Humans learn through exposure and repetition, and GRE preparation is no exception. The more often you engage with a topic, the stronger your understanding becomes and the more likely you are to recall it when you need it. Effective preparation is not just about learning new material but about revisiting and reinforcing what you have already learned.
Consider a simple example. Suppose you study the addition rule of probabilities on day 1 of your prep. If you wait until day 60 to revisit that concept, there is a good chance you will have forgotten most of the details. A better approach would be to return to the concept on day 3, then again on day 8, and perhaps once more a few weeks later. Each time you review, you strengthen your memory and make it easier to access that information quickly.
The science behind this is straightforward. When you revisit a concept, you reactivate the neural pathways in your brain that store that knowledge. At the same time, you weaken competing pathways that might otherwise push that information aside. This reactivation is what makes the material easier to retrieve under the time pressure of the exam.
Repetition also helps communicate to your brain what matters most. The brain is not designed to remember everything you encounter in daily life. In fact, forgetting is necessary. Imagine how draining it would be to retain every sight, sound, and detail you experience each day. To stay efficient, the brain stores only what it perceives to be important. By studying a topic multiple times over multiple sittings, you are signaling to your brain that this material is essential. Over time, the brain responds by moving that information into long-term memory.
This is why consistent review should be part of every GRE study plan. It is not enough to understand a concept once. You need to revisit it, practice it, and reinforce it. That steady process of re-exposure is what transforms short-term learning into lasting knowledge, and lasting knowledge is what produces strong performance on test day.
Feel free to reach out with any questions about your GRE prep. Happy studying!
Warmest regards,
Scott Woodbury-StewartFounder & CEO,
Target Test Prep