The Forgetting Curve

Adult learners are prone to the forgetting curve. This curve is simply a fact of life; memory diminishes with age. The answer for most adult learners, when studying for an OREA examination, lies in repetition and active recall. It goes without saying that you remember things that are firmly embedded in your brain. Strong embedding is usually associated with events that contain emotional, sensory, visual and other stimuli all at once. Fall down the stairs—it’s indelibly imprinted in your mind; open the Real Estate as a Professional Career and read ten pages—not likely.

Can your forgetting curve be improved? Absolutely—with practice. The brain needs continuous stimulation for those not exciting, non-emotional things, like studying for an OREA exam. There are several ways to tackle the forgetting curve, but the most relevant to adult learners is active recall. That’s right—recall facts and concepts over and over and over—but in different ways. That’s why Passit practice questions are so important. They provide mental simulation and challenge, long before you face the rigours of an examination. Repetition strengthens memory and helps offset that worrisome forgetting curve.