Active recall

Active recall

The Exam blog is always interested in different revision techniques. Especially with the Exam Expert now having been interviewed on the blog.

Here are some of the more tips that the Exam blog encourage candidates to do to study for GCSE and A levels .

The king of the technique or the overarching value of the most effective technique is called Active Recall.  

Active Recall can massively improve exam chances.  It is essentially testing yourself in different ways. 

Improve revision by more Active Recall rather than passive flash card highlighting etc.  While the biggest active recall we do on a daily basis is quizzes. With simple short cuts there is some excellent low cost choice out there for quizzes such as Education Quizzes.

It's all about quality time and effort to put to the mental effort of active recall on the topics being tested.

Along with the Active Recall  of what you do know you can work out quickly what you do not know.  

Work out in a gym is similar to Active Recall. The harder the work out the more long term gain.

Do a practice test get a separate piece of paper related to the topic you are revising. 

Create a fact sheet. Split the a4 paper in pencil. questions followed by answer on the other side  and quiz yourself.

Practice with pen rather than keyboard or phone 

Essay plan with Active Recall. 

Make a perfect essay plan - spider graph. and Repeat until memorised Check facts and themes in your head.

Use prompts if you have to. Any time, any place. 

Talk things through with someone else. Explaining makes your brain work harder. Ie. Become the teacher 

Write everything you know about a topic. Then compare it to all the comprehensive notes. 

Repeat the active recall process as often as possible. Repetition is the mother of skill.