Revision strategy 4: low stakes testing!

Low stakes testing is one of the simplest and most effective ways students can strengthen their learning. Essentially, it involves checking that knowledge is securely stored in memory through small, low-pressure quizzes or tests. It works on two levels because when students know the correct answers it provides a real boost to confidence and even when answers are incorrect, the act of trying to recall information helps the brain retain it more effectively over time.

There are plenty of accessible ways for pupils to build practice testing into everyday study routines and revision schedules. Flashcards are a great starting point: once created, they make it easy for students to test themselves or get help from a parent or friend to test them. Many textbooks and revision guides also include comprehension questions, offering another straightforward way to revisit and reinforce key ideas by testing what can be remembered without looking up the answers.

Digital tools can really support learning by generating low stakes quizzes to make practice testing even more engaging. Platforms like Quizlet allow students to create or access ready-made flashcards and turn them into quick quizzes.Seneca offers structured courses with built-in practice questions that adapt to a student’s level, helping to keep learning both personalised and motivating and pupils can use AI platforms like ChatGPT to generate multiple choice questions on topics they want to be tested on. The key to using AI tools effectively in this way though is to ensure that the prompt used is specific to the exact specification being studied - e.g 'generate 20 multiple choice questions from the AQA Religious Studies A-Level course on Metaethics' or 'generate 20 true and false questions on OCR Chemistry GCSE topic Elements, Compounds and Mixtures'.

Research shows that practice testing is most effective when used little and often over a longer period so if pupils revisit the same material and then test themselves on it again it will help move information into the long-term memory making it far easier to recall when it really matters.

Ultimately, success with practice testing comes down to consistency. Rather than cramming before exams, students benefit far more from regularly testing themselves, revisiting topics, and building independent study habits throughout the course. However, even if exams are looming on the horizon it is not too late to start!

For parents who want to support their child more confidently with learning at home, I’ve put together a short ebook with practical, low-pressure ways to help—you can take a look here if it feels useful.

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