Do flashcards work for A-level revision?
Dr Lavan Ganeshkumar, PhD · updated 4 October 2026
Flashcards work for A-level revision, as long as you use them to test yourself and not just to read. They are good at one job, which is recall of definitions, facts and short processes, especially when spaced over time. They are not enough on their own, because they do not teach a topic or train long written answers.
Use them alongside exam questions marked against the mark scheme.
What flashcards do well
They make you retrieve a fact from memory, which is active recall, and apps can space the reviews for you. They suit definitions, key equations, reagents and conditions, named structures and processes.
What they cannot do
They do not teach you why something works, and they do not train extended answers, calculations or data questions. A student can know every card and still lose marks on application questions.
Anki or Quizlet
Anki is built around spaced repetition, so it schedules reviews for you, and is free on most platforms. Quizlet is quicker for short tests and simple sets, with looser scheduling. Brainscape also schedules reviews. Pick one and stay with it.
How to make good cards
- One fact or one question per card.
- Write the question so that you must produce the answer, not just recognise it.
- Add the exact wording the mark scheme wants for definitions.
- Make your own where you can, because making them helps you learn, but use shared decks if time is short.
How many a day
A few dozen reviews a day is manageable for most students and is better than hundreds in a rush. Do them daily rather than in big batches.
Where Trayna fits, and where it does not
Trayna is a 24/7 online tutor in your pocket, on your tablet and on the web. Dr Lavan teaches you the topics in the app any time, anywhere, and an adaptive plan reinforces them each day from now to your exam. It is there for students who cannot afford 1-to-1 tutoring, and it is built to act like a 1-to-1 tutor: it teaches, it checks, and it adapts to how you are doing. The aim is that you really understand the subject and are prepared for it, not just that you have revised it. It is A-level only, for Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Maths follows Edexcel; Chemistry, Physics and Biology follow AQA.
Trayna schedules the recall for you without you building a deck.
It is for both Year 12 and Year 13. Year 13 students already use it, and Year 13 topics are being added as current students need them while Year 12 is the most complete, so check your topics in the app. If you only want free past papers, PMT does that better than we do, and we would rather you used it.
Common questions
Are flashcards good for A-level revision?
Yes for recall of definitions, facts and short processes, especially when spaced over time. They do not replace learning a topic or doing exam questions.
Anki or Quizlet for A-level?
Anki is better for spaced repetition and is free on most platforms. Quizlet is quicker for short tests. Brainscape also schedules reviews. Choose one and use it daily.
How many flashcards should I do a day?
A few dozen reviews a day is manageable and better than a huge batch once a week.
Should I make my own flashcards?
Making your own helps you learn the material, but shared decks save time. If you use shared decks, check them against your exam board and mark schemes.
Can flashcards replace past papers?
No. Flashcards train recall, while past papers train applying knowledge in exam conditions. You need both.
Trayna does this automatically. You enter your subjects, your exam dates and how long you have each day, and it builds the route from today to those exams, then adapts it as you go. Maths follows Edexcel; Chemistry, Physics and Biology follow AQA.
Get Trayna on the App Store · on Google Play
Free for 14 days, then from £9.99 a month. Cancel any time.