Interleaving: The Revision Technique That Beats Cramming

Interleaving means mixing different topics or subjects in one revision session instead of spending a whole session on one thing. It feels harder than revising one topic at a time — but research consistently shows it produces stronger long-term memory and better exam performance than blocked revision.

What is blocked revision, and why does it feel so good?

Most students revise one topic at a time — an hour on photosynthesis, then an hour on the digestive system, then an hour on ecosystems. This is called blocked revision or massed practice. It is how most revision timetables are laid out by default, and it has a seductive quality: you can feel your recall improving during the session as you go over the same content repeatedly.

The problem is that this feeling of fluency is an illusion. You are not strengthening long-term memory — you are just keeping content in your working memory for a short time. Ask the same questions three days later and the recall rate drops dramatically. Blocked revision is why "I revised for hours but my mind went blank in the exam" is such a common experience.

What interleaving actually means in practice

Interleaving means deliberately switching between topics, subjects, or problem types within a revision session. Instead of spending 60 minutes on algebra, you might spend 20 minutes on algebra, then 20 minutes on ratio and proportion, then 20 minutes on sequences — then come back to algebra in the next session.

In a mixed-subject study session, you might do:

Time slot | Subject and topic
6:00–6:25pm | Biology — cell structure recall test
6:25–6:50pm | Chemistry — balancing equations practice
6:50–7:15pm | Physics — speed, distance, time calculations
7:15–7:40pm | Biology — photosynthesis diagram from memory

This feels less smooth and more effortful than blocked revision. That feeling of effort is the point — it means your brain is doing more work to retrieve information, which is exactly what builds durable memory.

Why interleaving works: the science behind it

When you block your revision, your brain knows what is coming next — the same content, the same type of problem. It can respond almost on autopilot. When you interleave, your brain must first identify what type of problem or topic it is facing before it can retrieve the relevant knowledge. That extra step — which feels like friction — strengthens memory pathways more effectively.

The Education Endowment Foundation describes this phenomenon as part of the evidence base for retrieval practice and spaced repetition — two related high-impact techniques. The cognitive science community calls the underlying mechanism "desirable difficulty": the difficulty must be at the right level to be productive, not so hard that it becomes demoralising.

Interleaving also mirrors what exams actually look like. A real exam paper mixes topics, subjects, and problem types throughout — it does not give you all the algebra questions together. Practising in that mixed format prepares you for the switching demands of the real thing.

Blocked vs interleaved: a comparison

| Blocked revision | Interleaved revision
How it feels | Comfortable, fluent, confident | Harder, slower, more uncertain
Short-term recall | High | Lower
Long-term retention | Weak — fades quickly | Strong — persists over weeks
Exam performance | Often disappointing | More accurate predictor of real results
Best use | Very first encounter with a topic | After you have basic understanding of each topic

The key nuance: interleaving works best when you already have some basic understanding of each topic you are mixing. Complete beginners benefit from a short block of focused learning before switching to an interleaved approach.

How to build interleaving into your revision timetable

Step 1: List all the topics across each subject you need to revise.

Step 2: For each session, choose two or three topics from different subjects or different areas of the same subject.

Step 3: Set a timer for 20–25 minutes per topic. When the timer goes off, switch — even if you feel mid-flow.

Step 4: In your next session, start with a quick recall test on what you covered last time before starting new material. This combines interleaving with spaced retrieval for maximum impact.

Step 5: Review your recall quality after each session. If you cannot retrieve material from two sessions ago, that topic needs to come back sooner in your rotation.

Sleep is a vital part of this process. The NHS highlights that teenagers need 8–10 hours of sleep per night, and memory consolidation — the process by which newly learned information is transferred into long-term storage — happens primarily during sleep. Interleaved revision sessions the day before a good night's sleep will do more for your exam performance than late-night cramming.

Frequently asked questions

How is interleaving different from spaced repetition?

They are related but distinct. Spaced repetition means revisiting material at increasing intervals over time — for example, today, then in three days, then in a week. Interleaving means mixing different topics within a single session. They work powerfully together: interleaved sessions spread over a spaced schedule is one of the most effective revision combinations supported by evidence.

Will interleaving work for every subject?

Interleaving is particularly well-evidenced for mathematics, sciences, and any subject with multiple distinct problem types or topics. It is also useful for humanities — switching between different periods in history or different geographical themes — though the effect is most studied in STEM. For subjects with large amounts of reading (e.g. English literature), you may need to adapt the approach.

What if interleaving makes me feel like I am not making progress?

This is normal and almost universal. The feeling of fluency during blocked revision is not the same as actual learning. Trust the process, especially if you test your recall three to four days after an interleaved session — you will likely find your retention is better than expected. BBC Bitesize has short topic tests you can use to check recall after interleaved sessions.

Is interleaving the same as not having a plan?

No. Random switching with no purpose is not interleaving — it is just distraction. Interleaving is deliberate and structured: you choose which topics to mix, set a specific time for each, and ensure all topics in the mix have been partially studied before. The planning takes a few minutes but makes the session far more effective.

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