Testing Effect

The testing effect, also called the retrieval-practice effect, is the finding that actively retrieving information from memory, such as by taking a practice test, produces stronger and more durable long-term learning than an equivalent amount of time spent simply restudying the same material. The effect has been documented experimentally since the early twentieth century, but it was brought to prominence in education research through studies such as Henry Roediger and Jeffrey Karpicke's widely cited 2006 experiment, which found that students who took repeated practice tests on a passage recalled it far better a week later than students who reread the passage the same number of times, even though the rereading group had felt more confident. The finding has reshaped advice on effective study strategy, favoring self-testing and practice quizzing over passive rereading and highlighting.