Spaced repetition schedule calculator
Plan when to revise a topic so it’s solid on exam day. Each review comes a little later than the one before.
Pick your dates to see the plan.
How to use the schedule
Learn the topic properly once (day 0). On each review date, close the book and try to recall the main ideas first: write a quick summary, answer your flashcards or past-paper questions. Only then check your notes and fix gaps. That retrieval step is what makes each review count (active recall).
The “fit to my exam” option doubles each gap (1, 2, 4, 8… days) and always adds a final review the day before, so a topic learned a month out gets about six reviews. Topics you learn later in the term simply get fewer, tighter reviews.
Why gaps should expand
Right after learning, memories fade fast, so the first reviews come quickly. Each successful recall makes the memory more stable, and the forgetting curve after it is flatter, so you can safely wait longer. Research by Cepeda and colleagues (2008) found that the best gap depends on how long you need to remember: roughly 10–20% of the time until the test works well.
For individual facts (vocabulary, formulas, dates) a per-card schedule is more efficient than a per-topic one. The Cardsmith study session does that automatically, using the SM-2 algorithm.
Questions people ask
What is a good spaced repetition schedule?
A widely used pattern is to review 1 day after learning, then about 3, 7, 14 and 30 days later, each gap roughly doubling. If you have a fixed exam date, compress the later gaps so the last review falls a day or two before the exam.
What is the 2-3-5-7 revision method?
A simple schedule popular with UK students: review on day 2, 3, 5 and 7 after first learning a topic. It front-loads reviews for a one-week horizon; for longer horizons, keep extending the gaps. Choose it in the “Pattern” menu.
How does this differ from a flashcard app’s schedule?
This calculator plans review dates for whole topics or chapters. A flashcard app like the Cardsmith study session schedules each card individually based on how well you answered, which is more efficient for facts.
Can I add the review dates to my calendar?
Yes. Click “Download calendar (.ics)” and open the file in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook to add every review as an all-day event.