Spaced Repetition Calculator
Plan your flashcard study schedule.
Enter total cards and daily new cards to see how long it takes and what your review load looks like.
Study Schedule
How Flashcard Study Time Is Calculated
Effective flashcard study relies on spaced repetition — reviewing cards at increasing intervals based on how well you know them. The estimated study time depends on deck size, card difficulty, and your review schedule.
Daily Study Time Formula:
Time (min) = (New Cards × 1.5) + (Review Cards × 0.5)
Where:
- New Cards = cards being seen for the first time today
- 1.5 min = average time to learn and process a new card
- Review Cards = cards due for review based on past performance
- 0.5 min = average time for a mature card review
Spaced Repetition Intervals (SM-2 Algorithm):
- First correct answer: review in 1 day
- Second correct answer: review in 6 days
- Third: ~15 days
- Subsequent: multiply by ease factor (~2.5 for easy cards)
Worked Example: You add 20 new cards/day to a medical vocabulary deck. After 30 days, you’ll have:
- 20 new cards × 1.5 min = 30 min
- ~80 mature reviews × 0.5 min = 40 min
- Total: ~70 min/day
Practical Guidelines:
- Anki recommends no more than 20–30 new cards per day for sustainable learning
- A 1,000-card deck takes roughly 3–4 months to fully mature with 20 cards/day
- Retention rate with spaced repetition: ~90–95% at test time
- Short daily sessions (30–45 min) outperform 3-hour weekend cramming sessions
- Morning review after sleep leverages memory consolidation during REM sleep