How to Create and Review Flashcards in RD Study Lab

Create a card from a lesson or your own notes, review due cards, and use Again, Hard, Good, and Easy to schedule the next review.

By Mike Tulk, RD

Flashcards in RD Study Lab have two parts: a prompt you answer from memory and a back you use to check that answer. Your review rating determines when the card comes back.

This guide walks through creating one useful card and reviewing it. The sample card is original and contains no paid lesson content.

Try the workflow

Interactive example · no sign-in required

Original sample content. Nothing here updates your account, study plan, or scores. Reset or reload to clear your example.

Create a short card, then reveal and rate it. For example, ask: “What will I record when reviewing a mistake?”

Use invented text here. Your example stays in this demo and is cleared on reset or reload.

Create your first card

You need active Premium access. Open Flashcards to manage your cards, or go directly to create a flashcard.

  1. Write one question on the front. Include enough context to answer it without reopening a lesson or case.
  2. Put the answer on the back. Keep it specific enough that you can tell whether your recall was accurate.
  3. Attach a competency if the card belongs to a particular area.
  4. Save it, then return to Flashcards.

You can also start from Create flashcard in a lesson’s Key Facts. Read and edit the suggested content before saving. The saved prompt should make sense on its own.

A card you can actually judge

Here is a study-process example:

  • Front — What three things will I record when reviewing a missed practice question?
  • Back — The detail I missed, why my chosen answer did not fit, and the action I will take before the next set.

Compare that with a front that says only “Review mistakes.” The question gives you something concrete to recall. If the back grows into several unrelated points, split the material into separate cards.

Review what is due

Open flashcard review. The session preview shows your review workload and available session choices. Choose the due-card option when you want to work on cards scheduled for review.

Try to answer before revealing the back. Compare your answer, then choose a rating:

  • Again: you could not recall the answer.
  • Hard: you recalled it with substantial effort.
  • Good: you recalled it correctly with manageable effort.
  • Easy: the answer came readily.

Rate what you recalled before the reveal. Recognizing the answer once it is visible is a different experience from producing it yourself.

The app uses your rating to set the next review. If no cards are due, you can return later; optional extra study is available, but an empty due queue does not tell you whether you are ready for the exam.

Keep recall connected to practice

A card can help you revisit a particular detail. A practice question asks you to use information in context. After reviewing cards for a topic, try a focused practice session and see whether the same gap appears again.

Next: Use targeted practice and turn a missed question into a card.