Exams are coming, you want to do well, but time is short. Using the best study techniques makes learning easier and more effective.
- Study techniques make your exam preparation easier by improving focus and routine, and by reducing stress.
- Methods like active recall, spaced repetition, time-blocking, structured note-taking, and writing summaries help you learn smarter.
- Picking the right study techniques depends on your learning preferences and the type of exam you’re preparing for.
Why study techniques matter: Be organised, be confident
Improving your study skills with the right techniques makes you a good learner. This matters not just for exam results, but also for life.
Scientific studies show that learning more strategic study skills not only improves your exam grades (Psychological Science, 2017), but also helps you improve your time management, general focus, and self-directed motivation and confidence.
So basically, being good at studying effectively means you know how to plan and organise yourself well, learn new things easily, and you have the discipline and motivation to keep going, so you don't have to pull an all-nighter a few days before the exam. These are skills that are highly valued in work life.
The study techniques in this post will help you stay organised, focused, and confident for any upcoming exam.
7 best study techniques for exams: Make your study skills better
Here are seven study methods that students around the world rely on, because they’re practical, easy to use, and really effective.
Active recall: Test your memory
With active recall techniques, you try to remember information from memory rather than just reading it again. You probably already practiced this as a child with memory card games.
According to science, your brain “stores” knowledge better this way. It is also easier to find out where you still have gaps and need to study more.
- After reading a paragraph or text section, put it away and write down the main points you remember. Then compare your notes and check what info you still need to memorise better.
- Use flashcards: Write down a vocabulary or question on one side, and the answer on the other side. Only turn the card around when you have answered it in your mind.
| Interesting fact: Did you know that there are World Memory Championships held each year where the world’s best so-called memory athletes compete? They use active recall techniques to prepare for the competition. |
Spaced repetition: Review over time
Spaced repetition is a way of looking at study material again and again over a period of time. This helps to memorise information on a deeper level than trying to cram it all in overnight.
- Plan gaps (intervals) between study sessions for a topic.
- The gaps should be shorter in the beginning and longer by the end of the preparation phase.
- More difficult topics need more repetitions than easier topics.
- Typical intervals can be: Look at topic on day 1, day 3, day 7, day 15, day 30.
- Schedule sessions for each exam topic in your calendar to keep track.
Depending on how much exam preparation time you have, this study method is more effective if you do it alongside classes. You best combine it with active recall sessions in the weeks before the exam (Birmingham City).
Pro-Tip: Pick a repetition routine that works for you. For me, planning many small review sessions regularly never worked well. Instead, I did a mid-semester review by rewriting my handwritten notes into a Word file.
Note-taking techniques: Take notes with structure
Lecture slides or handouts are often short and only list the main points. Your notes add the explanations you need to understand and remember the content later on.
One classic method is the Cornell Note Taking System: Split your paper into three sections (main notes, cues column, small summary).
Organise each paper with these sections before you start taking notes.
Put the cues column left or right – wherever it’s more natural for you.
For myself, it always worked best to print out the lecture slides and write my notes directly on the slide. At the end of each lecture, I then highlighted the main keywords.
This makes it super easy to review during exam preparation.
Time-blocking: Plan your study schedule realistically
The time-blocking method is about planning your weekly study time in blocks for each subject.
There are very different ways to do this, from the popular ‘Pomodoro Technique’ of 25-minute sessions followed by 5-minute breaks, to 2-hour deep work sessions.
Keep this in mind when planning study time:
- Be realistic: How long can you actually focus? Don’t force a 4-hour block if you lose focus after two. Don’t skip the breaks, and plan some buffer time.
- Be flexible: A weekly study plan lets you move blocks around when something unexpected comes up.
- Make it fit your rhythm: What time of the day can you study best and where?
Personally, I found that 4-hour study sessions didn’t work for me because my focus faded faster. Using 2-hour sessions with 45-minute breaks worked much better.
Study groups: Stay motivated by learning with other students
Studying with other students can make learning easier and more fun. When you explain and discuss an idea with others, you have to understand it clearly.
Hearing how others think can also help you see things in a new way or you can ask questions about what you haven’t quite understood yet.
- Meet once or twice a week with a group of 3-5 students to discuss and rehearse exam topics.
- Meetings are ideally no longer than 1-2 hours.
- Pick 1-2 topics per meeting.
Summaries: Sum up study materials
Writing summaries makes you think about what the main points are and why.
Especially for text-heavy studies like Social Sciences, it is a great learning tool.
- Create ‘cheat sheets’: Start with a full summary, then shrink it down to one page so you can review all key points quickly.
- Save a longer and shorter version, just in case you want to look up something.
Pro-Tip: This is my main study technique. I first do summaries, and then study with these by using active recall. Before the exam, I just reread my ‘cheat sheets’ a few times.
Extra study tips from my own student experience
Here are a few small study tricks that worked well over the years:
- Start-off points: Before you finish a study session, write down a tiny, easy task for next time (such as “format the title” or “reread the first paragraph”). It makes starting much easier.
- To-do lists: Create checklists with all tasks, even very small ones. Crossing things off feels good and keeps you motivated.
- Routines and rituals: Make a cup of tea before you start or study in your favourite library. A routine tells your brain, “it’s study time,” and helps you focus faster.
- Motivational notes: Write 1–2 short motivational sentences and put them somewhere you can see while studying.
| Tip: These tricks aren’t just helpful during exam season, they also work great when writing papers. New to academic writing? This post on how to write a research paper has some great tips! |
How to choose the right study technique for your learning style
Not every method works the same for everyone. There is no “wrong” way to study. If it helps you understand your work, it’s the right method for you.
- Try a few techniques, even for just an hour, and see what feels natural.
- Combining different methods is often very effective.
- Pay attention to what feels easy to follow and what helps you remember things. That’s usually your best fit.
You can also ask yourself:
- Do you understand better when you see it? Try mind maps for active recall.
- Do you understand better when you explain it? Try study groups.
- Do you prefer short or long sessions? Adapt your time blocks.
- Do you often learn on the go? Use short summaries or flashcards while commuting.
Tip: Want to improve not only your study habits but also your student budget? Check out our guide on living affordably as a student.
Conclusion: Master your exams with smart study habits
Every student learns differently, and that’s completely okay. Try out a few of these study methods and create learning habits that work best for you. Good luck with your exams!
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