A good study guide does more than collect notes. Making it is itself a form of studying: you decide what matters, put it in your own words and test yourself on it. This step-by-step guide shows how to make a study guide for any high school test, with four formats to choose from and a sample schedule.
In this guide6 sections
Why making your own study guide works
- You sort what is important. Choosing what goes in forces you to understand the unit.
- You rewrite ideas in your own words, which helps you remember them.
- You build questions to test yourself, the core of active recall.
A study guide someone else made can still help, but you lose most of these benefits.
Step-by-step: how to make a study guide
- Gather everything. Notes, handouts, quizzes, homework and the teacher’s review sheet if there is one.
- List the topics. Use the unit objectives or headings from your notes. Most tests cover 5–10 main topics.
- Rank each topic. Mark each as “know it,” “kind of” or “don’t know.” Spend most of your time on the last two.
- Summarize each topic in your own words. Three to five bullet points per topic, no copying full sentences.
- Add key terms and examples. One definition and one example for every important term.
- Turn content into questions. Write questions on one side and answers on the other.
- Include past mistakes. Copy questions you got wrong on quizzes and write the correct reasoning.
- Test yourself. Cover the answers and quiz yourself; mark what you missed.
- Review on a schedule. Short sessions over several days beat one long night. Use a spaced repetition schedule.
Four study guide formats
| Format | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Question and answer | Questions on the left, answers on the right; fold to quiz yourself | History, science, vocabulary-heavy units |
| Concept map | Main idea in the center with branches for related ideas | Biology, literature themes, causes and effects |
| Summary sheet | One page per topic with key points, formulas and examples | Math and physics |
| Flashcards | Term or question on the front, answer on the back | Definitions, dates, foreign languages |
Tips that make study guides more effective
- Start early. Begin a week before the test, not the night before.
- Keep it short. Two to four pages per unit; if it is longer, you copied too much.
- Use your notes well. Clear notes make guides easier; see our guide on how to take notes in class.
- Study in focused blocks. Try the Pomodoro technique: 25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of rest.
- Quiz a partner. Swapping study guides with a classmate shows what you both missed.
A sample one-week plan
| Day | Task | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Gather materials, list and rank topics | 20 min |
| Day 2 | Summaries for half the topics | 30 min |
| Day 3 | Summaries for the rest + key terms | 30 min |
| Day 4 | Write questions and add past mistakes | 25 min |
| Day 5 | Self-test, mark weak spots | 25 min |
| Day 6 | Review weak spots, quiz a partner | 25 min |
| Day 7 (test eve) | Quick final self-test, then sleep | 15 min |
Frequently asked questions
What should be included in a study guide?
Main topics, short summaries in your own words, key terms with examples, practice questions with answers and questions you got wrong before.
How long should a study guide be?
Usually two to four pages for one unit. Shorter guides force you to focus on what matters most.
When should I start making a study guide?
About a week before the test, so you have time to make it and to test yourself on it several times.
Making the study guide is half of studying. Build it in your own words, turn it into questions and review it over several days. For exam season, also read our guide on how to study for finals.
