Study Plans · 7 min read · April 28, 2026
In 2014, cognitive psychologists Peter Brown, Henry Roediger III, and Mark McDaniel published Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning — a book that synthesized decades of research on how memory works and what study methods actually produce durable learning. It is one of the most important books ever written for students, and it is almost entirely unknown in nursing education.
The central finding of Make It Stick — and of the broader research literature it summarizes — is that the study methods most students use are among the least effective available. Re-reading, highlighting, and massed practice (cramming) feel productive, but they produce shallow, short-lived learning. The methods that produce deep, durable learning are the ones that feel harder: retrieval practice, spaced repetition, and interleaving.
One of the most important insights in Make It Stick is the concept of the "illusion of knowing" — the false sense of mastery that comes from re-reading familiar material. When you re-read a textbook chapter or review your notes, the content feels familiar, and that familiarity feels like understanding. But familiarity is not the same as the ability to recall and apply information under exam conditions.
"Rereading text and massed practice of a skill or new knowledge are by far the most common study strategies of students at all levels. Yet these are among the least productive." — Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel, Make It Stick
The research consistently shows that students who re-read material overestimate how well they know it — and underperform on exams relative to students who used retrieval practice. The feeling of fluency that re-reading produces is real, but it is not a reliable indicator of learning.
The most powerful learning principle in Make It Stick is retrieval practice: the deliberate practice of retrieving information from memory, rather than simply reviewing it. The research on retrieval practice — sometimes called the "testing effect" — shows that the act of retrieval itself strengthens memory, far more than additional study of the same material.
In practical terms, retrieval practice means using practice questions, self-testing, and flashcards rather than re-reading. It means closing the book and trying to recall what you just learned before looking at it again. It means explaining concepts out loud, without notes, to test your own understanding. These methods are harder and more uncomfortable than re-reading — and that discomfort is the signal that learning is happening.
For FNP board preparation, retrieval practice means making practice questions the primary study method, not a supplement to reading. The FNP Review's QBANK is built on this principle — designed to be the engine of your board preparation, not just a final check on your readiness.