Test Taking

Distributed practice has been shown to be far superior to cramming. Spacing study sessions out over time produces better long-term retention than a single marathon session. A 2020 study compared students who spread exam prep over three days versus those who crammed into one day — the spaced group significantly outperformed on both familiar and new material, showing that distributed practice improves memory and helps apply knowledge in new situations.

How to implement distributed practice:

• Start studying two weeks before the exam.
• Study each subject for 30–60 minutes daily instead of long marathon sessions.
• Use lighter weeks to get ahead on upcoming material.

Taking practice tests has been found to be more effective than rereading notes. Students who actively practiced retrieval learned material more effectively than those who focused on rereading. Each time you recall information, you make it more accessible in the future — retrieval itself strengthens memory.

Effective retrieval practice methods:

• Create practice tests from your notes, lectures, and textbook.
• Use flashcards with active recall (cover the answer to engage your memory).
• Explain important concepts out loud without looking at your notes.
• Form study groups and quiz each other on the material.
• Take timed practice exams.
• Review your incorrect answers after finishing.

Not all study time is equal. Prioritize topics your professor emphasizes repeatedly in class, as these are most likely to appear on the exam. Spend extra time on your weak areas and use practice tests to identify gaps. Work on applying concepts to new contexts rather than simply memorizing them, and connect new material to real-world examples and things you have already learned.

Chunking: Break large texts or problems into smaller pieces and summarize each chunk. This improves memory and comprehension while reducing overwhelm.

Ask yourself "why" and "how" questions about the material to deepen understanding.

Interleaving: Mix up the order you study topics and do problems rather than always working in the same sequence. For example, in math do problems 1, 5, 9, 2, 6, 10 rather than 1–10 in a row.

• Spend more time on questions that are worth more points.
• Leave difficult questions for later to keep momentum going.
• Skim the full test at the start to gauge difficulty and allocate your time well.

Research has demonstrated that making multiple passes through a test leads to better results. During the first pass, answer all the questions you know immediately and mark any you are uncertain about. During the second pass, return to those marked questions. If time allows, make a third pass to review all your answers. This approach ensures you collect all the straightforward points first and prevents you from getting stuck too long on any one question.