In partnership with

Hi, this is Ray.

There’s a strange truth about learning that took me years to accept: studying feels productive, but testing is productive.

I used to reread my notes before every exam. Highlighter in hand, confidence high. Then test day would arrive, and my brain would blank like an unplugged hard drive.

It turns out I wasn’t really learning. I was just getting good at recognizing information, not recalling it.

That’s where the testing effect comes in. It’s the science-backed phenomenon showing that actively recalling information strengthens memory far more than simply reviewing it.

Let’s unpack why self-testing works, how to do it effectively, and how you can use it to make knowledge stick for life.

What Is the Testing Effect?

The testing effect is the improvement in long-term memory that happens when you retrieve information instead of just re-exposing yourself to it.

In simple terms: remembering is better practice than rereading.

A study from Purdue University found that students who tested themselves retained 50 percent more information than those who studied the same material by rereading it.

Retrieval forces your brain to reconstruct knowledge instead of passively recognizing it. That reconstruction process strengthens neural pathways.

Think of it as mental weightlifting. Every recall is a rep.

From our partners at Proton Mail:

Read newsletters, not spam

Tired of newsletters vanishing into Gmail’s promotion tab — or worse, being buried under ad spam?

Proton Mail keeps your subscriptions organized without tracking or filtering tricks. No hidden tabs. No data profiling. Just the content you signed up for, delivered where you can actually read it.

Built for privacy and clarity, Proton Mail is a better inbox for newsletter lovers and information seekers alike.

Newsletters without the noise

Why Your Brain Loves Retrieval

When you test yourself, your brain goes into “search mode.” It reactivates connections between neurons that formed when you first learned the material.

A study from Washington University in St. Louis found that the act of searching for an answer increases the likelihood of remembering it later, even if you initially fail to recall it.

The failure itself triggers learning.

Your brain flags the gap in memory as important, releases dopamine when you fill it, and locks it into long-term storage.

The harder the recall, the stronger the memory.

Why Rereading Fools You

Rereading feels good because it’s easy. Familiar words flow, and your brain mistakes fluency for mastery.

A study from the University of California, San Diego found that rereading boosts confidence but not actual retention.

You recognize the material, but recognition isn’t recall.

That’s why you can “know” the definition when you see it but can’t produce it when asked.

The illusion of knowledge is comforting. But comfort doesn’t lead to growth.

How to Use the Testing Effect in Your Learning

Here are five practical ways to apply retrieval practice to anything you’re studying.

1. Use Practice Tests Early and Often

Don’t wait until you think you’ve mastered the material. Testing throughout the process accelerates learning.

A study from UCLA found that frequent low-stakes quizzes improved memory retention by 30 percent compared to final-only testing.

2. Write, Don’t Just Read

After studying, close your notes and write down everything you remember. Then check what you missed.

A study from the University of Nebraska showed that written recall activates deeper processing and doubles retention rates.

3. Mix It Up

Instead of testing one topic repeatedly, interleave multiple topics. This forces your brain to discriminate between similar information.

A study from the University of South Florida found that mixed-topic testing improved transfer learning and problem-solving ability.

4. Delay Before Reviewing

Spacing out your tests increases long-term retention.

A study from Harvard University found that testing after a short delay produces better memory formation than immediate review.

Let forgetting begin, then retrieve.

5. Use Flashcards the Right Way

Don’t just flip through cards passively. Hide the answer, try to recall it, then check yourself.

Tools like Anki or Quizlet use spaced repetition, which optimizes the timing of each review for maximum efficiency.

A study from the University of Toronto confirmed that spaced recall leads to longer-lasting learning than massed review.

My Experiment: “One Question a Day”

A few years ago, I started a simple habit. Each morning, I’d write down one question about something I wanted to remember: a book insight, a language rule, a historical date, and answer it from memory.

If I got it wrong, I’d look it up and rewrite the correct answer by hand.

Within weeks, I noticed I wasn’t forgetting things nearly as quickly. Concepts stuck. Details resurfaced naturally.

I wasn’t studying more. I was studying smarter.

Testing had turned my brain from a filing cabinet into a search engine.

Why Testing Feels Hard (and Why That’s Good)

Testing can feel uncomfortable because it exposes what you don’t know. But that discomfort is the signal of learning in progress.

A study from Columbia University showed that effortful recall activates deeper encoding regions in the brain than easy recognition tasks.

In short, the harder it feels, the more your brain learns.

Struggle isn’t a sign of failure. It’s evidence of growth.

The Bigger Lesson: Make Retrieval a Habit

Learning isn’t about feeding your brain more data. It’s about training it to recall data when needed.

Reading fills your mind. Testing sharpens it.

So next time you sit down to study, don’t just highlight or review. Quiz yourself. Write what you know from memory. Play teacher.

Every time you recall, you strengthen.

Learning that lasts doesn’t happen when you’re looking at the answer. It happens when you’re searching for it.

Stay curious,

Ray