When studying for an exam, what is your go-to method?
For many students, the default strategy is to simply re-read their notes or textbook chapters over and over. However, cognitive psychology tells us that this passive approach is actually one of the least effective ways to learn. The cardinal rule of effective studying is: Don't simply restudy information.
The Mechanics of Exams
Think about what an exam actually requires you to do. On a test, you aren't asked to read information; you are forced to retrieve information from your memory. The more thoroughly you have absorbed the course content, and the more practiced you are at successfully pulling that information out of your brain during an exam, the better you are likely to perform.
How to Do Retrieval Practice
After you have finished reading through a set of lecture slides, your notes, or a textbook chapter, put them aside entirely. Without looking at any of those materials, try to remember what you have just learned. You can do this mentally, but it is often more effective to write it down on a blank sheet of paper.
In effect, you are giving yourself a low-stakes practice test.
When you do this, some information will readily come to mind, proving that you've grasped it. However, some information might not surface at all. You will realize that some materials were completely understood, while others remained fuzzy or confusing.
After you have recalled as much as you possibly can, then you go back and check the original course materials. Determine if the information that you recalled was correct. More importantly, carefully examine the portions that you did not fully recall or did not fully understand. Fill in those gaps, and then—crucially—repeat the process later.
Top-performing students generally do not struggle with basic multiple-choice questions or fundamental concepts. Where the real battle is fought—and won—is in the details. Toppers differentiate themselves by overcoming minor retrieval issues and mastering the granular details that trip up average students.
Engaging in rigorous retrieval practice isn't just about scraping together a few extra marks; it is about developing the habits and academic etiquette of a top-tier student. Retrieval practice—by itself, and especially when accompanied by a subsequent check of the course materials—is widely considered by cognitive scientists to be one of the most effective learning methods discovered to date.