How Active Recall Can Replace Endless Rereading

Many students spend hours rereading notes because it feels like revision, but that doesn’t always translate into being able to recall information when it matters. Active recall is a more testing, practical approach that can make study time more effective by showing you what you know, what you don’t, and where to focus next. In this article, we look at how it works and some simple ways to build it into your exam preparation.

This article is correct as at 14 July 2026.

What is active recall?

If you haven’t previously come across the term, active recall is a learning technique in which you continuously test yourself, retrieving information from your memory rather than revising via the passive reading of notes.

The idea is that you improve your recall by moving information into your long-term memory. It works by forcing your brain to hunt for information so that it doesn’t just passively wash over you. This also results in the neural connections to your memory becoming stronger, so that it’s easier to retrieve what you need later on. The mental effort involved even sends signals to your brain that the information is essential, making the memory circuit stronger each time you do it.

After the right amount of repetition, recall in this way becomes straightforward. It may be more challenging than simply reading a book or your notes, but the long-term benefits can be significant.

What techniques can I use for active recall?

There are a number of these, including:

• Practice questions via actual or sample past papers.
• Flashcards – test yourself by writing questions on one side of the card and answers on the other side.
• Blurting – quickly jotting down everything you can remember regarding a particular topic can be a highly effective technique. Read a section of a textbook, close the book and then write down what you can recall before checking your notes again to see what you still need to embed in your memory.
• Teach someone – you may be aware of an expression used in medical training: ‘see one, do one, teach one’. This is also called the Feynman technique and, arguably, it’s only when you’ve explained something to someone else – whether that’s a friend, family member, colleague or fellow student – that you truly understand it.
• Summarise in your own words – test your knowledge by condensing key points into bullets or a shorter text to assess your grasp of the topic or subject in question.
• Question-Answer method – Rather than taking notes in the standard way, summarise your knowledge in the form of questions such as ‘What are the main causes of …?’ before testing yourself on them.

Why active recall is often better than passive reading

Reading through notes is one of the most common ways of revising, so if you tend to rely on this for your study, you’re certainly not alone. After all, it appears to be the easiest approach, plus it can make you feel productive while you’re doing it.

Yet reading notes is also a highly passive activity. Even though you may feel as though you’re absorbing information, if you were asked a question about what you’d just read, you’d probably struggle to respond. So the feeling of confidence that this approach gives students can be a false one. Indeed, the reality is that within 24 hours you’re likely to have forgotten most of what you have read.

While you may recognise words, your brain isn’t doing the heavy lifting needed to store them in your long-term memory, even if you highlight key sentences as you go, or copy out notes.

With active recall, topics don’t just float over you; you’re training your ability to recall while boosting memory and long-term retention of the information you need.

At the same time, you highlight knowledge gaps more easily, making your revision more targeted. What’s more, you’re forced to apply knowledge, rather than merely recognising it. Bear in mind that if active recall feels mentally challenging, that’s a pretty clear indication that it’s actually working!

Active recall is at its most effective when combined with a technique known as spaced repetition, or reviewing subjects at gradually greater intervals over time, rather than trying to cram everything at once. Scheduling tests at the most effective points in the revision process avoids the natural forgetting of details.

You might want to try using an app to help with active recall; popular ones include Anki, Gizmo and NotebookLM.

In summary, active recall is a proven, evidence-based technique which countless students at all levels of their academic and professional careers have mastered to learn more effectively and efficiently while keeping the knowledge they need in their brains for longer. Give it a go for yourself – you may find it transforms the way you work!