CPA Candidates understand the amount of time it takes to study for the CPA Exam. Finding better ways to manage their time and successfully pass the CPA exam is ideal for overall study effectiveness. That’s where spaced repetition steps into the picture.
Spaced repetition is an evidence-based learning practice to help students better understand and learn more difficult concepts by using the spacing effect.
The Spacing Effect
When students are trying to learn and retain difficult information, studies have shown that having an initial study session and then spacing out other study sessions (spacing effect) over a period of time, also called distributed practice, leads to better understanding and learning. This type of learning has the most evidence of success over any other type of study practice and is shown to increase overall rates of learning.
This means that CPA Candidates are more likely to be successful on the CPA Exam when implementing the spacing effect into their study methodology. When students use spaced repetition, they will retain more information in a shorter time period, helping with any time management issues.
Flashcards and Spaced Repetition
Since, spaced repetition uses the spacing effect and therefore influences our brains to learn more effectively, the easiest and best way for a self-learner to use spaced repetition is with flashcards. Our newly updated digital flashcards incorporate the concept of spaced repetition. When using our flashcards, newer and more difficult concepts are presented more frequently and older, less difficult concepts are displayed less often. The spacing of how and when the flashcards are introduced has been proven to increase retention and strengthen memory recall.
Try it for Yourself!
As a leader in online learning tools, we have integrated spaced repetition technology into our newly updated digital flashcards, available in our CPA Exam prep products at no additional cost, so that students can master the most heavily tested CPA Exam topics and be confident on exam day. The new feature presents newer or more difficult flashcards more frequently, and easier and more familiar cards come up less often, enabling students to focus more time on their weakest areas until they reach mastery. The improved digital flashcards take advantage of the spacing effect to ensure long-term retention and recall in an efficient study session.