How to Revise
Most students revise wrong. They re-read notes, highlight textbooks, and cram the night before. Research shows these methods barely work. This guide shows you what actually works — and how to use this site to do it.
What Doesn't Work
Before we talk about what works, let's be honest about what doesn't. If you do any of these, you're wasting your time:
It feels productive, but your brain is recognising — not remembering. You trick yourself into thinking you know it.
Making text colourful doesn't put it in your memory. It's basically decorating your notes.
Writing things out a second time is passive — your brain is on autopilot. It doesn't force you to think.
You might remember enough to pass tomorrow, but it disappears within days. Your brain needs time to process.
The Science of Memory
Your brain forgets things on a predictable curve. Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered this in the 1880s — and it still holds true today:
The Forgetting Curve
Without revision, you forget nearly 80% of what you learned within a month. But every time you actively recall information, the curve flattens — you forget less, slower.
Active Recall
The more effort your brain puts into retrieving information, the stronger the memory becomes. Testing yourself is not just checking what you know — it's the revision itself.
Spaced Practice
Spreading revision across multiple days is far more effective than one long session. Short sessions with gaps between them force your brain to work harder to retrieve — and that effort is what builds memory.
5 Strategies That Actually Work
These are ranked from most powerful to most accessible. Try to use strategies 1 and 2 every time you revise.
Test Yourself (Active Recall)
Close your notes. Try to answer a question from memory. Check. Repeat. This is the single most effective revision technique — proven by hundreds of studies.
- Use the 🧠 Self-Quiz tab on any subject page
- Play the 🎮 Review Games — questions are shuffled each time
- Write answers on paper before clicking "Show Answer"
Space It Out (Spaced Practice)
Don't revise everything in one night. Spread it across several days. Even 10 minutes a day is better than 2 hours the night before.
- Day 1: Learn the topic (PowerPoint + notes)
- Day 2: Test yourself (Self-Quiz, no notes)
- Day 4: Test again — focus on what you forgot
- Day 7: Final test — anything you still miss gets extra attention
Explain It (The Feynman Technique)
Try explaining a concept out loud as if you're teaching a younger student. If you get stuck, you've found your gap. Go back, fill it, and try again.
- Pick a term from the 📖 Glossary
- Explain it in your own words — no reading allowed
- If you can't explain it simply, you don't know it well enough yet
Mix It Up (Interleaving)
Don't practise one topic for an hour. Mix different topics in the same session. It feels harder, but it forces your brain to distinguish between concepts — which is exactly what exams require.
- 10 min: Self-Quiz on plate boundaries
- 10 min: Worksheet on convection currents
- 10 min: Review Game (shuffled — all topics)
Use Visuals (Dual Coding)
Combine words with pictures. Draw diagrams, make mind maps, label images. Your brain stores visual and verbal information in different places — using both creates stronger memories.
- Draw the concept from memory (e.g. draw Earth's layers, label a food web)
- Use the 🧪 Explore tab to interact with simulations
- Watch a 🎬 Video then sketch what you learned
Build a Revision Plan
Here's a simple 5-day revision plan you can copy. Adjust the topics for your subject.
Read through PowerPoint. Write key terms from memory. Check against Glossary.
⏱ 20 minComplete the Self-Quiz. Note which questions you rated "Didn't know." Those are your focus.
⏱ 15 minComplete a Topic Worksheet (fillable PDF). Upload it to the AI Feedback tool to check.
⏱ 25 minSelf-Quiz again — focus on yesterday's weak spots. Play the Review Game once.
⏱ 15 minTeach someone what you've learned — a friend, a parent, or even your pet. If you can explain it simply, you know it.
⏱ 15 minUse This Site to Revise
Every resource on this site maps to a revision strategy. Here's how to use them: