The New York Times recently published an opinion essay on learning and studying.

The author points out that, as students advance through school, they’re increasingly expected to teach themselves. But they’re not taught how to learn effectively.

This was highlighted by a study in which students were asked to compare various learning techniques. They often chose the less effective ones as superior. 

As a CFA candidate, poor learning strategies can exacerbate an already challenging exam. And improper study techniques can make it impossible to pass.

But there’s hope. 

By using some tried-and-true learning strategies, you can actually increase your chances of retaining and understanding what you’re studying.

Here are the key takeaways from the article you should keep in mind:

1. Simply rereading notes or textbooks is a common but poor way to prepare.

2. Recalling material is more effective than simply reading materials repeatedly.

3. Understanding can be improved by identifying conclusions and supporting details.

4. Retention can be improved with practice and spaced repetition.

5. Relating individual points to bigger conclusions will increase comprehension.

1. Simply rereading notes or textbooks is a common but poor way to prepare. 

Rereading your notes or textbook to prepare for an exam? 

It turns out that’s not a very effective way to learn. 

When you just reread something, you’re not really thinking deeply about what it means, which is usually necessary for most tests. 

It might make the content feel familiar, but it doesn’t necessarily increase your knowledge. 

So even though you might think you’re learning, you’re not actually improving your understanding.

2. Recalling material is more effective than simply rereading. 

The article referenced a study that showed something pretty interesting: recalling what you learned is actually better than just rereading it. 

This was highlighted in an experiment where psychologists gave students a passage to read and split them into three groups. 

The first group read the passage four times on separate occasions. 

The second group read it three times and then tried to recall the material on the fourth. 

The third group read it just once and tried to recall the material three times.

A week later, they tested the students on how well they remembered the material. 

And guess what? 

The group that read it just once and recalled the material three times did the best. Meanwhile, the group that read it the most actually did the worst. 

3. Improve understanding by identifying conclusions and supporting details.

You know how a lot of students use highlighters when they’re reading textbooks? It turns out that’s not actually a very effective method, either.

When you just highlight stuff, you’re often not focusing on the important themes and supporting details.

And research shows that highlighting doesn’t actually help much more than just plain old reading. Plus, a lot of students just end up highlighting definitions instead of deeper concepts.

What should you do instead?

Educational psychologists recommend identifying the conclusions and asking yourself how they’re supported. 

That’s a much better way to really understand what you’re reading.

4. Retention can be improved with practice and spaced repetition.

Psychologists did a study where college students used flashcards to practice some concepts from their class.

The students practiced them six times over seven days, and then they took the test.

The result?

The day of the exam, they did slightly better on the practiced material vs. the unpracticed material. However, they retained the practice material much better in the long-term. 

When they took a follow-up test three days later, they still got 66% of it right.

And even three weeks after the exam, they still remembered 65% of it.

5. Relate individual points to broader conclusions.

Ever feel like you’re just not getting anything out of video lessons or lectures? It can be frustrating, right?

Here’s the thing. 

Some students think listening to a video should be easy, like watching a movie. But that’s not really the case.

Video lessons or lectures aren’t just supposed to be entertaining stories. They’re meant to teach something important.

And to really understand what’s going on, you need to develop listening strategies.

The good news is, educational psychologists have come up with some strategies to help out. 

They can teach how to relate individual points to bigger conclusions, so you can really understand what the lesson is all about. 

Takeaways for CFA candidates

If you’re a CFA candidate, then you know just how challenging the exam can be. And to make matters worse, candidates often go through the exam prep journey by themselves without being taught how to pass.

However, science can be your secret weapon to improve your chances of being a one-and-done CFA pro. 

The key learning strategies to keep in mind are: recalling material is more effective than rereading, understanding can be improved by identifying conclusions and supporting details, retention can be improved with practice and spaced repetition, and relating individual points to bigger conclusions will improve comprehension.

And who doesn’t love a little help with all of that from technology?

That’s where the Studious app comes in.

By combining cognitive science strategies with AI, the app provides CFA candidates with a personalized exam prep experience that increases their chances of passing the exam and achieving their career goals.

So why not give it a try and let us teach you how to pass?

👉 Try our app for free.