Study Index · Data through September 2026
How students actually learn with flashcards
We looked at 8,726 flashcard reviews from the last 12 months to see when cards stick and when they don't. Updated every month.
27.0%
of new flashcards are missed the first time students see them
By the 3rd review, it's 9.9%.
2.4 min
Typical study session, about 11 cards
2.2×
as many new cards missed in the evening as in the morning
The learning curve
How often a card is missed, by how many times the learner has seen it. Most of the improvement comes from the first time a card comes back.
What comes before a miss
These are patterns across learners, not proof of cause.
Time on the card
42.0% of cards that took 20 seconds or more were rated Again or Hard, versus 19.4% of cards that took under 3 seconds.
Rated Again or Hard
-
Under 3 seconds 19.4%
-
3–8 seconds 28.2%
-
8–20 seconds 34.0%
-
20 seconds or more 42.0%
Time of day, new cards only
New cards studied in the evening were missed 34.7% of the time, versus 15.4% in the morning.
Missed (Again)
-
Morning (6am–noon) 15.4%
-
Afternoon (noon–5pm) 27.3%
-
Evening (5–9pm) 34.7%
All the numbers
Every breakdown on this page. Select a column heading to sort.
| Times seen | 1st time seen | 27.0% | 41.8% | 3,396 |
| Times seen | 2nd review | 13.6% | 24.3% | 2,100 |
| Times seen | 3rd review | 9.9% | 19.1% | 1,372 |
| Times seen | 4th review | 9.8% | 19.3% | 788 |
| Time on card | Under 3 seconds | 13.4% | 19.4% | 1,611 |
| Time on card | 3–8 seconds | 17.8% | 28.2% | 3,494 |
| Time on card | 8–20 seconds | 19.5% | 34.0% | 2,498 |
| Time on card | 20 seconds or more | 21.2% | 42.0% | 1,123 |
| Time of day (new cards) | Morning (6am–noon) | 15.4% | 32.7% | 648 |
| Time of day (new cards) | Afternoon (noon–5pm) | 27.3% | 42.1% | 1,091 |
| Time of day (new cards) | Evening (5–9pm) | 34.7% | 48.3% | 833 |
How we count
- Again and Hard: after each card, learners rate it Again (missed it), Hard, Good or Easy. "Missed" on this page means Again.
- Times seen: counts every earlier review of that card by that learner, including ones before the 12-month window.
- Time on card: seconds from when the card appeared until the learner rated it, including time spent reading the answer.
- Time of day: the learner's local time, from their account time zone. Only first-time cards are counted, so repeat reviews don't make a time slot look easier.
- Small groups are hidden: a number appears only if at least 50 different learners and 20 different decks are behind it. Anything smaller is left out, not estimated. That's why some rows, subjects and months are missing.
- No children's data: we leave out every account with a K–12 student profile, every account that joined a teacher's class link, and school-issued student email addresses.
- Private by design: numbers are calculated once a month and stored. Card text is never read or published, and loading this page doesn't query anyone's study history.
- Limits: learners choose what and when they study, so these are patterns, not causes.
Embed the chart
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