Before you start
Review by trying to retrieve
Begin with questions, problems or explanation without looking. Check the source afterwards. Rereading first can feel familiar but does not reveal what you can produce independently.
Use intervals as a starting point
After learning, try a brief retrieval one or two days later, another roughly a week later and a final check before the exam. Shorten the gap after important errors and lengthen it when recall is stable.
Mix topics without mixing errors
A session can alternate questions from several units, but label the source of each error. The next review can then target real difficulty instead of repeating the entire syllabus equally.
Finish with global practice
Before the exam, combine content in conditions resembling the assessment. Keep the mock and correction separate so time, reasoning and errors can be analysed carefully.
Every review should include
- A question or task without initial support.
- A check against the original source.
- A short record of errors and uncertainty.
- A decision about the next interval.
- A time limit that protects essential new work.
Practical example
Learned Monday, examined the following Tuesday
The sequence uses two and a half distributed hours in addition to the initial learning.
- Monday: 60 minutes to understand and practise.
- Wednesday: 25 minutes of questions without notes and 5 minutes of correction.
- Saturday: 30 minutes mixing the topic with an earlier unit.
- Next Monday: a 30-minute mock and 20 minutes of correction.
- Tuesday: a 10-minute check with no new content.
Decisions and adaptation
If the first review goes badly
Return to the missing explanation or example, practise one small unit and retrieve again sooner. Do not respond only by rereading.
If a review is missed
Do not do two identical reviews back to back. Run a short check, record the result and keep the global practice nearest the exam.
Frequently asked questions
Are there perfect intervals?
No single sequence fits every learner and subject. Initial gaps are a starting point and retrieval results should change them.
Does this work for problem solving?
Yes, when review means selecting and solving a problem without copying the procedure, followed by correction.
Can I review on exam day?
A brief check may orient you, but it should not replace sleep or become a new-content session.