According to the testing effect, while studying material, it improves the likelihood of memory to attempt to retrieve the material (test yourself) from time to time.

In one study, participants were shown a stimulus word and a response word, for either 10 second intervals together or in 5 second intervals of the stimulus word followed by another five seconds of the response word. Those in the second condition remembered significantly more word pairs, despite having been shown them for a shorter amount of time.

See also: list of memory biases.

References

• Glover, J. A. (1989). The "testing" phenomenon: Not gone but nearly forgotten. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 392-399.
• Carrier, M. & Pashler, H. (1992). The influence of retrieval on retention. Memory and Cognition, 20, 632-642.