Knowing how to use flashcards is a core skill to have in your revision toolkit. Most people know this and use flashcards religiously. However, a vast majority of people do not use them properly to best optimise their grades!
As an experienced test-taker (it’s been over a decade now…), here are my top tips on using flashcards. These methods have worked for all my private students and I can assure you they will revolutionise your revision!
This article is all about how to use flashcards to immeasurably boost your grades.
How to Use Flashcards
1. Make Your Own
The one thing I absolutely HAVE to stress is that you cannot buy commercial flashcards. Half the learning comes from the making, so all you’ll be doing is waste your money!
I always used card rather than paper to make sure my flashcards were at least slightly damage-proof. However, if you can’t do this, the key is to use thick paper – you don’t want to see the answers through the paper!
Of course, you can buy commercial blank flashcards – I would just highly recommend cutting them into quarters before you start. Here’s a link to where you could buy the flashcards I am talking about on Amazon:
2. Keep it Brief
When it comes to who to make the flashcards, the main thing to remember is that you have to keep it brief. This is the most common flashcard error – writing reams of information and multiple sentences on a flashcard is NOT going to work. How are you supposed to remember all of that?!?
Instead, try to limit yourself to one fact per flashcard, with one question and just a few words in your answer. Here’s one I made myself more years ago than I care to admit!
Note that this is the absolute longest a flashcard should ever be! Normally a flashcard answer would be a year or a single quote. However, every so often you can have slightly more detailed flashcards, like this one above.
However, even this flashcard is still quite brief! Instead of the ‘answer’ being
‘They wanted to reform Church hierarchy, clarify the doctrine of Catholicism and oppose Lutheran ideology‘,
I have written just two words for each aim!
Also, note that the ‘question’ side is very concise and specific. It’s also a question that you can imagine coming up in a test – for example:
‘To what extent did the Council of Trent achieve its aims?’
Note also that I have included a lot of key words, like ‘reform’, ‘doctrine’ and ‘Lutheranism’. These key words are ones you would want to reference in an exam, so it’s good to learn them with your flashcards.
3. Use Colours
Using colours is always incredibly helpful when revising – highlighting, creating mindmaps, and, of course, flashcards.
The first step here is to figure out your categories. The easiest way of doing this is through using a textbook to check how exam boards divide the topics. For example, if your topic is the Tudors, here is how your categories might be split:
Monarchs
Government
Religion
Uprisings
Culture
Or you could split the Tudors like this:
Henry VII
Henry VIII
Edward VI
Mary I
Elizabeth I
Honestly, the options are limitless!
Anyway, once you have sorted out your categories, stick to them. Make sure each category has one colour (see my examples above!) and begin writing your flashcards.
One reason this categorisation is so important is that it will help you write focused essays with lots of specific details. For example, if you are given an essay on religion, you know that pretty much the only relevant details are from your green flashcards!
4. Talk Out Loud
This tip applies to any and all revision techniques – speaking out loud will make it so much more helpful!
Another way to get yourself talking is to ask a friend to test you (or a parent, sibling, helpless stranger etc!). Alternatively, you can use your flashcards as hints to help you teach someone else.
5. Rinse and Repeat!
The final tip I have for you is to practise, practise, practise. Flashcards are a complete waste of time if you just use them once!
Not only should you go through your flashcards multiple times, you should also sort your flashcards. For example, you could have three containers, one ‘Green’, one ‘Amber’ and one ‘Red’. At first, keep everything in Red, but as you slowly improve, move the flashcards up to Green.
Having said that, don’t neglect your Green words! It’s so easy to learn all the hard word and forget to revise the things you find easy, which can be so frustrating in a test.
If you are looking for more info on improving your grammar, you might also find these articles interesting:
The Comma Splice: Every Teacher’s Pet Peeve
How to Use a Semicolon: The Ultimate Solution!
How to Use a Colon Correctly Every Time
And if you’re looking for more exam tips, have a look here: