How to Study Less and Remember More, by GCSE Wise on YouTube. 1 min 1 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 1 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick one topic from your notes and close the book. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write down everything you can remember on blank paper.
Open your notes and compare. Mark what you missed or got wrong in a different colour, then reread only those gaps.
Turn each gap into a question on a flashcard, with the answer on the back. Keep one fact per card.
Test yourself with the cards. Say the answer out loud before flipping, and set aside any card you get wrong.
Repeat the cards you got wrong the next day, then again a few days later. Space the repeats out.
Download a past paper and mark scheme for your exam board. Do the paper under timed conditions without notes.
Mark your answers against the scheme. Note the exact wording the examiner expects and where you lost marks.
Add the missed points to your flashcards and redo those questions a week later to check they stick.
Tips and common mistakes
Rereading and highlighting feel productive but do little for memory, so test yourself instead.
Keep sessions short, around 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break to stay focused.
Write flashcards in your own words rather than copying the textbook, so you have to think.
Check you are using the right exam board past papers, since question styles differ.
Questions
What is blurting?
Blurting means writing down everything you remember about a topic from memory, then checking your notes for gaps. It shows you quickly what you do not know yet.
How often should I use past papers?
Aim for one timed paper a week in the run up to exams, then review your mistakes carefully. Reviewing the mark scheme matters as much as doing the paper.
Do flashcards work for every subject?
They suit facts, definitions and formulas best. For essays or problem solving, practise full questions and plan your answers instead.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
