Evidence-based study methods: what cognitive science actually recommends

Why rereading and highlighting fall short

In 2013, a team of five psychologists led by John Dunlosky reviewed the research on ten popular study techniques. Their conclusions, published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, surprised a lot of students: rereading, highlighting, summarizing and some mnemonic tricks were rated as having low utility (Dunlosky et al., 2013).

Only two techniques earned a high rating, because they help learners of many ages and ability levels: testing yourself (retrieval practice) and spreading study out over time (distributed practice). Three more were rated moderate: asking yourself why a fact is true, explaining the steps of a solution to yourself, and interleaving different kinds of problems.

The trap with rereading is that familiar text starts to feel like mastery. On exam day, though, you have to produce the answer, not just recognize it.

Retrieval practice: test yourself instead of rereading

Every time you pull information out of memory, it becomes easier to retrieve the next time. The Learning Scientists, a group of cognitive scientists who translate research for students and teachers, list retrieval practice among their six strategies for effective learning. The U.S. Institute of Education Sciences (IES) practice guide also rates using quizzes to re-expose students to key content as supported by strong evidence (IES, 2007).

• The blank page: close your notebook, write down everything you remember about a chapter, then check it against your notes.
• Flashcards: question on one side, answer on the other. Say the answer out loud before you flip the card.
• Past exams: do them under a time limit and only look at the answer key at the end.
• Headings as questions: turn each heading in your notes into a question and answer it from memory.

Getting things wrong during practice is not failure. It shows you exactly what to review next.

Spaced repetition: spread it out instead of cramming

Three hours of study spread over three days beats three hours the night before. Distributed practice is one of the two techniques Dunlosky and colleagues rated most useful, and the IES guide recommends coming back to key content after several weeks or even months.

• Review a new idea the next day, again a few days later, then again the following week.
• Start reviewing for a final exam at least two weeks ahead (see the plan below).
• Choose short sessions with breaks over a six-hour marathon.
• Put review dates in your calendar so you are not relying on how motivated you feel that day.

Cramming can rescue a single test, but the material fades quickly. In CEGEP, many courses build on each other: what you forget in Calculus I comes back to haunt you in Calculus II.

Interleaving: mix up the problem types

Textbooks usually group exercises by type: twenty problems on one rule, then twenty on the next. On the exam, problems arrive mixed together, and the first challenge is recognizing which method to use.

Interleaving means mixing problem types while you study. Dunlosky and colleagues rated it moderately useful, and the Learning Scientists include it in their six strategies. To try it:

• Build a set of exercises from three different chapters and do them in random order.
• Before solving, name the method: "this is an optimization problem," "this is conditional probability."
• Switch subjects within one evening, for example math, then chemistry, then back to math.

Interleaving can feel slower than blocked practice. That is expected: the effort of choosing the right strategy is part of the learning.

Worked examples: learn from a complete solution

When material is brand new, diving straight into problems often leads to a lot of guessing. The IES guide recommends alternating worked examples with problems students solve on their own (moderate level of evidence): study a complete solution, then solve a similar problem without help.

1. Read a worked example and explain each step to yourself: why this move? where did this number come from?
2. Cover the solution and redo the example from memory.
3. Solve a similar problem without looking.
4. Over several sessions, use fewer examples and more independent problems.

Explaining steps to yourself is a form of self-explanation, another technique Dunlosky and colleagues rated moderately useful.

Sleep: the invisible part of studying

Neuroscience research shows that sleep plays an active role in consolidating memories after learning (Stickgold, 2005). Trading sleep for study time often weakens the very material you just worked on.

Canada's 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night for ages 14 to 17, with consistent bed and wake-up times (CSEP). The adult guidelines (ages 18 to 64) recommend 7 to 9 hours.

• Keep the same bedtime during exam season.
• Do a short retrieval session in the evening, then sleep. Skip the all-nighter before the exam.
• Leave your phone outside the bedroom if notifications keep you up.

Sample 2-week exam plan

Here is a template for a Secondary 5 or CEGEP student with three exams in two weeks (Calculus, Chemistry and English in this example). Swap in your own subjects and adjust session lengths to your schedule.

The principles behind the table: every subject comes back several times (spacing), nearly every session starts with a test (retrieval), subjects and chapters alternate (interleaving), new material goes through worked examples, and the last day stays light to protect your sleep.

Put it into practice this week

Start small: replace one rereading session with a blank-page session this week, then add one mixed problem set. To figure out what you need on your final, try our final exam grade calculator. If you use AI to generate practice quizzes, read our guide on how to study with AI without cheating.

If you would like help building your plan or working through a specific course, Stellaire Académie tutors can support you: book a session.

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