Knowness uses a spaced practice system to decide when you should revisit flashcards and exercises.
The system is based on FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler). Each card has its own review history, so its future schedule depends on how you have performed on that card previously.
This means two students studying the same card can receive different review dates.
1. How Scheduling Works
Each time you review a flashcard or exercise, Knowness updates its schedule using information from your previous reviews.
The scheduler considers factors including:
- Previous reviews: How you have performed on the card before.
- Your rating: How difficult a successful answer felt.
- Time since your last review: How long it has been since you last attempted the card.
The card's existing memory state: How difficult the card is estimated to be and how securely it is currently remembered.
As you build a review history, your revision schedule becomes personalised to your performance on each card.
2. Flashcards and Exercises
Both flashcards and exercises use the same revision and scheduling system. Flashcards test your ability to recall knowledge, while exercises ask you to apply knowledge or work through a problem.
An attempt made while completing a lesson contributes to the same card history used later in Revision and Decks. This means a card keeps its review history wherever you encounter it on Knowness.
3. Successful Answers
When your answer is accepted as correct, you are asked to rate how difficult the recall or application felt:
- Easy: You recalled or applied the answer comfortably.
- Medium: You recalled or applied the answer with reasonable confidence.
- Hard: You reached the correct answer, but it required significant effort.
The interface shows the proposed review timing before you choose a rating. Your rating should reflect the effort it took to reach the answer rather than how difficult you think the topic is in general.
For a brand-new card, the current schedule is:
- Easy: The card is scheduled for the end of the seventh day.
- Medium: The card is scheduled for the end of the following day.
- Hard: The card remains due for further practice.
After the first review, future intervals depend on your saved review history.
4. Incorrect Answers
If your answer is incorrect, Knowness automatically records an unsuccessful review.
The card remains due rather than being scheduled further into the future. During a revision session, it is placed into the repeat queue so you can attempt it again after working through the other cards.
An incorrect answer still contributes to the card's review history and helps Knowness adjust future scheduling.
5. Hard Answers and Repeat Practice
Selecting Hard after a correct answer also keeps the card due.
During a revision session, the card is added to the repeat queue and can appear again later in the same session.
This gives you another opportunity to strengthen knowledge that you could recall, but only with difficulty.
6. Skipping a Card
You can also Skip a card during a revision session.
Skipping moves the card into the skipped queue so you can return to it later in the same session.
A skipped card does not count as an attempt and does not change its review schedule.
7. Revision Session Order
During a revision session, Knowness works through cards in the following order:
- Remaining cards in the initial revision set.
- Cards you skipped.
- Cards that need to be attempted again.
As a result, a card you found difficult or answered incorrectly can appear more than once during the same session.
8. Proficiency and Knowledge Decay
Knowness uses your review history to estimate how secure your knowledge is. A card's proficiency can increase through successful review and decrease as time passes without further practice.
The proficiency levels shown on Knowness are:
- Not Attempted
- Low
- Medium
- High
- Max
A card reaching Max does not mean you will never need to review it again. Further revision can still become due as time passes.
Spaced practice therefore continues even for knowledge that has previously reached a high level of proficiency.
9. At Risk Cards
Some cards may appear in the At Risk Live Deck before their normal due date.
At Risk identifies reviewed cards whose estimated proficiency is close to falling into a lower band, or is predicted to do so soon.
It focuses on cards currently at Medium, High, or Max proficiency rather than simply showing all weaker cards.
This gives you the option to review knowledge before its proficiency drops.
10. A Personal Revision Schedule
Your revision schedule is specific to you.
Two students can complete the same lesson and attempt the same flashcard or exercise but receive different future review dates because their review histories differ.
The aim is to bring material back at useful intervals based on your own learning rather than placing every student on the same fixed revision timetable.
For more information on viewing due cards, using Live Decks, and creating your own decks, see 4.3 Decks and Deck Manager.