Quiz yourself after videos: the easiest way to remember

Quick answer

Rewatching feels productive. Pulling the ideas out of your own head feels harder. The harder one is what makes it stick.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

Open 125x

What the research found

In a well-known 2006 study, students who took recall tests on a passage remembered 61% a week later. Students who restudied it instead remembered 40% (a 2006 study at Washington University).

Quick ways to quiz yourself

Pause at the end and list three points from memory. Then check.
Explain it to a friend, or to your phone's voice memo.
Write two questions the video answered. Answer them tomorrow.
Turn key ideas into flashcards. See flashcards from YouTube.

Make it a habit

Do it right after the video, while it's fresh.
Keep it to two minutes so you'll actually do it.
Quiz again a few days later.

How 125x fits

After you watch, try to recall the main points, then open the video's 5 takeaways in 125x and compare. It turns every video into a quick self-quiz.

FAQ: questions people ask

Is testing yourself better than rewatching?

A well-known study found students who practiced recall remembered more a week later than those who restudied.

How do I quiz myself on a YouTube video?

List three points from memory, then check against the video or its summary.

How often should I review?

Right after, then again a few days later works well for most people.