Turn practice mistakes into flashcards that fix the gap

Why mistakes make good cards

A wrong answer in practice is direct evidence of what you do not yet know. A card made from it targets that gap, rather than a chapter you already understand.

Practice testing and spaced review are among the most consistently effective study techniques. Combining them, by recalling the fix for a missed question on a schedule, brings the two together.

Write the reason, not only the answer

Before making the card, name why you got it wrong: a fact you did not know, a rule you misapplied, a word you misread or a step you skipped. The card should test that reason.

Example: a price rose from 80 to 92 and you chose about 13% because you divided the increase of 12 by 92. A useful card asks: “Percentage change: which value do you divide by?” Answer: “The original value, here 80, giving 12 ÷ 80 = 15%.”

Save mistakes as you review

After each practice set in RubricMark, choose to save mistakes. Open Mistake Book, practise recalling each answer before revealing it, and make a flashcard from any question you want to keep reviewing.

Keep the original question attached. Seeing the context during review reminds you where the rule applies, which helps when a similar question appears in a new form.

Know when a mistake is fixed

A mistake is fixed when you get a fresh question of the same kind right, not when you can recite the card. Test yourself with a new practice question after a few reviews.

If the same mistake keeps returning, the card may be too narrow. Add a worked example or a second card for the step you keep skipping.

Try it yourself

You missed a question because you calculated percentage change using the new value. Write the front of a flashcard that targets the reason.

References

• Roediger & Karpicke (2006), Test-enhanced learning, Psychological Science
• Dunlosky et al. (2013), Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques