Two students are preparing for the same exam. One rereads the chapter several times and highlights familiar sentences. The other reads it once, closes the book, and tries to recall the main ideas without looking. The second approach may feel harder, but that difficulty can be useful.
This strategy is called retrieval practice. Instead of only reviewing information, you actively try to bring it back from memory. Practice questions, flash cards, explaining a topic without notes, and solving a problem from scratch can all involve retrieval. The important part is that you have to generate the information yourself before checking the answer.
A 2024 systematic review of retrieval practice and distributed practice in health professions education identified 56 eligible studies containing 63 experiments. Forty three studies reported significant benefits for retrieval practice, distributed practice, or both when compared with control or comparison conditions. The findings support active recall as a useful learning strategy, while also showing that the way practice is designed matters.
Imagine an engineering student studying thermodynamics. Instead of reading the first law repeatedly, the student closes the notes and writes the equation from memory. Next, they explain what each term means and attempt a problem without checking the solution. Only afterward do they compare their work with the notes, correct mistakes, and try again later.
That last step matters because retrieval is not a test of whether you are already perfect. Forgetting part of an answer can show you exactly what needs more attention. A simple study cycle involves learning, closing the material, recalling, checking, correcting, and returning to it later.
Effective studying does not always feel easy. Sometimes the moment you struggle to remember is the moment your brain is doing the work that strengthens learning. That effort can make later recall easier and more reliable.
References
Trumble, E., Lodge, J., Mandrusiak, A., & Forbes, R. (2024). Systematic review of distributed practice and retrieval practice in health professions education. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 29, 689-714. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-023-10274-3