How to Make Good Flashcards: 7 Principles for Easier Reviews

If you keep getting stuck on the same cards every time you review, or many of your cards leave you unsure whether you got them right, it's time to fix the cards themselves. A well-made card can be recalled and checked in a few seconds, and it's always clear whether you got it right or wrong.

1. Ask only one thing per card

This is the most important principle. With a card like "What are the five organelles and what does each one do?", it's easy to think you got it right when you only recalled part of it, and you can't tell which part you forgot. Split it into five cards. You'll have more cards, but each one takes far less time.

• Bad: "What are the definitions of acids and bases, with examples?"
• Good: "What is the definition of an Arrhenius acid?" / "Name two examples of acids."

2. Ask questions with only one right answer

A vague question gets a different answer every time. Instead of "Photosynthesis?", write something like "In which organelle does photosynthesis take place?" — a question that makes it clear what you need to answer. You should be able to tell right away whether the answer you recalled matches the back of the card.

3. Keep answers short

If you copy a whole paragraph from your textbook onto the back, you'll have to recall that entire paragraph every time you review. Cut the answer down to a word or a short phrase, and if you need extra explanation, add it in small print below the answer.

4. Understand first, then make cards

If you turn material you don't understand into cards, you end up memorizing sentences without meaning. First understand it from your textbook or lecture, then move only the facts you need to remember onto cards. Cards don't replace understanding; they're a tool for holding on to what you've understood.

5. Write in your own words

Rather than copying sentences straight from the textbook, rephrase them the way you understand them. Making the card makes you think it through one more time, and it stays in your memory longer.

6. Use screenshots for images and diagrams

For things that are hard to put into words, like structural diagrams, graphs and chemical equations, attaching an image is faster and more accurate. Put an image with only the part to memorize covered up on the front and the original image on the back, and you have a fill-in-the-blank card.

7. Use multiple choice for things you mix up

If you keep confusing similar concepts, multiple-choice questions work well. Putting the concepts you mix up in as options lets you practice telling them apart. That goes double for subjects where the real exam is multiple choice.

Getting the most out of your cards

• Use a set for each subject and a folder for each chapter, so you can pick just the range you need to study.
• Recall the answer first, then check the back. Looking at the back right away makes the card much less effective.
• Leave the review schedule to the app. In LQuiz, cards you mark "Know" come back after 1 day, 3 days, 7 days and so on, and cards you mark "Don't know" come back the next day.

Putting a little more care into a card when you make it saves you time on every review. Each time you make a card, ask yourself: "Could I answer this in a few seconds a month from now?"