Study Skill Strategy
EDSP 579
Mila Rowe
The Cheat Sheet
Student learning is greatly enhanced by studying before an exam. The cheat sheet is a piece of
paper with answers or notes for a test, also called a crib sheet. Letting students prepare and use a
cheat sheet for a test helps structure study time and deepens learning. Students who are new to
studying or who lack organization, however, need to be instructed how to make a cheat sheet.
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Review class notes and relevant portions of the textbook. Decide what material is worth
recording by asking if the student is likely to remember the information if it is not
included. Think about what has been taught, what will be on the test, and what areas they
don't fully understand. Complex information containing symbols, numbers or multiple
steps such as mathematical formulas and chemical equations should be added to the
sheet. Historical dates and place names are also good candidates for inclusion, as well as
vocabulary words.
On the size of paper specified by the teacher, students arrange information in neat, logical
format of their choosing. It may be one side of a sheet of notebook paper, or both sides of
a 3x5 notecard. The teacher should provide the paper for consistency, and for those
unprepared. Guidelines must be made very clear. It is a good idea to provide a model.
Use a fine ballpoint pen to transfer the information to the sheet, as a pencil can smudge or
fade. Write neatly enough to be able to read it again later. Take advantage of all the
"white space" on the sheet to maximize the amount of material that fits into the area.
Most teachers do not allow computer-printed sheets.
Use visual markers like stars, exclamation points, underlining or highlighting to reinforce
important parts of the study sheet.
Some teachers might give an award for the best or most creative cheat sheet. Erbe (2007) found
some students used tiny fonts and brought magnifying glasses to read them. Others used multiple
colors to code information. A few had just scribbled on lined paper. One student had pasted
multiple layers of small paper over the card, becoming a mini-flipbook, with each page
organized by topic.
Erbe also found that using the cheat sheet reduced student anxiety during testing. In his class, the
cheat sheet became part of the ritual of testing, breaking the tension with humor.
While students in his study loved the cheat sheet, Erbe found that in some cases, the students had
prepared so well preparing their sheets, they often didn’t need to use them.
Erbe, B. (2007). Reducing test anxiety while increasing learning: The cheat sheet. College
Teaching, 55(3), 96-97.
A cheat sheet for a science test. It looks like it’s meant to be folded into a mini-book.