Transfer-appropriate processing
Transfer-appropriate processing is the idea that memory works best when the way you studied matches the way you will be tested. It was shown by Morris, Bransford and Franks in 1977. Practicing with the same kind of thinking, format and cues as the exam beats studying hard in a way the exam never asks for.
In more detail
In their 1977 experiment, people judged whether words fit a sentence, which is about meaning, or whether they rhymed with another word, which is about sound. On a standard recognition test, the meaning group did better, as the levels-of-processing idea predicts. On a test that asked about rhymes, the sound group did better. So deep processing is not always best. The best processing is the kind the test uses.
This sits close to the encoding specificity principle and context-dependent memory, but it is about the type of mental work, not the place or the cues. For students it means: if the exam asks you to explain, practice explaining. If it asks you to solve with no notes, practice solving with no notes. If it is oral, practice out loud. Highlighting trains recognition. A closed-book practice test trains retrieval.
It does not mean you should only drill the exam format. Understanding comes first and format second. Learn the idea well enough to explain it, then rehearse it in the shape the exam will use, with the same time limit and no notes.
Example
Two students prepare for a short-answer history exam. One rereads the chapter and highlights. The other writes answers to past short-answer questions from memory, with a 15-minute timer. On exam day the second student has already done the exact job the exam asks for. The first has practiced something that feels similar and is not.
How to use it
- 1
Find out the exam format: question types, time limit, open or closed book, written or oral.
- 2
Learn the idea first, until you can explain it in your own words.
- 3
Practice in that format: the same question types, the same time per question, no notes.
- 4
Use past papers or a mock exam for the last rounds, so the conditions match.
- 5
Check your mistakes, then redo the questions you missed in the same format.
How StudyPDF does this
StudyPDF lets you practice in the shape of your exam. Build a practice exam from your material with the question types, difficulty and count you choose, sectioned and optionally timed, with no feedback until you submit, like the real thing. If your exam is on paper, export it as PDF or Word.
See also
Common questions
What is transfer-appropriate processing in simple terms?
Study the way you will be tested. Memory is strongest when the thinking you do while learning is the same kind of thinking you need at test time.
Does transfer-appropriate processing mean I should only do practice tests?
No. Learn the material first, until you can explain it, then use practice tests in the exam's format to rehearse it. Format-matched practice is the last step, not the only one.
Put it to work on your own course
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