Study for an exam, broken into 7 small steps
"Study for the exam" has no edges. You could study forever and still feel unprepared, which is exactly why it's so easy to never start, or to re-read the same chapter three times.
Give it edges: a list of topics, a test to find out what you don't know, and short sessions aimed at the gaps.
Start here · under 2 minutes
Open the syllabus or study guide.
Under two minutes. Find the list of what's actually on the exam.
The rest of the steps
- Step 2:
Write the topics as a list, one per line.
Usually 6 to 12. This is now finite.
- Step 3:
Rate each topic: know it, sort of, no idea.
Be honest. It takes five minutes and saves hours.
- Step 4:
Do practice questions for one "no idea" topic.
Before re-reading. Getting answers wrong first makes the reading stick.
- Step 5:
Study that topic for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break.
Close the other tabs. Phone in another room if you can.
- Step 6:
Explain it out loud without notes.
If you can explain it, cross it off. If not, you know exactly what to review.
- Step 7:
Repeat with the next topic, one or two per session.
Spread sessions over several days; it beats one long night.
Why this one stalls
Re-reading feels like studying but doesn't tell you what you've learned, so you never get the satisfying feeling that a topic is done.
If you get stuck
Study with someone, even on a video call where you both just work quietly. Having another person there makes it easier to start and stay.
What “done” looks like
Every topic marked "know it", or at least "sort of", and a night of real sleep before the exam.
These steps follow the same rules as the method in our task breakdown guide: the first step is physical and takes under two minutes, and every step after it is something you can see yourself doing. Got a head full of other things too? Start with a brain dump.