Rosko does not choose its methods at random. Every decision below draws on published cognitive psychology research, cited at the end of this page.
Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) reviewed ten study techniques. Only two were rated as having high utility : practice testing and distributed practice. This is why Flash, Revision and Mock exam exist. The advantage of testing over rereading is supported by Rowland’s meta-analysis (2014), and by Karpicke and Blunt (2011).
The timing of the first review and the gap between two reviews both affect how well you master the material (Cepeda et al., 2008; Karpicke and Roediger, 2007). Add your exam date and Rosko takes care of the rest. As the exam approaches, reviews get closer. Without a date, reviews come after 1, 3, 7, 15 and then 30 days.
Successive relearning means reaching a correct-recall criterion, then reaching it again across spaced sessions (Rawson & Dunlosky, 2022). Applied to real university exams, it clearly improves retention (Rawson et al., 2013). In practice, a concept only advances a level after two consecutive correct recalls. And when a concept is missed, it returns in the same session up to three times, after which persisting adds little learning value.
Recalling an answer from memory makes it stick better than recognising it among options (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006; Rowland, 2014). In automatic mode, Rosko therefore mostly asks open short-answer questions, and switches to multiple choice or true/false when you need to tell similar concepts apart.
Whether it is delayed (Rowland, 2014) or immediate (Ryan et al., 2024), feedback always matters when you learn. Rosko therefore corrects you right away and explains why to you. The “I don’t know” button is a normal path, with no penalty.
APA 7the edition. Every reference is clickable: check it for yourself.
Bjork, R. A., Dunlosky, J., & Kornell, N. (2013). Self-regulated learning: Beliefs, techniques, and illusions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 417–444. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143823
Brunmair, M., & Richter, T. (2019). Similarity matters: A meta-analysis of interleaved learning and its moderators. Psychological Bulletin, 145(11), 1029–1052. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000209
Cepeda, N. J., Vul, E., Rohrer, D., Wixted, J. T., & Pashler, H. (2008). Spacing effects in learning: A temporal ridgeline of optimal retention. Psychological Science, 19(11), 1095–1102. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02209.x
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266
Karpicke, J. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2011). Retrieval practice produces more learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping. Science, 331(6018), 772–775. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1199327
Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2007). Expanding retrieval practice promotes short-term retention, but equally spaced retrieval enhances long-term retention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 33(4), 704–719. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.33.4.704
Rawson, K. A., & Dunlosky, J. (2022). Successive relearning: An underexplored but potent technique for obtaining and maintaining knowledge. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 31(4), 362–368. https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214221100484
Rawson, K. A., Dunlosky, J., & Sciartelli, S. M. (2013). The power of successive relearning: Improving performance on course exams and long-term retention. Educational Psychology Review, 25(4), 523–548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-013-9240-4
Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x
Rohrer, D., Dedrick, R. F., Hartwig, M. K., & Cheung, C.-N. (2020). A randomized controlled trial of interleaved mathematics practice. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(1), 40–52. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000367
Rowland, C. A. (2014). The effect of testing versus restudy on retention: A meta-analytic review of the testing effect. Psychological Bulletin, 140(6), 1432–1463. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037559
Ryan, A. T., Judd, T., Wilson, C., Larsen, D. P., Elliott, S., Kulasegaram, K., & Swanson, D. (2024). Timing's not everything: Immediate and delayed feedback are equally beneficial for performance in formative multiple-choice testing. Medical Education, 58(7), 838–847. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.15287
Last updated: 4 August 2026
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