When exam season approaches, it’s tempting to spend hours rereading notes or cramming information the night before a test. However, research shows that the most effective ways to study for exams are often the simplest: regularly retrieving information, revisiting content over time, and actively engaging with what you’ve learned. By using proven study techniques, students can improve their memory, build confidence, and reduce stress in the lead-up to assessments.
In this guide, we’ll explore eight evidence-based strategies that can help Senior School students study more effectively and make the most of their revision time. From brain dumps and flashcards to practice testing and visual learning, these techniques are designed to strengthen long-term memory and support academic success across all subjects.
Dump it
Dump all the information you can remember onto your page. By retrieving the information, you interrupt the forgetting process.
Why?
Research states that you start forgetting new information as soon as you have heard it. However, recalling the information can interrupt the forgetting process.
How?
Using a pen and paper, recall as many pieces of information as you can from the lesson you had that day or the topic in general.
Space it
Revise course content every 3, 6, 9 and 12 days. Place your revision days in your diary as a schedule. Do it in small chunks, but do it often.
Why?
Research shows that spacing out your revision is far more impactful than cramming at the last minute. Doing a little bit every few days far outweighs the impact of revising all the content in one go.
How?
Place in your diary when your assessment is. Count back marking every 3 days and what you will revise.
Mix it
Change the types of questions you practice within each revision session. Mix the format, the strategy and the process.
Why?
Working on the same types of problems in bulk has less impact on your learning. By mixing the types of problems, you are more likely to learn the content at a deeper level.
How?
When working on problems try using different strategies to solve them, do some worded and open ended problems at each sitting. This strategy particularly works well with Maths and Science.
Retry it
Redo the questions from past assessments and class work that were a challenge and unlock the misconceptions
Why?
By engaging with the questions you have answered incorrectly you can learn something you had previously missed. As learning builds upon prior knowledge, you need to fill in the gaps to create a strong foundation for the next phase of learning.
How?
Reattempt assessments and tasks, focusing on the questions you got wrong.
Test it
Test how well you have remembered the content. Don’t read it; test it.
Why?
Completing practice tests frequently enhances the ability to recall information in both class and testing environments.
How?
Use online quizzes, past papers and textbooks to create short tests for you to complete at home. Complete them in test conditions (silent and timed) to identify what you have and have not learnt (yet).
Visualise it
Add visuals to your content when revising to improve application of knowledge.
Why?
Studying with words and pictures together can lead to more effective learning.
How?
Create a diagram or visual and use words within the visual that capture the core learning.
Flash it
Create flashcards to test how easily you can recall the information.
Why?
Making your brain retrieve information and recall it regularly supports the knowledge transfer from working memory to long term memory.
How?
Create a set of flash cards with the question on the front and answers on the back. Use these to support ‘Test It and ‘Space It’ strategies.
Note it
Refine in-class notes by summarising key knowledge. Use pen and paper to increase cognition and engagement.
Why?
Creating notes to summarise your learning helps synthesise the important points and enables you to study content more efficiently. Using pen and paper rather than your laptop will increase your cognition and help you select the most important pieces of information.
How?
Synthesise the key information from the notes your teacher has shared or the ones you took in class. Reduce them down to the most important elements only. Turn this important information in to Flash Cards to help remember it!
Study for Exams with Confidence
Learning how to effectively study for exams is not about spending more hours at your desk, but about using your time wisely. Strategies such as Dump It, Space It, Mix It, Retry It, Test It, Visualise It, Flash It and Note It are all designed to help you actively engage with your learning, strengthen your memory, and build confidence before assessment day.
By incorporating these evidence-based techniques into your study routine, you can improve knowledge retention, identify gaps in your understanding, and reduce the pressure of last-minute cramming. Start small, stay consistent, and remember that the best way to study for exams is to make revision an ongoing process rather than a one-time event.
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