Digital Flashcards: 6 Simple Study Tips

Are you studying for an accounting certification exam? Digital flashcards can be a huge help. They allow you to study anywhere, any time, and they make it easy to track your progress. However, glancing at digital flashcards might not be enough to retain the information. It’s important to truly challenge yourself. Here are a few flashcard tips and techniques to make the most of digital flashcards.

There’s a fine line between learning concepts and memorizing flashcards. You don’t want to drift toward the latter because remembering flashcards in a predictable order might not carry over to the exam, where the questions and order will be different. The goal is to increase your confidence with unfamiliar topics. So, mix your flashcards up and zero in on topics that seem to be giving you trouble. The flashcards that you consistently answer correctly can be less of a focus. Keep drilling the difficult ones in a different order each time until you feel confident on every card, every time.

Spaced repetition is a powerful learning technique. It involves reviewing information at increasing intervals. For example, you might review a card immediately after seeing it, then again in an hour, then in a day, and so on. This method helps ensure you don’t forget what you’ve learned and have to start from scratch every time you want to review the material. There are many spaced repetition apps available. Or, you can create your own schedule. Start with frequent intervals for more complex cards and widen the intervals as you go.

Not every digital flashcard is going to work for you—and that’s okay. You can create your own cards to better suit your needs. If a card has too much information, you can delete some of it. Or, if you need more of an explanation, you can add your own notes. Perhaps a card explaining tax laws for corporations isn’t detailed enough and you need an example. There is no one perfect way to study, so don’t be afraid to experiment with flashcards until you find a routine that works for you.

You can’t lug a textbook everywhere you go, but you can bring your digital flashcards! That means you can study anywhere you have free time—on a train or bus if you’re commuting, in the waiting room before a doctor’s checkup, during lunch at work, or even in line at the grocery store. 

Digital flashcards can help prevent burnout. Quick study sessions throughout the day will strengthen your grasp of concepts over time, without requiring you to sit and study. If you study all day on Monday and Tuesday, give yourself a bit of a break Wednesday by completing a few flashcard reviews instead of a long study session.

One of the best ways to gauge your progress with accounting exam prep is to test yourself. Digital flashcards make this easy. You can create a custom quiz with only the material that you know you need to learn more thoroughly. Or, you can go through all of your cards and see how many you can get correct in a row. The other benefit of testing yourself is that it will again help you identify the areas where you need more work.

Cramming the night before an exam may work in college, but it’s not an effective way to prepare for your accounting certification. It’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to learn everything in such a short time period, and you’ll be exhausted by the time you actually take the test. Instead, space out your study sessions so you can gradually build your knowledge and confidence. You’ll be less stressed, and you’ll be more likely to remember the material.

If you’re looking for a more efficient way to study for your accounting certification exam, get Gleim. Our Premium Review Systems include digital flashcards along with many other proven study tools. And we offer a free trial so you can demo a course before you buy it. Get started today!