How to Learn Faster: Study Techniques Backed by Research

Most of us were never taught how to learn. We reread notes, highlight textbooks and cram before exams, methods that feel productive but often fade fast. Decades of research in cognitive psychology point to a handful of techniques that work much better, whether you are studying for an exam, learning a language or picking up a professional skill.

Key points

• A major 2013 review of learning research rated practice testing and distributed (spaced) practice as the most effective study techniques.
• Popular habits such as rereading, highlighting and summarising were rated as having low utility on their own.
• Interleaving different types of problems, explaining ideas in your own words, and getting enough sleep also help.
• Effective learning often feels harder in the moment, that difficulty is part of why it works.

What the research says

In 2013, psychologist John Dunlosky and colleagues published a large review in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest. They assessed ten common learning techniques against evidence from hundreds of studies, considering different learners, materials and tasks.

Two techniques received the highest rating: practice testing and distributed practice. Several others, including interleaved practice, elaborative interrogation and self-explanation, received moderate ratings. Highlighting, rereading, summarisation, keyword mnemonics and imagery for text were rated as low utility, either because evidence of benefit was limited or because the benefits applied only in narrow situations.

Technique 1: Test yourself (retrieval practice)

Pulling information out of memory strengthens it more than putting it in again. Rather than rereading a chapter, close the book and try to recall the main points, answer practice questions or explain the topic aloud.

• Use flashcards, physical or digital, and actually attempt the answer before flipping.
• Write questions in the margins of your notes and quiz yourself later.
• Do past papers or practice problems under realistic conditions.

Technique 2: Space it out

Studying the same material in several shorter sessions spread over days or weeks leads to far better long-term retention than one long session. Cramming can work for tomorrow’s quiz, but much of it is quickly forgotten.

• Review new material the next day, then a few days later, then a week or more later.
• Spaced-repetition apps schedule reviews automatically, showing difficult items more often.
• Plan your study calendar backwards from the exam or deadline so each topic gets several visits.

Technique 3: Mix it up (interleaving)

Instead of practising one type of problem repeatedly, mix different types together. In maths, for example, alternating between problem types forces you to identify which method to use, a skill blocked practice never trains. Interleaving feels slower and messier, but it tends to improve performance on later tests.

Technique 4: Explain and ask “why?”

Elaborative interrogation means asking why a fact is true and answering it. Self-explanation means explaining to yourself how new information connects to what you already know, or how each step of a worked example leads to the next. Both help build connected understanding rather than isolated facts. Teaching a topic to someone else combines both.

Why rereading and highlighting feel good but do little

Rereading creates a sense of familiarity, the material looks recognisable, which is easy to mistake for knowing it. Highlighting can be useful as a first step to identify key ideas, but on its own it is passive. Turn highlights into questions and test yourself on them.

Don’t forget the basics

• Sleep. Sleep plays a role in consolidating memories. Sacrificing sleep to study more can backfire.
• Feedback. Check your answers. Practice without feedback can reinforce mistakes.
• Focus. Short, distraction-free sessions beat long sessions with your phone buzzing.

A simple weekly study plan

1. Learn: study new material in a focused 25 to 50 minute session.
2. Same day: close your notes and write down everything you remember.
3. Next day: answer practice questions on yesterday’s material.
4. Later in the week: do a mixed quiz covering this week’s and last week’s topics.
5. Weekly: explain one difficult concept aloud or to a study partner.

The bottom line

The most effective learning strategies are not secret or expensive. They involve testing yourself, spacing your practice, mixing topics and explaining ideas in your own words. They feel harder than rereading, but that effort is exactly what builds lasting knowledge.

Sources

• Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4 to 58. doi:10.1177/1529100612453266
• Association for Psychological Science, Which study strategies make the grade?