How Long Should You Revise Before Taking a Break?

Taking breaks is widely acknowledged to help increase the long-term efficiency of your revision. After a certain point you’re brain simply starts wandering off, and if you're thinking about other stuff, there's no point in pretending to learn! When that happens it’s definitely time to take a break. However, the best time to take a break varies quite a bit among students. For you, it might be best to take a 5-10 minute break after each 30 minutes session. For another, it might be to take 30 minutes after each hour session.

When Should I Take Breaks When Revising?

It’s important for you to identify after how much time you should stop and take a break. Simply start a session with a timer and stop the clock once you realise that you cannot fully concentrate anymore. That’s most likely the best time for a break. Once you know how long you can revise without breaks then you can start scheduling in your breaks.

If you should take a break every 30 minutes, then set a timer on your desk that reminds you after 30 minutes. A simple alarm on your phone would already be sufficient. Doing that will ensure that your brain doesn’t get tired and you’ll be maximising your study sessions.

What to do During Revision Breaks?

We’ve seen a huge variety of ways to spend your revision break. There’s not really one best activity. As long as you keep your brain away from your study notes, then you’re doing something good. Dependent on the length of your break there are a variety of activities you could do. Here are our top 8 and for more tips on revising check out our Ultimate GCSE & A-Level Revision Guide.