Introduction
If you study one topic at a time and still forget it by the weekend, you are not alone. This article explains why blocked study fades, shows you Interleaved Practice, and tests whether your study group is helping or hurting. It matters because ICAG-style questions never announce their topic; you must identify it.
Why blocked study fades
Studying one topic until finished feels organised and ends each session with “I get it”. But in the exam you must first decide which topic a question belongs to, then choose the approach. Blocked study practises only execution once the topic is known.
The 60-minute interleaved session
- Choose three topics you have already studied.
- Take one short question from each and shuffle them.
- For each, spend the first minute naming what is being tested.
- Attempt all three under time.
- Mark honestly. Record whether you misread the topic or mis-executed it.
It feels harder. That difficulty is the benefit: you practise identifying the question, not just answering it.
The study group test
Ask three questions. Does everyone attempt questions before meeting? Does someone explain topics aloud while others check? Do you leave with a named gap list? If not, it is a social club. Fix it with a fixed agenda: solo timed attempt first, then compare, explain, and assign gaps. Thirty to sixty focused minutes beats four loose hours.
EXAM TIP: Before writing, spend one minute naming what the question tests. Candidates who start writing too early lose marks on relevance.
Conclusion
Add one interleaved session this week and send your group an agenda. Small changes, applied consistently, change results.
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