Create a Spaced Repetition Schedule to Boost Memory

Spaced repetition is the practice of reviewing concepts at scheduled decreasing intervals so they become embedded into your long-term memory to be easily recalled during an exam. This method is also known as 2/3/5:7 revision. Creating a spaced repetition schedule involves allocating revision slots on certain days, working backwards from your exam.

Everyone knows that learning something once does not mean you will know it forever. The repetition of this information, little and often, can eventually form part of your long-term memory and be used successfully. You may have experienced something similar to the following scenario: 

You complete all of your Spanish homework one evening. When you come to hand it in, you can only remember a little of the new vocabulary you learnt. However, suppose you do a little bit of your Spanish homework over several different days. In that case, you have reviewed your work frequently over changing time intervals so you can remember more of the new vocabulary.

A spaced repetition schedule helps enhance the memory retention of information by decreasing the time between which you engage in active recall. Following a spaced repetition schedule makes it easier for your brain to store information into its long-term memory in preparation for your exams.

Key Takeaways

●      Spaced repetition is an effective revision method for learning information and securing it into your long-term memory

●      Creating a spaced repetition schedule makes it easy to allocate the correct time intervals between reviewing information so you can work more efficiently and effectively

• Flashcards and the Leitner System are effective active recall techniques for each review session

What is Spaced Repetition?

Spaced repetition involves decreasing the time intervals between reviewing concepts leading up to an exam. This efficient learning method enables information to be stored in long-term memory. Facts are reviewed increasingly often to elevate the amount of repetition, which aims for all information to be easily recalled during an exam. 

Your brain behaves like a muscle. The more you use it for a particular concept, the stronger it becomes. If you are learning to lift weights, it is difficult at first, and you can’t practice very often because your muscles are tired. As you repeat the exercises occasionally over several weeks, your muscles get stronger and can remember more clearly what to do. This results in eventually being able to lift the weights straight away and even manage it on consecutive days, as your muscles have got much stronger.

The purpose of spaced repetition is to combat the forgetting curve. The forgetting curve is a hypothetical model of memory retention over time in the brain. It shows that the decrease in knowledge retention is exponential if no attempt is made to retain it. So spaced repetition reviews concepts on an exponentially increasing trend. 

Each time a concept is reviewed, the amount of information retained in the memory increases back to full knowledge at 100%. As the number and frequency of review sessions increase, the gradient of the curve decreases because less knowledge is now lost over time.

Creating a Spaced Repetition Schedule

Planning Your Schedule

Start your spaced repetition schedule for each subject from the date of that exam. Each session you plan should be separated by two then three then five and then seven days, hence the alternative name 2/3/5:7 revision. An example study schedule would look like this:

Study on:

• day 1

• day 3

• day 8

• day 13

• day 20

• day 27

• day 34

Your 2nd session should be 2 days after the 1st.

Your 3rd session should be 3 days after the 2nd.

Your 4th session should be 5 days after the 3rd.

Your 5th session should be 7 days after the 4th. etc

Customising for Exams

A-level exams are generally harder than GCSE exams with more content, so more sessions over a longer period will be needed. The 2/3/5:7 days of separation is only a guide. Adjust the spacing and number of review sessions according to the difficulty of the study materials and how much you understand a topic. 

In the example below, this student sat A-Level exams in Spanish and English Literature and GCSE maths in January 2024. The student studied GCSE Maths for three years and took a resit to increase their grade from an 8 to a 9. They felt confident with the subject material, so planned only a few more review sessions before their exam with decreasing frequency. This student feels that A Level Spanish contains a lot of new vocabulary to learn, so they have scheduled more review sessions starting further in advance for this exam. A level English, however, is a subject they feel requires more skills to succeed with less reliance on the recall of facts or quotes. Hence this student only scheduled three review sessions each a week apart.

It can be a good idea to annotate your course syllabus with a RAG rating. A RAG rating prioritises certain topics. Topics you find most difficult should be labelled with a red R, medium difficulty amber A and easy green G. In your spaced repetition schedule you should start with the red topics.

In the example, a student has RAG-rated part of their GCSE history knowledge list. They are confident with the following topics; “the death of Edward the Confessor”, “the battle of Stamford Bridge”, “the Battle of Hastings” and “William II and his inheritance” as they are RAG-rated green. Topics that they struggle with and need to focus on are “the claimants and claims”, “military innovations including cavalry and castles” and the “Harrying of the North” so they are RAG-rated red.

Implementing Spaced Repetition Techniques

Effective Review Techniques

Once you have created your spaced repetition schedule, use each study opportunity to learn the required subject content. During review sessions, use methods to revise the revision material that work the most effectively for you. This can involve someone asking questions to test you, creating your own revision notes from the study materials, or completing practice questions, such as those available on the Save My Exams website. These provide an exam-specific method to review knowledge. Understanding can be measured effectively against the detailed mark scheme.

Using Flashcards

The more effective technique for facilitating the active recall of information is to use flashcards. Flashcards contain a question or a keyword on one side and an answer on the other. Upon reading the question, successful active recall would mean the answer is known correctly without needing to flip the card and look at the answer. Here at Save My Exams, we are constantly adding our online flashcards to new courses, so be sure to keep checking back to see if we have added yours. Memory retention for flashcards can be enhanced using an organisational system like the Leitner System.

Leitner system

The Leitner System involves around five boxes where flashcards are assigned based on a student’s knowledge of the material. Box one could be number 1 containing topics not known well. Box two is numbered 2 with topics a student understands a little, box three a number 3 with topics a student is ok with, box four a number 4 with topics that the student is feeling good about and box five a number 5 for topics the student is very confident with. 

Each box should be reviewed at different time intervals. Students should not review their number five box more often than their other boxes because they already feel confident with that material. The priority should be reviewing the number one box most regularly to increase confidence with the weakest topics. A correctly answered card should proceed to the next box up and an incorrectly answered card to the next box down. This is shown in the diagram below. 

Memory palace technique

The memory palace technique involves journeying through an image of a place created in your mind. This method is most effective if it is a place you know well, such as a town, a park or a building like a school or house. Place the objects or keywords you want to memorise one at a time in a location in your memory palace. To increase their memorability, create an amusing image in your mind. For example, if you are learning physics and want to remember the types of radiation or particle imagine big ɑ character trying to break through a thin sheet of paper at the door. This will remind you that alpha particles cannot pass through the paper. Once created, walk through your memory palace, checking the location of each item in turn. Make sure you review them in the same order every time. You should return to your memory palace when your spaced repetition schedule dictates.

How Can Save My Exams Help?

Spaced repetition is an efficient and effective study technique designed to improve memory recall in preparation for an examination. Incorporating it into a study routine along with the Save My Exams resources is straightforward. Save My Exams contains phenomenal subject and exam-specific revision notes, flashcards and practice questions written by topic experts. Save My Exams features high-quality, affordable revision resources for GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level, and IB students. The experienced Save My Exams team now supports over 1.5 million students each month with their commitment to student success. 

What’s next? Once you have your examination dates, you can put together your spaced repetition schedule according to the difficulty and volume of knowledge required for each subject. Then you need to stick to it. By purchasing a subscription to Save My Exams you will have instant access to all the active recall resources you need. This means all the subject content can be stored in your long-term memory. 

FAQs

• What is spaced repetition?

Spaced repetition is the practice of reviewing concepts at scheduled decreasing time intervals to cement them into your long-term memory and for easy recall during an exam.

• What is a spaced repetition schedule?

A spaced repetition schedule is a planned series of review sessions timetabled suitably far apart to combat the forgetting curve for knowledge retention. Review sessions are normally spaced one day before the exam, two days before that, three days before that and then five days before that. This can be amended based on the difficulty of the course. 

• What methods can I use for active recall?

You can ask someone to quiz you, complete practice questions or use flashcards to test your active recall. You can organise your paper flashcards according to the Leitner System so it is easy to monitor your progress and knowledge for each topic. 

References

The art of memory website explains how spaced repetition can be used for learning

The life hack time management website describes how to use spaced repetition to remember what you learn

Anki pro has software that enables you to set up a spaced repetition schedule

Spaced repetition and the 2357 method - Birmingham City University

How to stuy using spaced repetition - Ali Abdaal

Here at Save My Exams, we develop high-quality, affordable revision resources; consider signing up for a Save my Exams subscription to help you get the most out of your revision. We support over 1.5 million students each month in preparing for their exams and achieving successful results, we’d love to help you too.