How we studied for Sweden’s national exams, and what we learned

Before our national exams in maths and Swedish, we decided to test five study methods and compare the results. Here is our honest account of what actually helped and what only felt productive.

Method 1: rereading notes (spoiler: it did not work)

The classic way to “study”: flipping through notes the night before. It felt good at the time, but when we sat down for the exam, we realised very little had stuck. Research backs this up: passive reading is one of the least effective study methods.

Method 2: doing past papers under time pressure

This was one of the best things we did. Working through past national exams under realistic conditions helped us get used to time pressure, question types and the areas where we needed more practice. Skolverket, the Swedish National Agency for Education, publishes past papers. Use them.

Method 3: active recall with flashcards

Instead of rereading formulas and concepts, we made flashcards and tested ourselves. It was harder in the moment, but we quickly noticed that we remembered more. Flashcards were especially useful in Swedish, where we needed to know concepts such as figures of speech and text types.

Method 4: explaining things to each other

We sat in groups and explained concepts to one another. If you cannot explain something simply, you have not understood it, and that realisation often surprised us. This worked especially well for maths, where we had to put each step of our thinking into words.

Method 5: spaced repetition

Instead of cramming everything into one weekend, we started reviewing three weeks beforehand. Short daily sessions, with increasing intervals between reviews. This gave us the best long-term results: we still remembered things weeks after the exam.

What we learned

The biggest lesson was that how you study matters more than how long. Sitting with a book open for five hours gives worse results than an hour of active recall and spaced repetition. Starting early also makes an enormous difference to stress.

How we would plan the final eight weeks

We started three weeks before the exams, and that was too late. With hindsight, here is how we would plan the final eight weeks.

Weeks 1–2: Map your knowledge gaps. Do a past paper and see where you lose marks.
Weeks 3–5: Focus on weak areas. Use flashcards and past questions for those specific topics.
Weeks 6–7: Complete several past papers under time pressure. Practise writing full answers.
Week 8: Light review and mental preparation. No panic cramming in the final days.

What we do on exam day

• In the morning: Eat breakfast, even if you are nervous. Sitting for three hours on an empty stomach helps nobody.
• Read through the whole paper first: Start with the questions you feel most confident about
• Allocate your time: Check how many marks each question is worth and prioritise accordingly
• Answer fully: Show your reasoning, not just your conclusion

After the exam

When you get your paper back, look at what went well and what did not. That is valuable preparation for the next exam.