Self-questioning notes: turn every page into a quiz
King (1992) and later reviews show question generation beats passive review over time
Instead of rereading your notes, turn them into questions: one question per key claim. Next session, answer from memory, then check. This links note-taking directly to retrieval practice — the strategy with the strongest evidence base for A-level and university study.
Evidence
King (1992) compared self-questioning, summarising, and note-review after lectures: on a one-week delayed test, self-questioners outperformed both other groups — suggesting questions win for retention, not just immediate recall. Rosenshine, Meister & Chapman’s review of teaching question-generation found meaningful comprehension gains. Evidence: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/00028312029002303 — https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/00346543066002181
Question stems that match A-levels
- Define X and give one application to…
- What evidence supports / challenges…?
- How would an examiner ask me to evaluate…?
- What’s the mechanism (because → therefore) for…?
- Which AO does this point satisfy if I write it in an essay?
If your notes have no questions, they’re a storage medium. If they have questions, they’re a revision engine.