The Born Self-Tester
How to use self-testing to study better: when and what to test
You do what research recommends most: you try to recall before looking. Dunlosky et al. (2013) place practice testing among the high-utility techniques, and Roediger and Karpicke (2006) describe the testing effect. You do it by instinct, and that's great.
What's missing is the right timing. Tests spread out with gaps tend to pay off more (Cepeda et al., 2006), and testing what you already master pays little. The plan below fixes both.
Take the quizAction plan
Today: build the intervals table
For each topic you studied this week, write three dates in your planner: tomorrow, in 4 days and in 10 days. If you studied thermodynamics on Monday, the tests land on Tuesday, Saturday and Thursday of the following week. Block them like classes, with a time, 15 minutes each. A test that isn't scheduled happens whenever.
Every test starts with a blank sheet
With no material nearby, write or solve what you can, and only then check. Prefer open questions and problems over recognition questions, because they make you pull the answer out, not pick it. If you use flashcards, shuffle before each round so the order doesn't become a hint.
Create the pile of misses
Every question missed or answered with doubt goes to a separate pile, physical or in a note. In later tests, start with it. Questions you nail with your eyes closed leave the routine for two weeks, and that frees time without losing anything.
Thursday: a mixed 20-minute test
Take six questions from different topics and answer them in random order. Mixing is harder and feels like you're doing worse, but Bjork and Bjork (2011) argue that desirable difficulties strengthen learning over the long run. Write your score as a number, say 4 of 6, to compare with the next test.
The night before: only what you've missed more than once
The night before the exam, open the pile and redo only the questions that have been there for two or more rounds. It's usually a short list, fitting in 40 minutes. Then sleep: Walker and Stickgold (2006) suggest sleep helps consolidate what you studied.
Common pitfalls
Testing to feel good
A mock test where you only get things right is a great rehearsal and a poor diagnosis. If your score is always high, the questions are too easy.
Testing without properly correcting
Testing without checking leaves the error intact. Always check, rewrite the right answer and only then move on.
Frequently asked questions
It's a practical suggestion, not a lab rule. The idea is that each gap is a bit longer than the last.