research)
Active recall, spaced repetition, and interleaving - the three techniques cognitive science says outperform everything else.
Highlighting and re-reading feel productive. They aren't. Decades of UK and US research point to three techniques that genuinely move the needle: active recall, spaced repetition, and interleaving.
Active recall
Close the book. Write everything you remember about the topic on a blank page. Check what you missed. Repeat. This single switch from passive to active practice can lift exam performance by a full grade band.
Spaced repetition
Review material at expanding intervals - 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days. Apps like Anki automate this. Five 20-minute sessions across two weeks beats one 100-minute cram every time.
Interleaving
Mix topics within a session instead of blocking them. Counterintuitive, harder, and measurably more effective for problem-solving exams.
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