Spaced repetition · Active recall

Revision built on how memory actually works.

Most of what you revise is gone within a few days. That is just how memory works. Spaced repetition and active recall are the best-evidenced ways around it.

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24,000+downloads on AnkiWeb
10,000+cards, each written by hand
Mapped to the UK exam specifications
AQAOCRGCSEA-Level
The science

Why most revision doesn't stick

Re-reading notes and highlighting feel productive, which is probably why most people do them. In many studies, both come out near the bottom for how much you actually remember afterwards.

The forgetting curve

In the 1880s, Hermann Ebbinghaus measured how quickly he forgot things he had just learned. The drop was steep. Without going back over it, you lose a big part of new information within a few days.

Spaced repetition

If you go back over something just as you're about to forget it, the memory lasts a bit longer before it fades again. If you keep doing that, leaving bigger gaps each time, it holds for months without review.

Anki works out the optimal spacing for you, so your time goes on the cards you're about to lose rather than the ones you already know.

Active recall

Active recall is retrieving information from memory rather than passively re-reading it: answering a question from scratch instead of recognising it on the page. The act of retrieval itself strengthens the memory. Researchers call this the testing effect, and it's why students who test themselves remember more than students who reread the same material.

What spacing does to forgetting

Without review, a topic decays fast. Each spaced review pulls it back up and flattens the curve, so it fades more slowly the next time. After a few cycles the drop is barely there as it is committed to long term memory. Anki works out the optimal review schedule for you.

  • No review
  • Reviewed with spaced repetition

Ebbinghaus (1885) on the forgetting curve; Roediger and Karpicke (2006) on the testing effect; and Dunlosky et al. (2013), a review that rated practice testing and spaced practice as the two most useful study techniques of the ten it looked at.

The method

Anki and past papers.

Anki is the best way to commit facts to memory. Past papers are also essential for learning how to apply your knowledge to unfamiliar scenarios and to learn exam technique.

  1. 1

    Do the cards each day

    Anki works out an optimal schedule so you see cards just before you forget them.

  2. 2

    Past papers

    Once a topic feels solid in Anki, move on to past-paper questions on it, to practice applying your knowledge in unfamiliar contexts and to practice exam technique.

  3. 3

    Turn mistakes into cards

    Anything you get wrong goes back into Anki as a new card.

I used this method to get ten grade 9s in my GCSEs and four A*s in my A-Levels.

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Reviews

Below are some reviews of the Chemistry deck from AnkiWeb. Every other deck is written in the same style.

“I used this around 3 weeks before my GCSEs and I got a 9! Honestly would recommend to everybody doing Chemistry GCSE. Remember to pair this up with past papers as well! Thank you so much!!”
Comment on AnkiWeb
“Did these flashcards, got 171/200 in my GCSE chemistry exams, the boundary for a grade 9 was 149/200.”
Comment on AnkiWeb
“Top tier flashcards, was able to score 162/200 (Grade 9). Thanks to these flashcards as an excellent guide.”
Comment on AnkiWeb
“If you're searching for a Chemistry deck for your GCSEs, you can stop now, this has to be the most organised deck for AQA GCSE I have ever seen.”
Comment on AnkiWeb
“These flashcards are beautiful oh my god. I was worried that they would not be helpful as most flashcards available on anki are bad quality, and horrendously organised, but these were so helpful. I was pressured for time as I have my chemistry gcse exam tomorrow ,but honestly I do not feel as stressed thanks to these. Good luck everyone, and thank you so much to the creator of these flashcards, they cover everything better than cognito flashcards could.”
Comment on AnkiWeb
“The best Chemistry GCSE deck I've managed to find BY FAR. 100% recommend.”
Comment on AnkiWeb

Full Coverage Decks

Every card is hand-written and follows the exam specification exactly so they contain everything you need to know, and nothing you don't. Every deck is written in the same style as the free Chemistry deck.

Most popular GCSE bundle

GCSE Triple Science Bundle

~2,900 cards · Biology, Physics & Chemistry

Full coverage: Cell biology · Organisation · Infection & response · Bioenergetics · Homeostasis & response · Inheritance, variation & evolution · Ecology · Atomic structure · Bonding · Quantitative chemistry · Chemical changes · Energy changes · Rate of reaction · Organic chemistry · Chemical analysis · Chemistry of the atmosphere · Using resources · Energy · Electricity · Particle model · Atomic structure · Forces · Waves · Magnetism & electromagnetism

£8.99 was £11.98 Buy
GCSE · AQA

GCSE Combined Science

~2,130 cards · Biology, Chemistry & Physics

Full coverage: Cell biology · Organisation · Infection & response · Bioenergetics · Homeostasis & response · Inheritance, variation & evolution · Ecology · Atomic structure · Bonding · Quantitative chemistry · Chemical changes · Energy changes · Rate of reaction · Organic chemistry · Chemical analysis · Chemistry of the atmosphere · Using resources · Energy · Electricity · Particle model · Atomic structure · Forces · Waves · Magnetism & electromagnetism

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GCSE · AQA · Triple

GCSE Biology (Triple)

~1,116 cards · Paper 1 & 2

Full coverage: Cell biology · Organisation · Infection & response · Bioenergetics · Homeostasis & response · Inheritance, variation & evolution · Ecology

£5.99 Buy
GCSE · AQA · Triple

GCSE Physics (Triple)

~749 cards · Paper 1 & 2

Full coverage: Energy · Electricity · Particle model of matter · Atomic structure · Forces · Waves · Magnetism & electromagnetism · Space physics

£5.99 Buy
Free GCSE · AQA · Triple

GCSE Chemistry (Triple)

~1,035 cards · 24k+ downloads on AnkiWeb

Full coverage: Atomic structure & the periodic table · Bonding & structure · Quantitative chemistry · Chemical changes · Energy changes · Rate & extent of change · Organic chemistry · Chemical analysis · Chemistry of the atmosphere · Using resources

£0 Download free →
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The GCSE science decks are written for the Higher tier of each specification. Payment and downloads are handled securely by Payhip, so your card details never touch my site. If your exam board isn't here, let me know.

Why this exists

Made by a student, for students

I made the original versions of these decks for my GCSEs, and using them and past papers, achieved 10 grade 9s at GCSE and 4 A*s at A-Level. Every deck is hand-written to match the specification exactly, with nothing missing and nothing extra you don't need.

FAQ

What is Anki?

Anki is a free flashcard app that does the spaced-repetition scheduling for you, so you don't have to plan your own reviews. You'll need it to use these decks. It's free on desktop, web and Android; on iPhone it's a one-off paid app.

How do I download and install Anki?

Pick the version for your device, make a free AnkiWeb account, and you're set:

  • Windows, Mac or Linux: download it from apps.ankiweb.net, run the installer and open it. This is the easiest one to import and study on.
  • Android: install AnkiDroid free from Google Play.
  • iPhone or iPad: AnkiMobile on the App Store. It's a one-off paid app (it's how the Anki project funds itself), but everything else is free.
  • No install: you can also study in any browser at ankiweb.net.

Make a free AnkiWeb account and sign in on each device. That keeps your decks and progress synced everywhere, so you can revise on your phone and pick up on your laptop.

How do I get my deck after buying?

Payhip handles the checkout. As soon as you've paid, you get a download link and an email with the .apkg file.

How do I add a deck to Anki?

Once you've got the .apkg file and Anki installed:

  • Computer: double-click the .apkg file, or open Anki and go to File → Import and choose it. The deck appears in your list, ready to study.
  • Android (AnkiDroid): tap the .apkg in your Files/Downloads and choose Open with AnkiDroid, or use the menu in AnkiDroid and tap Import.
  • iPhone/iPad (AnkiMobile): open the .apkg from the Files app or your confirmation email, tap the share icon and choose Copy to AnkiMobile.

If you study on more than one device, sync once after importing (the sync button, top of the screen) and the deck shows up everywhere you're signed in.

Which exam boards are covered?

Each deck says which board it follows. The GCSE sciences and Geography follow AQA. GCSE Religious Studies and Computer Science follow OCR. A-Level Biology follows AQA and A-Level Physics follows OCR A. A lot of the content overlaps between boards, but it's worth checking against your own specification first.

Can I use these on my phone?

Yes. Anki syncs between desktop, web, Android and iPhone, so you can do your cards wherever you are. You only buy a deck once.

Feedback & requests

Get in touch

Spotted a card that looks off? Want your exam board covered? Got a question before you buy? Use the form below, or email info@recallrevision.com.