You understand it perfectly in class. Then the exam comes and your mind goes blank. Here’s why and it’s not your memory failing you. There’s a difference between recognising information and retrieving it. In class, the teacher walks you through it, so it feels obvious. That feeling is recognition and your brain mistakes it for knowing. But an exam doesn’t give you the answer to recognise. It demands you retrieve it from nothing. Two completely different skills. You’ve been practising the wrong one. ⤵️ Here’s how to fix it: 1️⃣ STOP STUDYING BY REREADING: Rereading your notes feels productive because everything looks familiar. Familiar ≠ retrievable. You’re rehearsing recognition, the skill the exam never tests. 2️⃣ STUDY BY RETRIEVING: Close everything. Write what you remember on a blank page. This trains the exact skill the exam demands, pulling information out with no prompt. 3️⃣ USE PAST PAPERS EARLY: Don’t save them for the end. Doing questions from nothing, early and often, i...