Exam study plan with spaced review sessions

Why the reviews are spaced out

Reviewing something just as you are about to forget it helps it stick longer than rereading it many times in a row. That is why the rounds get closer together as the exam nears: two weeks out, one week out, then three days out. Each round also gets narrower, so you spend the last week on what you actually find hard, not on what feels comfortable.

Why a daily habit as well

The dated tasks set the shape of the plan. The habit keeps you in contact with the material on the days between them. One focus round is a small enough promise to keep on a tired evening, and starting is the hard part anyway. The default streak rule allows one missed day a week, and skipping never counts against you.

How to adapt it

• Two weeks instead of four? Delete the first pass for easy topics and the first past paper.
• Several exams? Apply the template once per exam, each with its own date, and put them in a Study Space.
• Focus timer runs short? Change the work length in Pomodoro; 15 minutes still counts.

An honest tip

Recall before you reread. Close the notes and write what you remember first, even if it’s not much. It feels harder, which is usually a sign it’s working.