Spaced Repetition Schedule: Exact Intervals to Revise With
A good spaced repetition schedule reviews a topic after roughly 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days and 30 days, testing yourself each time instead of rereading. Each gap is longer than the last, because every successful recall makes the memory last longer. If your exam is sooner than a month away, squeeze the same pattern into the time you have. Copy-paste versions for 1 week, 4 weeks and a full term are below.
If you keep forgetting stuff you swear you learned, IQ Tester can show whether memory is your real weak spot and give you a short daily drill for it. Find my weak spots
What spaced repetition is (spaced repetition meaning)
Spaced repetition means reviewing information in several short sessions spread out over time, with the gaps getting longer, instead of one massive session. Researchers usually call it spaced practice or the spacing effect.
It goes back to Hermann Ebbinghaus, a German psychologist who tested his own memory in the 1880s and described what's now called the forgetting curve: you forget new info fast at first, then more slowly. Each review "resets" the curve and flattens it.
Two things make it work:
- Spacing: gaps between reviews.
- Retrieval: actually testing yourself at each review (flashcards, practice questions, blurting), not rereading.
Spaced repetition and active recall are a combo. Spacing without recall is just rereading at nice intervals. Recall without spacing is cramming with extra steps.
The simple schedule: 1-3-7-14-30
This is the default spaced repetition timetable for anything you need to know for more than a month.
| Review | When (after first learning) | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Learn | Day 0 | Learn it, then do one quick self-test |
| Review 1 | Day 1 | Recall from memory, fix gaps |
| Review 2 | Day 3 | Recall, focus on what you missed |
| Review 3 | Day 7 | Practice questions or flashcards |
| Review 4 | Day 14 | Full recall of the topic |
| Review 5 | Day 30 | Quick check; if solid, move on |
Rule of thumb: if a review goes badly, don't push to the next gap. Repeat the shorter one first. That's basically what the Leitner system does with its boxes.
Spaced repetition calendar tip
Put each topic in your calendar the day you learn it, with review reminders already set. Google Calendar, Notion, a paper planner, whatever you'll actually open. Future you will not remember to review. Current you has to schedule it.
A schedule for exams in 1 week
Tight, but doable. Split your topics into three groups (A, B, C).
- Day 1: Learn A. Self-test A.
- Day 2: Review A. Learn B.
- Day 3: Review B. Learn C.
- Day 4: Review A and C.
- Day 5: Review B. Past paper or practice questions on everything.
- Day 6: Review your weakest topic, then a light full review.
- Day 7 (night before): Quick recall of key facts. Sleep.
Each topic gets 3 or 4 spaced reviews. If your exam is literally tomorrow, jump to the night-before cram plan instead.
A schedule for exams in 4 weeks
The sweet spot for most mock exams, finals and midterms. Learn new material in weeks 1 and 2, then switch to review.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Weekend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Learn A | Learn B, review A | Learn C, review B | Review A, C | Learn D | Review all of week 1 |
| 2 | Learn E, review D | Learn F, review E | Review A, B | Review C, D, F | Past paper 1 | Fix gaps from paper |
| 3 | Review A, B | Review C, D | Review E, F | Past paper 2 | Weakest 2 topics | Review all |
| 4 | Past paper 3 | Weak topics | Mixed recall | Light review | Rest / light | Exam |
By exam week, each topic has been hit 4 or 5 times, with gaps that get longer. Past papers count as reviews, and they're better than flashcards for testing if you can actually use the knowledge.
The hardest part of spacing isn't the reviewing, it's knowing which topics are weak. You guess, you pick the ones you like, and the scary topic gets skipped. IQ Tester does that judging for your reasoning skills: it scores number series, verbal analogy, logic and pattern separately, then its guides give you a short daily drill for the weak one. Find my weak spots
A schedule for a full term (or a semester)
For GCSEs, A levels, AP exams, IB, or grade 12 provincial exams, you have months, which is a superpower if you use it.
- Each week: learn new content in class, then do a 10 to 15 minute self-test on it within 24 hours.
- Every weekend: review last week's topics plus one topic from 2 to 3 weeks ago.
- Every month: a mixed recall session covering everything so far.
- Final 6 weeks: switch to past papers and fix what they reveal, using the 4-week schedule above.
Research by Nicholas Cepeda and colleagues (2008) found the best gap between study sessions depends on how long you need to remember the material: the further away the test, the longer your gaps can be. For a term, that means monthly reviews are fine early on and short gaps matter most near the end.
Spaced repetition with flashcards or apps
You don't have to calculate spaced repetition intervals by hand. A spaced repetition app does it for you.
- Anki: uses an algorithm to schedule each card individually. Free on desktop and Android.
- Quizlet: better for quick practice; its spaced features are more limited.
- Paper flashcards: use the Leitner boxes.
- Notion or a spreadsheet: track "last reviewed" and "next review" per topic.
Not sure which app? See Anki vs Quizlet. For flashcards specifically, one card per fact, and always say the answer before you flip.
Why spacing beats cramming
Cramming can get you through tomorrow's quiz. It usually won't get you through next month's final.
- Spacing forces retrieval after some forgetting, which makes the memory stronger. The effort is the point.
- A large 2006 review of distributed practice research (Cepeda and colleagues, in Psychological Bulletin) found that spreading study out generally beat massing it into one session for later recall.
- Cramming feels productive because everything is fresh, but that "fresh" feeling fades fast.
- Sleep between sessions gives your brain time to consolidate what you learned.
| Spaced repetition | Cramming | |
|---|---|---|
| Feels like | Annoying, slightly hard | Productive, stressful |
| Works for tomorrow | Yes | Kind of |
| Works for next month | Yes | Not really |
| Sleep | Intact | Destroyed |
Build your spaced repetition schedule around your weak spots
A spaced repetition schedule tells you when to review. It can't tell you which kind of thinking needs the most reps. IQ Tester gives you 20 untimed questions across four kinds of reasoning, and the free result shows your score band and three of your four category strengths. Its guides then give you a short daily drill you can slot straight into your schedule.
FAQ
What is the best spaced repetition schedule?
A simple, reliable one is 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days after first learning something. If your exam is sooner, compress it: 1, 2, 4 and 6 days works for a one-week window. Test yourself at every review instead of rereading.
What are the best spaced repetition intervals for exams?
It depends how far away the exam is. For exams in a week, review every 1 to 2 days. For exams in a month, stretch to 2, 4, 7 and 14 days. The closer the exam, the shorter the gaps.
Does spaced repetition actually work?
The spacing effect is one of the most studied findings in learning research, and reviews of that research generally find spaced study beats cramming for long-term memory. It works best combined with active recall.
What is the best spaced repetition app?
Anki is the most popular for long-term, algorithm-based scheduling, and it's free on desktop and Android. Quizlet is easier for quick practice. Paper flashcards with the Leitner system work too.
Is spaced repetition the same as active recall?
No, but they work together. Spaced repetition is about when you review; active recall is about how you review (testing yourself). The strongest study method uses both.