What Is Retrieval Practice?

Retrieval practice is the strategy of learning by bringing information back to mind instead of reviewing it again. Quizzing yourself on new words, writing down everything you remember from a lesson or filling in blanked-out words in sentences are all retrieval practice. Each act of retrieval changes the memory, making it easier to find next time.

Where the idea comes from

Early hints go back more than a century; Arthur Gates showed in 1917 that children who spent part of their study time reciting from memory outperformed those who only read. Modern interest took off with work by Henry Roediger and Jeffrey Karpicke at Washington University in St. Louis. Their 2006 study had students read prose passages and then either reread them or take recall tests. After five minutes, rereading looked better. After a week, the pattern reversed: in one experiment, students who had studied once and been tested three times recalled about 61% of the material, versus about 40% for students who read it four times.

In 2013, John Dunlosky and colleagues reviewed ten popular study techniques for a major educational review. Only two received their highest utility rating: practice testing and distributed practice. Highlighting and rereading were rated low.

Retrieval practice vs active recall vs testing effect

See the separate entries on active recall and the testing effect for more on each.

A vocabulary example

Why retrieval practice works

• It strengthens access routes. Searching memory and finding the answer makes that search easier in the future.
• It adds meaning. To recall a word, you activate related knowledge, which enriches the memory (see encoding).
• It shows you what you don't know. Rereading creates an illusion of mastery; a quiz exposes the gaps so you can focus on them.
• It is a desirable difficulty. The effort that makes it feel slow is part of why it lasts.

How to use it for words

• Keep retrieval low-stakes and frequent: a two-minute quiz beats a weekly exam.
• Space your quizzes out; retrieval and spacing combine well. The spaced repetition scheduler can plan the dates.
• Give yourself feedback every time.
• Vary the format: definition to word, word to definition, cloze sentences, writing your own example.
• Try to retrieve before looking things up again. If you meet a saved word while reading, pause and recall its meaning first.

The blog post on the testing effect goes deeper into the research and practical formats.

Common misconceptions

• "Tests are for measuring, not learning." Tests are one of the most efficient ways to learn.
• "If I can't recall it, it's pointless." Failed attempts followed by the correct answer still help.
• "It only works for facts." Benefits have been shown for vocabulary, concepts, procedures and transfer to new questions.

Sources: Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning. Psychological Science. Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science. Dunlosky, J., et al. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest.