Study smarter, not harder.
Evidence-based techniques to halve your revision time. Master retrieval practice and interleaving.
Methods
retrieval practice: stop re-reading notes
Use the Testing Effect to turn revision into durable memory — without spending hours re-reading.
spaced repetition for busy clinicians
Use the Forgetting Curve in your favour: tiny daily reviews that compound into exam-ready recall.
q-bank strategy: metacognition
Stop doing questions like a quiz. Use them like a diagnostic tool: classify the miss, fix the system.
the perfect spaced repetition algorithm: anki settings for medics
Fix your Anki workload and boost scores: tune learning steps, graduating intervals, and ease to maximise efficiency and retention for medical exams.
active recall vs passive reading: why you forget everything
Replace rereading with closed-book retrieval to study faster and score higher. Active recall beats highlighting for efficiency and long-term retention.
interleaving: the secret to handling random exam questions
Train exam-style thinking by mixing topics. Interleaving boosts efficiency and scores by improving discrimination and reducing false confidence from blocked study.
the question-first strategy (reverse engineering)
Do questions before content to create knowledge hooks. This increases efficiency and scores by turning uncertainty into targeted learning and faster recall.
Planning
the 6-week revision sprint
A final-push plan that converts effort into marks: breadth → depth → simulation.
the 'retrospective' revision timetable
Stop calendar-based revision. Track last reviewed dates and accuracy to study with higher efficiency, target weaknesses, and raise exam scores faster.
the 6-week 'sprint' schedule for plab/ukmla
A high-intensity 6-week plan built for efficiency: broad sweep, weakness targeting, and mocks to maximise scores using retrieval and spacing principles.
Productivity
studying while working full-time: the 'micro-dose' method
Use 15-minute micro-sessions to convert dead time into score gains. Mobile retrieval boosts efficiency and retention without needing long study blocks.
decision fatigue: why you should study in the morning
Protect peak cognition to study faster and score higher. Morning retrieval improves efficiency by aligning with circadian performance and reducing late-day strain.
Mindset
managing exam anxiety: the yerkes-dodson curve
Use arousal control to protect working memory and raise scores. Evidence-based breathing and routines improve efficiency under real exam pressure.
recovering from a failed exam: a structural root cause analysis
Treat failure as data. A root-cause approach increases efficiency and scores by separating knowledge, technique, and mindset errors with targeted fixes.