The Two-Pass Study Method: Why Reading the Material Twice Beats One Deep Read
A fast survey pass followed by a deep pass produces 28% better retention than linear reading. Pacing, discipline rules, and adaptation to video courses.
May 2026
April 2026
Spaced Repetition with Anki for IT Certifications: A Complete System Setup
Configure Anki for AWS, CompTIA, and Cisco exam prep with deck structure, settings, card-writing rules, and a 6-week schedule that produces 90% retention.
Time-Boxing Method for Technical Certification Study: Beating Parkinson's Law
Use fixed-duration boxes with binary-verifiable outcomes to beat Parkinson's Law in cert study. Box sizes, stop rules, and a working five-day weekday plan.
How to Use Practice Tests to Build Real Mastery (Not Just Memorize Answers)
Stop memorizing test banks. Use confidence marking, the distractor walk, and a question journal to convert practice tests into durable AWS, CompTIA, and Cisco mastery.
The 80/20 Pareto Method for Cert Prep: Finding the High-Yield Topics
Apply the 80/20 rule to AWS, Security+, and Cisco study plans. Build a leverage matrix from blueprint weights and difficulty data to focus effort where it scores.
Building a Personal Knowledge Base in Obsidian or Notion for Cert Study
Use Obsidian or Notion to build a linked knowledge base of concept, question, and lab notes that survives the cert exam and becomes long-term professional reference.
Memory Palaces for IT Certification Acronyms and Frameworks
Use the method of loci to encode NIST CSF, OSI layers, and AWS Well-Architected pillars into spatial scenes that recall effortlessly on exam day.
Cert Exam Cramming: The Honest Last 7 Days Plan
A day-by-day structure for the final week before a certification exam covering practice exams, weak-spot review, flashcards, rest, and exam day execution.
Active Recall vs Passive Review: What the Science Says About Retention
A research-grounded comparison of active recall and passive review with the cognitive science evidence, practical protocols, and application to certification exams.
The Cognitive Science of Effective Exam Preparation
Evidence-based study techniques grounded in cognitive science. How working memory, spaced repetition, and sleep optimisation directly impact certification exam performance.
February 2026
The Night Before Your Certification Exam: What to Do and What to Avoid
Research-backed guide to the night before your certification exam covering sleep, nutrition, logistics preparation, and what mistakes to avoid.
How Long-Term Memory Works and What It Means for Certification Study
Understand the science of long-term memory formation and apply evidence-based techniques like spaced repetition and active recall to your certification study.
SQ3R Method Adapted for Technical Certification Reading
Learn how to adapt the SQ3R reading method for IT certification study. Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review techniques for exam success.
Cornell Notes for Technical Certification Content: How to Adapt the Method
Learn how to adapt the Cornell Note-Taking System for technical certification study with five specific modifications for exams like AWS, CISSP, and CompTIA.
Active Recall vs Passive Review: Why Re-Reading Your Notes Fails
Re-reading notes creates a false sense of mastery. Learn why active recall — flashcards, closed-book write-outs, and deliberate practice testing — produces real retention for IT certification exams.
Anki for Certification Study: How to Build Decks That Actually Work
Learn how to build effective Anki flashcard decks for IT certification exams. Card writing techniques, deck structure, and spaced repetition strategies.
Eliminating Distractions During Study: A Practical Framework for Deep Work
A ninety-minute study session with four interruptions may contain under thirty minutes of genuine focus. Learn the environment design, notification management, and internal distraction strategies that protect deep work during certification prep.
Cornell Note-Taking for IT Certifications: A System That Sticks
Cornell note-taking converts passive transcription into active learning by building retrieval practice directly into the page format. Learn how to apply it to AWS, CCNA, and CompTIA certification study with real examples.
Interleaving Practice: Why Mixing Topics Beats Blocked Study
Blocked study feels productive but produces weaker exam performance. Learn how interleaving — deliberately mixing topics in practice sessions — builds the discrimination skills that certification exams actually test.
The Feynman Technique for IT Certification Study: Teaching to Learn
Learn how the Feynman Technique — explaining concepts in plain language to find gaps — dramatically improves retention and reasoning for AWS, CompTIA, and Cisco certification exams.
Mind Mapping for Technical Concepts: How to Visualize Complex Systems
Mind mapping is most valuable in certification study as a synthesis and retrieval tool — not for note-taking, but for externalizing the connections between concepts after you have studied them. Learn how to apply it to AWS, CCNA, and Security+ domains.
Retrieval Practice Techniques: The Most Effective Way to Study for Exams
Retrieval practice — free recall, spaced flashcards, committed-answer practice questions, and timed exam simulation — is the most evidence-backed study technique available. Learn how to apply each method to certification exam prep.
The Pomodoro Technique for Certification Prep: Focus Blocks That Work
Learn how structured 25-minute focus blocks prevent cognitive overload and attention fragmentation during certification study — with specific applications for AWS, CompTIA, and Cisco exam prep.
Study Groups for IT Certification: How to Make Them Actually Productive
Unstructured certification study groups drift into social sessions. Learn the specific session structures, role assignments, and activity formats that make collaborative certification study genuinely effective.
How to Get the Most Out of an Official Certification Study Guide
Proven strategies for using official certification study guides effectively. Learn active reading, practice exam techniques, and study scheduling for IT certs.
January 2026
Mind Mapping AWS Services: How to Organize the Service Catalog Visually
Learn how to use mind mapping to organize AWS services visually for certification study. Includes tools, templates, and step-by-step approaches for SAA-C03 and CLF-C02.