How to revise for your exams: 4 proven techniques

• 06 Dec, '18
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With January exams looming (sorry - we know you don’t need reminding!) we’re taking a look at four revision strategies for exam success, from some of the top psychology and education buffs around. If you’re staying at [IconInc](https://www.iconinc.co.uk/) over the Christmas break, be sure to make use of the private study rooms and booths.

Before you start revising

Here are some revision tips to think about before you even open a study book: * Avoid passive revision techniques, like reading endless reams of information. Active methods, like answering questions, are proven to be more effective when it comes to remembering what you’ve learnt. This is because you’re actually applying your knowledge and making your brain work a little harder. * Work out what kind of learner you are. Certain revision styles might not suit the way your brain is wired to learn. You’ll need to think about what kind of environment you work best in and what time of day you feel the most productive at. If you’re struggling to decide how best to revise then think of a time in a class or seminar that worked particularly well for you and try to repeat that. So if you learnt especially well from a group discussion, why not get a study group together with your course mates?

Effective revision techniques

1. Start early

Ok, hear us out on this one! Beginning your revision well in advance of the exam means that you can break your revision up into manageable chunks, over a longer period of time. This method is known as distributed practise and it’s the exact opposite of cramming (which is THE most ineffective exam technique by the way!). A highly acclaimed [study](https://journals.sagepub.com/stoken/rbtfl/Z10jaVH/60XQM/full) of effective learning techniques from 2013, found that simply starting early and spreading revision out over an extended amount of time, was the “most powerful” of all revision strategies. One of the major benefits is that you’ll remember whatever it is you’re learning for much longer. Think about it, you wouldn’t start practising for a music exam only the day before, so why leave exam revision until the last minute?

2. Test, test, test!

Fact: you will actually remember what you’ve been reading if you test yourself on the material as you go (result!). It sounds like a no brainer but you’d be surprised how many students don’t do it. The key is to complete practise questions and mini tests as you study. And don’t try to learn absolutely everything first and then test yourself because you’ll probably run out of time. A [study](https://journals.sagepub.com/stoken/rbtfl/Z10jaVH/60XQM/full) by Professor John Dunlovsky, a psychology professor at Kent State University, not only found this revision technique to be one of the most effective methods, but that students remembered what they had learned for longer. They were committing the information to their long term memory. Professor Dunlovsky recommends creating your own flashcards to test yourself and using past papers too.

3. Focus on the topics you find hardest

We know it’s not rocket science but it’s all too easy to avoid problem areas while you’re revising, especially when you’re feeling panicked. The idea here is to focus your learning on the topics that you struggle with the most. Revisit these topics more often than the ones you have a better understanding of. Basically, avoid revising everything over and over again and be smarter with your time. This approach to revision is championed by Professor Anders Ericsson, a professor of psychology at Florida State University. He believes in “deliberate practise” where you concentrate on drastically improving one particular area at a time, rather than improving your wider knowledge only a little. If you’re not quite sure what your weaker areas are, ask your tutor for guidance.

Anders Ericsson - Deliberate practice makes perfect - Insights for Entrepreneurs - Amazon

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