Making a mistake is human, but making the same mistake twice is foolish. We are going to put an end to that by using an error log.
There are two types of mistakes on any exam. The first is the mistake you make for the very first time, and that is normal, it is part of learning. The second happens when you miss the exact same question again, on a topic you had already studied. That second type is a waste of effort, because you already had the chance to fix the mistake and failed to do so.
Some people say that the error log was what guaranteed their passing score, while others think it is just a waste of time. So does an error log actually work, or is it merely a trend? It works, but success depends on how you use it. And most people use it the wrong way.
And let me tell you something upfront: one of the most critical entries in your error log will be a question you answered correctly.
1. Every navigator keeps a logbook.
The word “error” comes from the Latin errare, which means to wander, to roam aimlessly, to stray from the path. Let us think about a navigator. Whoever navigates keeps a logbook, where he notes the route and where he had to correct course. Why does he do that? So that on the next voyage he does not make the same detour. Your error log is your personal logbook.
Remember that your brain uses a working memory and a long-term memory (source)? Every mistake demonstrates that knowledge is missing from long-term memory or that you managed working memory poorly. Without an error log, you cannot tell which issue occurred and you review completely in the dark. That is why most people end up reviewing material they already know, simply because familiarity feels comfortable. That is the illusion of fluency at work once again. You spent a full hour studying without gaining a single additional point on test day.
Consider another example. Imagine that every month your money runs out before the end of the month and you have no idea where your money went. The only way to uncover the truth is by looking directly at your bank statement. The error log is the bank statement for your exam points, showing exactly where your points are leaking.
2. Do not write down every error. But do not ignore your mistakes.
There are two extremes when using an error log. The first is writing down absolutely everything in your log. You made a mistake on an exercise during class, or stumbled the first time you saw a new topic. That is expected and does not need to enter your log. If you write down everything, your error log turns into a second copy of the entire subject.
The opposite extreme is learning nothing from the mistake. You take a practice exam, check the answer key, and say: oh, I got it wrong, the answer was something else. And you move right along to the next question. You saw what the correct answer was, but you never discovered why you failed. And then the probability of making the same mistake again is huge.
So which mistake enters your log? A good way to filter is to ask yourself: did this mistake bother me? Was it a question I should not have missed? If the answer is yes, that mistake belongs in your log.
3. Every kind of mistake has a different remedy.
Without knowing why you made a mistake, you cannot choose the right remedy. And there are four types of mistakes.
The first is a content mistake, meaning that knowledge was not present in your long-term memory. For instance, the problem asked for a calculation and you could not remember the formula. The remedy is reinforcing the content.
The second is a reading mistake. You knew the subject matter, but you misread the question. For example, the question asked which statement was NOT true, and you marked the first true option you spotted. The remedy is training active reading, which will be the topic of an upcoming episode.
The third is an attention mistake. Let us see if you understood. Imagine you knew the formula and substituted the variables correctly. But you got distracted, and where you were supposed to add, you subtracted. Is that mistake from long-term memory or from working memory?
It is from working memory. And the remedy here is not studying more theory, because you already understood the material. The remedy is taking care of your sleep, putting your phone away, your diet, and anxiety.
The fourth is a planning mistake. You ran out of time and had to guess the final questions. The remedy is exam pacing, which I showed you in episode four hundred forty-five of the Hello! Seiiti Arata series (source).
That is why the diagnosis is so essential. If your error came from reading and you sit down to study the content all over again, you are spending hours on material you already knew and treating the wrong illness, do you understand?
4. The error log needs a fixed time slot.
Most people spend weeks filling up the error log and then never open the pages again.
The solution is reserving a fixed time slot for your error log inside your study plan. For example, Wednesday morning is error log time. Because if the review has no fixed time, the review never happens. Something else that seems more urgent will always show up.
To have a method that works for passing your exam, I invite you to visit this link.
5. Fix the error the fastest way possible.
You diagnosed a content error and now you need to fill that gap in your long-term memory. And what do most people do? They go watch a one-hour video lecture to resolve a doubt that would take five minutes.
Always go after what delivers the answer the fastest. First, the worked solution for that question. If your material does not have worked solutions, use a good artificial intelligence to talk through your error. If doubts still remain, go to your textbook or your personal notes. The video lecture comes last, because it is hard to find the exact part you need inside a one-hour class.
6. Make sure the error was actually corrected.
Understanding the solution is different from knowing how to solve the problem. You already saw this in the study techniques tier list (source): recognizing material when it is in front of you is different from recalling it when the page is blank.
So you need to practice again. Solve more questions on that same subject, first matching your exam style and then from other tests, or ask an artificial intelligence to build a quiz. And if it is something you need to memorize, make a flashcard and review with spaced repetition.
And if you are studying for a competitive examination, taking an additional step is well worth it. Send your list of mistakes to an artificial intelligence and ask the model to spot the pattern. You might discover that half of your errors are not even about content, but come from attention lapses. Or you might find that the same foundational topic consistently knocks you down on complex questions.
7. Lucky guesses also belong in the error log.
Remember I said that a question you got right had to enter your error log? I am talking about a lucky guess.
Imagine you were unsure between two options, guessed one of them, and got it right. But that information is not in your long-term memory. You got it right through luck. And on exam day, you do not want to depend on luck. That is why a lucky guess also goes into the error log.
The mistake itself is not the problem. The problem is ignoring the mistake. Your mistakes are the most valuable study material you have, and most people throw that material away.
To set up your plan with a fixed time slot for your error log and spaced reviews, I invite you to visit right now this link.