Revision works best when you know what you are revising, when you plan to do it, and how you are going to test yourself. Getting all three right matters more than the number of hours you put in.

• Know what to revise

• Plan when to revise

• Use active methods

• Get set up

Know what to revise

Start by finding out what your exams actually cover. Will you need to know everything, or is there a choice of topics? If there is flexibility, you can focus your effort rather than spreading it across everything.

Once you know the scope, prioritise the topics you know least well. Revising familiar material feels easier but does less to improve your performance. For students with ADHD who tend to return to comfortable territory, this is worth naming directly: the uncomfortable topics are the ones that need the most time.

Plan when to revise

A rough schedule stops revision from becoming shapeless. Allocate topics to specific sessions and, if you have more than one exam, work backwards from each date.

Schedule harder topics at times of day when you have more energy. For students with ADHD, time blindness makes it easy to underestimate how long revision will take, so build more buffer time into your plan than you think you need. For more guidance on building a schedule, see How do I make a revision timetable?

Use active revision methods

Re-reading notes creates a feeling of familiarity without building real recall. This is one of the least effective approaches, and particularly ineffective for students with ADHD, whose pattern recognition can produce false confidence about how well material is known.

Active revision means testing yourself rather than reviewing.

Some approaches that work well:

• Flashcards (Revision tips: Flashcards) → short, testable, can be done in small gaps

• Blurting (Revision tips: Blurting) → write or say everything you can recall about a topic without looking at notes

• Mind maps (Revision tips: Mindmapping) → good for students who think in connections rather than sequences

• The Feynman Technique (Revision tips: The Feynman Technique) → explain a concept in plain language; if you cannot, you have found a gap

Vary the methods you use across sessions. Switching formats reduces fatigue and keeps engagement higher.

Get set up

Your environment affects how well you can work. For students with sensory sensitivities, this matters more than usual. Lighting, noise, temperature, and clutter all affect focus, and it is worth taking time to set up a space that works for you. Have everything you need within reach before you start.

Disable notifications. For students with ADHD, even knowing a notification is possible can split attention.

Take regular breaks, especially when working through harder material. Techniques like Pomodoro (25 minutes on, 5 minutes off) can structure the day and give you a clear stopping point to aim for.