How to Revise Effectively: The Best Revision Techniques

Unfortunately, spending hours at your desk revising is not always a guarantee of success. The way in which you revise is every bit as important as how long you spend revising. 

This guide breaks down the most effective, research-backed revision techniques. These are tried and tested methods that have been proven to boost memory, understanding, and confidence. You’ll learn why these strategies work, how to apply them, and how to combine them into a smart revision plan.

By using the techniques outlined in this guide, you will save yourself wasting endless hours re-reading notes and highlighting textbooks and ensure you are rewarded for the effort you put into your revision. 

Key Takeaways

• Use active recall and spaced repetition. Regularly revisit topics and repeatedly test yourself over time to strengthen and embed information in your memory.

• Mix and match techniques. Don’t put all your eggs in one revision technique basket and combine multiple methods to keep things fresh and to develop a deeper understanding.

• Focus on quality over quantity. Short, focused sessions are far more effective than marathon sessions of passive and ineffective reading.

• Plan and track your progress. Use schedules and trackers to ensure you know your areas of strength and which areas need more focus.

• Balance study with rest. Plan in regular breaks, sleep, and exercise to ensure you have time that is completely away from studying. This will help improve focus and retention when you do hit the books

What Makes Revision Effective?

Effective revision requires you to engage with and apply the material, not just let it passively wash over you. The most powerful revision strategies rely on active learning, spacing, and retrieval.

• Active learning means doing something with the information. This could be testing, repurposing or explaining it. Anything other than just reading or highlighting.

• Spaced learning means regularly revisiting the same topics over days or weeks. This has been shown to help your brain to store them in long-term memory.

• Retrieval practice strengthens memory by forcing you to recall facts and ideas from scratch. This replicates the situation often encountered in exams and is more effective than just recognising facts on the page.

It is the principles of these three ideas that form the foundation of every effective study technique in this guide.

The Most Effective Revision Techniques

Although it is important to use a variety of revision techniques, you don’t need to use every technique at once. Instead, pick a few that fit your style and stick with them consistently. Try to choose a mix of techniques that include all three of the core principles of effective learning—active learning, spacing, and retrieval.

Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique helps you study in focused bursts, preventing burnout and improving concentration. Traditionally, it involves 25-minute study blocks, or “Pomodoros”,  followed by 5-minute breaks.

How to use it:

1. Choose a topic and set a timer for 25 minutes.

2. Focus only on that task—no phones or distractions.

3. After 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break.

4. After four Pomodoros, rest for 15–30 minutes.

You can adjust the timings if you prefer longer or shorter sessions. Apps like TomatoTimer (opens in a new tab) or Forest (opens in a new tab) can make it easier to stay on track but some people prefer to keep phones in a different room completely. 

This structure of short bursts of intense focus can help build discipline and improve time management. Both are crucial during exam season.

Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition has been scientifically proven to improve long-term retention. It works by requiring you to review material at increasingly long intervals which leads to knowledge and understanding becoming more secure. 

How to use it:

• Use flashcards or an app like Anki (opens in a new tab) which can automatically schedule reviews.

• Introduce new material frequently, perhaps daily or every other day.

• Gradually increase the gap between sessions. Start revisiting information after 3 days, then 7, then 14.

By spacing revision over weeks or months, you move knowledge from short-term to long-term memory. 

Flashcards

Flashcards are a tried and tested active recall technique, but they only work effectively when employed correctly. Simply writing out hundreds of cards and rereading them won’t help. You need to use them to test yourself.

How to use them effectively:

• Write a clear question on one side and a concise answer on the other.

• Avoid overcrowded cards; focus on key facts or concepts.

• Sort cards into “easy” and “hard” piles—review the hard ones more often.

• You can find pre-populated flashcards at Save My Exams 

Mind Mapping and Visual Revision

Mind maps can help you repurpose information and let you see how ideas connect across a topic. They’re ideal for summarising large subjects.

How to use them:

1. Start with a central topic (e.g. “Cell Biology”).

2. Branch out into subtopics (e.g. organelles, cell transport, mitosis).

3. Use colours and key words, not full sentences.

4. After creating a mind map, test yourself by redrawing it from memory.

Digital tools like MindMeister (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)work well, but the process of drawing by hand can enhance memory. Whichever method you use, keep your mind maps focused on the knowledge and understanding and do not become distracted by decorating them.

Practice Testing and Past Papers

Exams are essentially tests, so if you want to perform better in exams, practicing tests is essential! Research has proven that regularly completing tests improves memory. It also improves your understanding and familiarity with the question types you will sit in the exams.  

How to use it:

• Take past papers or online quizzes under timed conditions.

• Use resources like Save My Exams for exam-style questions and mark schemes.

• After each test, review your mistakes and focus your next revision on those areas.

Practising under real exam conditions helps you manage time, reduce stress, and train your brain to recall information efficiently. It also means you’ll know exactly what to expect once exam season starts and you enter that hall. 

Note-Taking Techniques

Note taking can be an effective revision technique. But revision notes must be active, not just passively copied without really engaging the brain.

Try:

• The Cornell Method, which divides your page into sections for notes, key points, and summaries.

• Turning notes into questions or flashcards for later review.

• Summarising information in your own words rather than copying text verbatim.

• Evernote (opens in a new tab)is a note taking app that has a range of features such as templates that you might find useful. 

Collaborative Revision and Study Groups

Studying with others can keep you motivated, hold you accountable and deepen understanding. But it has to be done right!

How to use it effectively:

• Keep groups small, three to five people is ideal, and focused on a specific topic for a specific session.

• If you can’t meet up in person, you can utilize online tools like Zoom or Google Docs to collaborate.

• Taking turns to be the authority on a topic and teaching the other group members can work very well. Having to explain a concept is one of the most powerful forms of revision.

However, study groups can very easily turn into unproductive “study chats.” Make sure every session should have a clear goal and that you choose your study group members wisely!

Using Technology to Boost Your Revision

If used effectively, technology can be used to transform your study routine and help make revision more appealing, interactive and efficient.

Understanding Your Learning Preferences

The idea that people have a fixed “learning style” such as visual, auditory or kinesthetic has been debunked and is not backed by any evidence. However, research has shown that everyone benefits from using multiple, active techniques. 

Some people may feel that they prefer certain types of revision techniques, but it is important to remember that everyone benefits from using a variety of methods. 

If You Prefer Visual Revision

• Use mind maps, colour coding, and diagrams to organise and repurpose information.

• Recreate visuals from memory—don’t just look at them.

• Use flashcards with images or graphs rather than just texts.

You can find more visual revision techniques from Save My Exams here.

If You Prefer Auditory Revision

• Record yourself explaining topics and listen back while commuting or out walking.

• Use voice notes or explain concepts aloud as if teaching someone.

• Join study groups to discuss key themes and quiz each other verbally.

If You Prefer Kinaesthetic Revision

• Combine movement with study. This could involve a walk while reciting facts or quizzing yourself using physical flashcards.

• Act out processes, like particle movement in physics or the water cycle in geography or build models to visualise complex systems.

• Use a standing desk or revise in short, energetic bursts.

Building an Effective Revision Schedule

A good revision plan incorporates consistency, variety, and rest. Instead of cramming, build a steady, long-term routine.

How to structure it:

1. Prioritise subjects based on difficulty, your current performance or upcoming exams.

2. Break topics into chunks and assign them across your week.

3. Space revisions. Review each topic several times before the exam.

4. Mix methods. Don’t just pick flashcards or practice papers. Combine different approaches for each and every subject.

Balancing School, Life, and Revision

Burnout kills productivity and damages exam performance. Balance is essential for long-term success.

• Schedule breaks and rest days to recharge.

• Sleep well. Memory consolidation happens during rest.

• Exercise regularly to improve focus and reduce anxiety.

• Keep hobbies and downtime in your routine to maintain motivation and wellbeing.

You can learn more about how to avoid burnout as a student in this article from Save My Exams. 

Staying Motivated and Managing Exam Stress

Revision is a marathon, not a sprint. Motivation is rarely constant, so it is important that you build systems that can help to keep you going.

Tips:

• Set small daily goals such as  “finish one topic” or “review 20 flashcards”

• Use checklists or progress trackers to visualise achievements and maintain motivation.

• Reward yourself after study blocks.

• Practise stress management—deep breathing, short walks, or mindfulness.

Confidence and self-belief grow from preparation and removing as many unknowns from a situation as you can. The more you familiarise yourself with the content and the more regularly that you test yourself under realistic conditions, the less intimidating exams will feel.

How Save My Exams Can Help

Save My Exams offers a stress-free path to effective studying and higher grades. With resources tailored for GCSE, IGCSE, A Level, and IB students, you can access high-quality, affordable revision materials. 

We provide syllabus-specific revision notes, ensuring you only revise what's necessary. You'll find detailed notes, flashcards, and topic questions with expert-written model solutions that show exactly what examiners are looking for. Save My Exams supports over 1.5 million students monthly, helping them feel empowered and confident going into exams. We are adding new courses all the time, so make sure to check back to see if we have uploaded your course.

Frequently Asked Questions

What revision method is considered most effective?

Research consistently highlights active recall (testing yourself) and spaced practice as the most powerful strategies. Combining them, such as using flashcards over time, is an excellent way to learn efficiently.

Is revising for 1 hour a day enough?

That depends on lots of different things. How many exams you have got, when you are starting your revision and how you use that hour. 

What is certain is that an hour of focused, active recall is far more valuable than several hours of passive reading. For example, quizzing yourself for 60 minutes is more effective than highlighting a textbook for three.

What is the 2 3 5 7 revision rule?

The 2 3 5 7 study method is a systematic approach to revision where you repeatedly review your study materials. You initially review your notes on day one, then again on days two and three, take a break, and revisit the material on day five and day seven.

What is the 1 2 4 7 rule for revision?

The 1 2 4 7 revision rule involves reading a topic for the first time on day one, then revising it on day two, day four, and finally on day seven. This technique ensures that the topic is reviewed three times after the initial reading, with progressively longer intervals between each revision.

How soon before exams should I start revising?

You can never start too early! But revision should start several weeks or even months in advance. For GCSE or A Level exams, begin light review early in the term and increase intensity 6–8 weeks before exam season.

How do I know if my revision is working?

Regularly test yourself with past papers or quizzes. Track which topics you consistently forget or score lower on and adjust your plan accordingly. Features such as Smart Mark from Save My Exams can let you know how well you’re performing. 

Final Thoughts

Effective revision isn’t about studying harder, it’s about studying smarter. By using research-backed strategies like active recall, spaced repetition, and practice testing, you can transform how you learn and feel more confident on exam day.

Start today, stay consistent, and remember: you can’t control the exam, but you can master how you prepare for it.

References

Save My Exams Smart Mark

Tomato Timer (opens in a new tab)

Anki (opens in a new tab)

Quizlet (opens in a new tab) 

MindMeister (opens in a new tab)

Save My Exams

Evernote (opens in a new tab)

Cornell Method (opens in a new tab),

GoConqr (opens in a new tab)

StudySmarter (opens in a new tab)