A study by the Association of Psychological science backed up all other recent studies - basically telling us what the good tutors know already - the best students practice and recap!

So what techniques are best?

• Testing yourself - particularly using MCQs

  This works because it practices recall (what you have to do in the exam) and it also teaches you what you don't know (but thought you did)

• Recaps

  Distributed learning as they call it - means you forget less and it stays in your longer term memory

What doesn't work at all well

• Re-reading material

  - the brain needs to be engaged and practice what will happen in the exam - re-reading does little of either

• Highlighting text

  - this is even worse - as the highlighted areas have no context for the brain to work with

So put those highlighters down and get onto the testing centre - and exam centre

The classroom section does all of this for you plus the recaps too - so see you there

Scientifically yours

aCOWtancy