Test yourself first

• Testing yourself means pulling an idea out of your head with the page closed. You try to recall it before you look.
• In one classic study, college students learned a short passage. Some read it four times. Others read it once, then wrote down all they could recall, three times over.
• Five minutes later, the readers did a little better. A week later, the self-testers recalled about 61 percent and the readers about 40 percent.
• A 2021 review of 50 classroom studies found the same pattern in real schools. Most showed a medium or large benefit.
• You don't need a real test. Flashcards, a blank page or saying it out loud all count. Check your answers after.