Why Cramming for a Test Doesn’t Work, According to Science

Cramming for tests doesn’t work, but that doesn’t stop students from waiting until the last minute to study. Some even believe that reading and watching material under pressure will result in an adrenaline rush that will force them to perform at their best. I’m guilty of doing this dozens of times throughout my academic career, but today I’m here to bust the myth of its effectiveness once and for all. To that end, let’s look at what the science says and what you should do instead.

What does the science say about cramming under stress?

Science says don’t do it. It is so simple. A 2008 study concluded that “short-term stress, lasting just a few hours, can impair brain cell communication in areas associated with learning and memory.” A Stanford University researcher even went so far as to say that cramming can backfire , causing you to remember less of what you studied when you need to remember it.

Other researchers came to a similar conclusion in 2016 , but went further by pointing out that learning already has many stressful elements: Interpersonal conflicts in the classroom, for example, cause stress, as does hard work. This stress is already weighing on you when you’re studying or trying to do well in school, so adding to it by procrastinating until the last minute and trying to cram will only make things worse. Either way, cramming is a self-fulfilling loop of bad vibrations and bad results. If you wait until 10:00 pm the night before an exam to study, your professor will be much less likely to answer a question via email about something you need clarification on, which adds to the stress. The writing center is closed. Classmates do not answer questions in group chat. The list of stressors is growing.

What can you do instead of cramming?

Use distributed practice to create a study schedule at the beginning of the semester, coordinating your study days every 10-30% of the time before each exam. ( Read more about how to do this here .) Use simple memory techniques, such as the Leitner flashcard technique , and make sure you study in a calm environment , as far away from stressors as possible. It is impossible to completely eradicate stress from your life, but you should eliminate or reduce it as much as possible. Studying with distributed practice and spaced repetition requires more planning and effort, but you’re sure to remember more for your test.