
Exam Study Expert: ace your exams with the science of learning
Don’t work harder, work smarter: how to study effectively and get the grades of your dreams with winning review strategies, killer memory techniques and exam preparation tips you won’t hear anywhere else. Join Cambridge educated psychologist, study techniques researcher, coach and tutor William Wadsworth as we dive into the secrets of academic success.Looking for the grades of your dreams? Want to know the real secrets to preparing for and taking exams? Through a powerful combination of rich personal experience and the very latest learning and memory science, William and his expert guests are here to help. Here's to results day smiles!
Latest episodes

Nov 11, 2024 • 11min
173. The Realistic Scholar: Relax, It Won’t Be Perfect (And That’s OK!)
#2/4 in our "pep talks" mini series in which I want to talk about releasing you from the overwhelming need to prepare perfectly.This is not a get out of jail free card that lets you off doing the work!Rather, this is about making peace with what is possible when the maths of how much you have to do simply doesn’t fit into the time you have available.Not always easy - here's some pointers to help in these situations.*Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/coaching/THE SCHOLARS WAY mindset course is at https://examstudyexpert.com/TSW*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

Nov 10, 2024 • 14min
172. The Humble Scholar - Continual Improvement Pep Talk
Stay hungry; be humble. Keep learning; be outstanding.An Exam Study Expert pep talk.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

Oct 27, 2024 • 20min
171. Five New Exam Tips – Inspired By Pilots, Paramedics & Ancient Chinese Wisdom
Today's episode is all about taking core principles from other domains, and using them to help us study smarter and ace our exams.We'll be asking paramedics and emergency responders to help us respond to answers better.Musicians will teach us valuable lessons about preparing for the performance (or exam) not just being able to succeed well in the rehearsal (or pre-exam study).We'll learn when less can be more from athletes.High-end chefs will show us a thing or two about maintaining an efficient workstation.We'll even use some ancient Chinese wisdom to sort our kit out.Should be a fun and interesting listen - enjoy!*Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/coachingGet a copy of Outsmart Your Exams, my award-winning exam technique book, at https://geni.us/exams**Thank you to the Dear Modern channel for inspiring today's tip #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hai-cunQUs (minors beware: this clip contains a mild curse word)*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

Oct 20, 2024 • 39min
170. Where Does The Time Go? – with David Buck
In this week's episode we're tackling the world of time management with expert and coach David Buck. We'll delve into:Finding focusOvercoming distractionsAvoiding procrastinationThe importance of self-care And how to schedule your calendar for a healthy balanceMentioned in this episode:>> Episode 162: Stop Procrastinating & Start Studying Now With These 3 Powerful Methods>> Episode 39: Brian Tracy - Eat That Frog & Excel In School / CollegeFind out more about David Buck:>> His website: https://infinitylifestyledesign.com/>> His book, The Time Optimized Life: https://geni.us/davidbuck**** Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Get a copy of Outsmart Your Exams, my award-winning exam technique book, at https://geni.us/exams*****As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books. Podcast edited by Kerri Edinburgh. Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

Oct 14, 2024 • 34min
169. Optimising Study Strategy To Beat An Ultra-Competitive Exam (A Student Story)
Today, we feature a listener who dreamed of earning a place at a top law school in Finland.Only 10% of candidates are accepted.It all comes down to a highly competitive exam, with a pile of learning material released just 30 days before exam day.She had failed before—would she make the cut this time?(Spoiler alert: yes, she did—tune in to find out what she did to eventually beat the exam!)Hers is a story of:Success after repeated attempts, not just through brute-force perseverance, but by taking a smart approach: identifying what needed improvement and finding the right solutions and advice to level up.Discovering the fundamentals of effective study strategies and mindset—including retrieval practice and a growth mindset.Optimizing her learning system after mastering the basics, leading to exceptional performance and the crucial edge in a highly competitive exam.*Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/coachingQuestions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

Oct 6, 2024 • 16min
168. Your Perfect Essay Planning Process
A good planning process is the foundation for success in any long-form written assignments like essays, dissertations and theses - and even your first novel!Discover the process I use for both non-exam and in-exam scenarios, helping you overcome procrastination, and write better, in less time!*Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Get a copy of Outsmart Your Exams, my award-winning exam technique book, at https://geni.us/exams*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books.Podcast Edited by Kerri Edinburgh.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

Sep 29, 2024 • 37min
167. Supercharge Your Research & Writing - feat. Saikiran: SciSpace founder + Dr Joel Goodin
Join us today for a look at tools and tactics you can use to speed up research and writing projects in your academic studies, featuring:My 3 top pick AI tools for students of all kinds.Featured interview with the founder of SciSpace Saikiran Chandha, an innovative suite of tools to shortcut much of the manual processes in academic research, such as making previously-laborious literature reviews effortless.Dissertation "time to completion" researcher Dr Joel Goodin on lessons from his research about helping master's and doctorate students get their goals completed sooner.We have a special discount code if you'd like to try a SciSpace pro account for yourself:Head to ExamStudyExpet.com/save Use coupon code STUDYSMARTER40 to save 40% off your annual planOr use coupon code STUDYSMARTER20 to save 20% on a monthly plan. (Click "pricing" then "upgrade" to premium plan)Other notes from today's episode:SciSpace on Twitter: https://x.com/scispace_Otter.ai, Descript, Speechnoets or OneNote Dictate for transcriptionChatGPT for brainstorming and moreGrammarly for proofreadingShortWave for email AI*Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Get a copy of Outsmart Your Exams, my award-winning exam technique book, at https://geni.us/exams**As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books. As a SciSpace Associate, I earn from qualifying SciSpace purchases. This episode is sponsored by SciSpace.Podcast edited by Kerri Edinburgh.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

Sep 22, 2024 • 39min
166. REWIND: Better Grades With Interleaving & “Desirable Difficulty” - Dr Veronica Yan
What is interleaving?Why is it so powerful for helping you learn faster and remember more?How can you use it?Listen in today, and all will be revealed with the help of Dr Veronica Yan.Veronica will also be talking us through her insights on barriers to actually adopting effective learning strategies, including interleaving, but also many of the other strategies we’ve covered in recent weeks as part of Learning Science season on the podcast. Find Dr Veronica Yan online at:Twitter: @EdScientistsWebsite: https://sites.edb.utexas.edu/slam/Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/coaching/SCHOOLS / UNIVERSITIES discover staff CPD / keynote talks and student revision and study skills workshops at: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/revision-workshops/ Get a copy of Outsmart Your Exams, my award-winning exam technique book, at https://geni.us/exams*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchasesPodcast Edited by Benoît André.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

6 snips
Sep 15, 2024 • 45min
165. Building Your Note-Making System – with Jorge Arango
Jorge Arango, an information architect and author of 'Duly Noted', shares his insights on the transformative power of effective note-making. He discusses innovative strategies that evolve note-making from simple memorization to a dynamic cognitive tool. Jorge highlights the importance of digital tools like Obsidian for organizing ideas and enhancing memory retention through well-structured notes. By contrasting traditional paper methods with digital alternatives, he emphasizes adaptability and the generation of new ideas, making note-making an essential skill for academic success.

5 snips
Sep 8, 2024 • 17min
164. The Science of Note Making – with Prof. John Dunlosky
Join Professor John Dunlosky, expert in learning techniques and author of 'Study Like a Champ,' as he shares the secrets of effective note-making. Discover why comprehensive notes are crucial for academic success and explore engaging strategies to enhance your learning experience. Dunlosky emphasizes the importance of active participation in class and provides tips on how to maximize study sessions before, during, and after lectures. Prepare to revolutionize your approach to studying with insights that make a real difference!