Key points
- Weeks 1–2: broad sweep to build schemas and identify unknown unknowns.
- Weeks 3–5: weakness targeting driven by your error log, not preferences.
- Week 6: mock-heavy conditioning to stabilise timing and decision-making.
The Concept
A sprint works when it is engineered as a system: repeated retrieval, spaced revisits, and ruthless targeting of high-frequency misses. The metric is not “coverage”. The metric is conversion: how many recurring misses you turn into reliable recall. That happens through a tight loop of questions → error review → patch → re-test.
Scientific Evidence
Spaced education and retrieval-based learning have evidence for improving knowledge retention. Evidence reviews rank practice testing and distributed practice as high-utility learning strategies.
Implementation Strategy
1
Phase 1 (Weeks 1–2): Broad sweep
Daily: 60–120 mixed questions + concise explanation review. Build an error log with tags (system, concept, stem trap). Goal: identify top 20 weak tags.
2
Phase 2 (Weeks 3–5): Weakness targeting
Daily: 2 focused blocks on top weak tags + 1 mixed block to preserve integration. Patch each miss minimally and re-test within 72 hours.
3
Phase 3 (Week 6): Mock conditioning
Run 3–5 full mocks with strict timing. After each: classify errors (knowledge vs technique vs state) and adjust the next week’s plan.
4
Phase 4: Final 48 hours
Light retrieval only: short mixed sets, error cue review, and sleep protection. Avoid heavy new learning that increases anxiety without stabilising recall.
SourceRead the original paper (PubMed)
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Daily: 60–120 mixed questions + concise explanation review. Build an error log with tags (system, concept, stem trap). Goal: identify top 20 weak tags.
Return to this sectionDaily: 2 focused blocks on top weak tags + 1 mixed block to preserve integration. Patch each miss minimally and re-test within 72 hours.
Return to this sectionRun 3–5 full mocks with strict timing. After each: classify errors (knowledge vs technique vs state) and adjust the next week’s plan.
Return to this sectionLight retrieval only: short mixed sets, error cue review, and sleep protection. Avoid heavy new learning that increases anxiety without stabilising recall.
Return to this section
Study planning · Article 3 of 32