If there is one thing that you should incorporate into your revision that you are not already doing, it is testing. The process of forcing your brain to recall information it has learned has a profound effect on memory and understanding. Testing is probably the most efficient and effective way to prepare for your examinations even if you only add a small amount on-top of your normal study, or even if you substitute study time with time spent testing. There are three main reasons why testing yourself is so powerful:
Firstly, research has repeatedly shown that testing is more effective than re-study for memory retention. “The Testing Effect” is a well-recognised phenomenon in the field of psychology, whereby testing produces a far greater rate of retention than reading, or repeated study. This effect has been documented in scientific literature over and over, and with a full range of different study materials and test types. For literature reviews and original articles illustrating this effect, please see the further reading section.
Secondly, the reason you are studying in the first place is so that when you are in your exam or faced with a situation in medical practice, you know the answer to a question. You need to practice recalling that information in the same way you will have to do in the exam. It is essential in order to prepare for this that you practice the skill required in that particular situation. Ever heard that practice makes perfect? You would not prepare for a charity bike ride by reading about the mechanics for riding a bike; you would spend as much time as possible in the saddle riding the bike. So why would you prepare for an exam, without replicating the situation and conditions that you will face in your exam as closely as possible. The more you do this, the better prepared and more confident you will be and feel when faced with the actual situation.
Thirdly, testing allows you to see what you actually know and understand, and what you don’t. If you spend your time making notes and reading books but never formally set yourself a test, it is impossible to know how much information is retained in your memory, and what is left in your notes where it is helping no-one. This can be both very motivating and very informative. It gives you feedback on your progress, which has been shown to be an incredibly valuable component of learning. It also allows you to record these scores, and gives you the information you need to track your progress over time, a topic addressed later in this book.