The best study techniques, according to research
TutorAura guide · Updated
The most effective study techniques are the ones that make you remember rather than recognise. A major review of ten popular techniques (Dunlosky et al., 2013) rated just two as "high utility": practice testing and distributed (spaced) practice. Three more were "moderate", and five, including rereading and highlighting, were "low utility". Yet rereading and highlighting are what most students do.
Key takeaways
- Test yourself: retrieval practice is one of the strongest methods.
- Spread your study out over days and weeks.
- Mix topics when practising problems.
- Rereading and highlighting feel productive but help little.
The ratings
| Technique | Rating (Dunlosky et al., 2013) |
|---|---|
| Practice testing | High |
| Distributed practice | High |
| Interleaved practice | Moderate |
| Elaborative interrogation (asking "why?") | Moderate |
| Self-explanation | Moderate |
| Summarisation | Low |
| Highlighting / underlining | Low |
| Keyword mnemonic | Low |
| Imagery for text | Low |
| Rereading | Low |
"Low" doesn't mean useless; it means less effective than the alternatives, or effective only in narrow situations.
1. Practice testing (active recall)
Answer questions, use flashcards, do past papers or write everything you remember on a blank page. The effort of retrieving strengthens memory. Methods: active recall, blurting, flashcards.
2. Spaced practice
Study a topic, then come back after a day, then a few days, then a week. Spacing beats cramming the same total time (Cepeda et al., 2006). Methods: spaced repetition, the Leitner system, a revision timetable.
3. Interleaving, elaboration and self-explanation
- Interleaving: mix problem types (say, fractions, percentages and ratio) instead of doing 20 of one kind. It helps you learn which method to use. See interleaved practice.
- Elaborative interrogation: keep asking "why is this true?" and "how does it link to what I know?"
- Self-explanation: explain each step of a worked example to yourself, as in the Feynman technique.
Two more strategies worth knowing
The Learning Scientists, a group of cognitive psychologists, add concrete examples (tie abstract ideas to specific cases) and dual coding (combine words with visuals) to their list of six strategies. See dual coding.
Why the weak methods are so popular
Rereading makes material feel familiar, and familiarity feels like learning. But recognising something on the page isn't the same as recalling it in an exam. In the Roediger and Karpicke experiment, students who reread felt more confident but remembered less a week later than students who tested themselves (2006).
Putting it together: a weekly routine
A simple routine that uses the strongest techniques:
- Learn: in class or from your notes, using worked examples and diagrams.
- Same day: a short recall session, such as blurting or flashcards.
- Two or three days later: practice questions on that topic, mixed with older topics.
- A week later: test yourself again and redo anything you got wrong.
- Every few weeks: a timed past paper or practice test.
Our revision timetable generator can plan the spacing for you.
Frequently asked questions
Do these techniques work for younger students?
Yes. Research on testing and spacing includes children, teenagers and adults. For younger children, keep it playful: quick quizzes, flashcard games and coming back to topics after a few days.
Is rereading notes a waste of time?
Not completely, but it's one of the least effective ways to study. A quick read before testing yourself is fine. The learning happens when you close your notes and try to recall.
What is the most effective study technique?
Practice testing (retrieval practice) and spaced practice have the strongest evidence. Combining them, by testing yourself on a topic several times with gaps in between, is the most reliable approach.
Does highlighting help you study?
Not much on its own. Research rates it as low utility. It can help you pick out key points the first time you read, but you then need to test yourself on them.
How do I start using better study techniques?
Replace one rereading session a day with self-testing: close your notes and write what you remember, or do practice questions, then check. Spread topics out over the week instead of cramming one at a time.
Sources
- Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest (Dunlosky et al., 2013).
- Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin (Cepeda et al., 2006).
- Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention. Psychological Science (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006).
- Six strategies for effective learning. The Learning Scientists.
Keep reading
Active recall: the study technique that beats rereading
Why testing yourself beats rereading, and five practical ways to do it for any subject.
Spaced repetition: how to remember more by studying less at once
Why spreading study over time beats cramming, and a simple schedule you can start today.
Interleaved practice: why mixing topics helps you learn
Mixing problem types in practice helps you learn to choose the right method. Here's how to use it.
The blurting method: a simple way to revise with recall
Write everything you remember, check against your notes, and fill the gaps in a different colour.