Boost SSC and Railway Exam Preparations Using Active Recall and Spacing

Introduction

So, if you are preparing for SSC and Railway, then you must have heard of a few study techniques like Active Recall and Spaced Repetition. Science-backed techniques that increase the retention power of memory, assist in more efficient learning, but how to apply these? This blog will let you know how these might drastically enhance preparation for SSC and Railway exams in your study routine.

What is Active Recall?

Active Recall is a very effective technique for improving memory, whereby you actively engage with the material you are trying to learn instead of passively reading or highlighting it.

The heart of Active Recall is retrieval: bringing information from memory without looking at your notes.

Why is Active Recall Effective for SSC and Railway Exam Preparation?

• Reduces Long-term Forgetting: The process of remembering the information strengthens the neural connection and has a tendency to remember it for a long time.
• Active Recall is similar to Pure Reading: Unlike reading through your own notes, shallow learning forces you to dig deeper into what you memorize.
• Enhanced ability to recall. The more actively you recall the concepts and facts, the quicker and more precisely your brain trains itself to recover them for a competitive exam scenario.

How Can One Apply Active Recall to Prepare for SSC or Railway Exams?

Here are a few tips to practically make use of active recall:

• Flashcards: Write questions on one side and answers on the other. Test yourself periodically. Apps like Anki can automate this process.
• Mock Tests: Instead of just going through your notes or textbooks, try to answer questions without looking at the answers. This is like the real exam scenario and improves your ability to recall under pressure.
• Teach What You Learn: Explain concepts to a friend or even to yourself out loud. This teaches you to recall the information clearly and in a coherent manner, hence reinforcing what you learned.

What is Spaced Repetition?

Another tested technique is Spaced Repetition wherein the content is reviewed at a growing gap over time. By using this technique, it ensures the fight against the phenomenon of forgetting curve which suggests that we forget information over time unless we retrieve it at regular time intervals.

Why Does Spaced Repetition Work for SSC and Railway Exams?

• Avoids Forgetting: Revising the material time and again ensures that it does not fade away from your memory and avoids forgetting, especially when preparing for exams that cover vast syllabi like SSC and Railway.
• Optimizes Learning: Spaced Repetition helps you focus on the information that needs the most attention, so you don’t waste time revising material you’ve already mastered.
• Scientific Basis: Research has shown that reviewing your material will be significantly enhanced if your sessions are spaced far apart rather than lumped together.

How to Implement Spaced Repetition for SSC and Railway Exam Preparation?

Here’s how to implement Spaced Repetition effectively for your exam preparation:

• Create a Study Schedule: Create a routine that would have you look at the same topic or chapter over and over at space-innervated time. There are apps, like Anki or Quizlet, which could assist in scheduling such spaced repetition schedules.
• Make a Study Calendar: Schedule days to review every topic. Let’s say, after learning something new, revise it the following day, three days later, and then in a week. This will enhance retention.
• Emphasize Tough Sections: Focus on the sections you find difficult. Spaced Repetition also helps in providing extra attention to these tough areas so that nothing is forgotten on the day of the exam.

Combining Active Recall and Spaced Repetition

While both Active Recall and Spaced Repetition are powerful individually, using them together can supercharge your preparation. By actively recalling information and spacing out your revisions, you’re setting yourself up for long-term retention and better performance on exam day.

How to Combine These Techniques Effectively:

• Active Recall: immediately after learning the new material, try to use it in a flashcard or even writing down what you just read from memory through a quiz.
• Spaced Repetition: after you have reviewed through Active Recall: first after a day, then three days, and a week, and so on.
• Track Your Progress: Keep a record of which topics you’re recalling well and which ones need more attention. Apps like Anki not only help with scheduling but also track your performance over time.
• Real-World Application for SSC and Railway Exams:
  When preparing for SSC and Railway exams, there’s a vast amount of content to cover. Both Active Recall and Spaced Repetition can be used to tackle this overwhelming syllabus efficiently.

SSC and Railways Exam-Specific Example:

Assume you are preparing yourself for the SSC General Knowledge that covers everything about history, geography, and Gk related news.

• Active Recall: After your study of particular topic, draw a piece of paper and recall everything that can come from head. For instance, after having read a whole chapter on the Indian History. Write all events and dates recalled from your mind.
• Spaced Repetition: Read this chapter a day later, three days later, and a week later. This repeated exposure will help you to retain the information in the long term.

For Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude, do practice problems and self-test. The more you are active in doing problems, the more easily you can recall formulas and methods on exam day.

Tools for Active Recall and Spaced Repetition

Digital tools that can help you make your study sessions more effective for improving both Active Recall and Spaced Repetition.

• Anki: A popular app, allows you to make flashcards and set up a Spaced Repetition schedule. Great for revising concepts, formulas, and facts organized in a way.
• Quizlet: Another great tool for making custom flashcards. It gives quizzes to practice Active Recall.
• Pomodoro Technique: While not a component of Active Recall or Spaced Repetition, in application, the Pomodoro technique (study in focused 25-minute blocks) can help both by keeping one on track.