Read less twice. Remember more with active recall.
A practical routine for turning reading into revision.
Active recall means trying to retrieve an answer from memory before looking it up. You can use it with GK facts, definitions, formulas and explanations.
Start with five questions
After reading a short section, close it. Write five questions covering the important ideas. Answer them without your notes. The purpose is to discover what you can explain independently.
Use mistakes to choose revision
Check each answer. Put missed or uncertain questions on a short revision list. A correct guess deserves another check too. Spend the next session on the ideas you could not retrieve.
Make the questions useful
Mix direct facts with why and how questions. For a formula, include a worked application. For a historical event, ask about causes as well as dates. This is a suggested study routine; it does not promise a particular exam score.
Frequently asked questions
What is the key idea?
Active recall means trying to retrieve an answer from memory before looking it up. You can use it with GK facts, definitions, formulas and explanations.