Writing lecture notes in class is great because that shows you'll have something to read when a test or exam comes.
But the question is, how exactly do you study or revise those lecture notes or materials?
Before now, was it possible for you to do this manually, or should we say the traditional way? By that, we mean you pick up your book and try to read and recall most of the things, topic to topic.
Yes, it's true that this works. However, we could also both agree that this method is tedious, time-consuming, and inefficient.
And that's where tools like revision apps make all the difference.
Did you know that you retain more information when studying using revision apps than when studying textbooks or notes?
This post will share the best revision apps for high school and college students in 2025.
What is a revision app?
Obviously, this is the first question we have to answer. Simply put, a revision app is software that is designed to help students study better for tests and exams.
Apps like these come with a lot of great features like flashcards, note taking AI, quizzes, etc.
There are also a few Revision apps that have advanced AI tutors to teach you complex topics or subjects in the best way. StudyFetch Spark E is a very good example.
A revision app aims to make studying look fun, engaging and efficient.
While you might be surprised with the fun part, it's true. They're revision apps with games and videos to help you memorise.
What are the criteria that make a revision app great?
After reading this piece, you should be interested in a revision app. We want you to know the criteria you should look at when picking a revision app.
Criteria 1: Personalisation
A good revision app has to understand each student's learning style, strengths, and the topics or subjects with which they have problems.
Criteria 2: Interactivity
It can be easily boring to read notes or material because they are not interactive. A good revision app should be very interactive, as this will help boost your focus and retention.
Criteria 3: It should have decent features
We've seen study apps that solve only a specific problem, like quizzes or a visual tree. While this isn't bad, it's better to go for an app that offers several features. You can never tell when you need an app that can help you take notes, generate quizzes, break down complex topics, etc.
Criteria 4: Accessibility
Accessibility is really important when it comes to apps. The revision app you decide to go with should be accessible or available on mobile and desktop.
Top revision apps are available across mobile and desktop, so you can study anytime, anywhere. This makes every spare moment productive.
Criteria 5: Affordability
A great revision doesn't mean it has to be very expensive. In fact, there are revision apps out there that offer some of their basic features for free. You'll only have to pay for their advanced features.
5 best revision apps for students in 2025
There are so many revision apps out there that can easily overwhelm you if you've never used an app like this before.
We've curated a list of the top five apps for studying and revision, so don't get caught between the ropes when deciding.
1. StudyFetch
Created exclusively for secondary school and college students aged 11-18, StudyFetch packs a host of AI-powered revision features into one free mobile app.
Begin by taking diagnostic tests across all your subjects to reveal knowledge gaps. StudyFetch then structures a personalised program of lessons, lecture notes, flashcards and quizzes to strengthen problem areas.
Its AI tutor, Spark E, also listens to your answers and adjusts its teaching approach to suit your needs. When you need to recap a topic or lesson, the Audio Recap tool provides a helpful summary.
As an all-in-one study platform, it brings consistency across your revision while offering GCSE and A-level content.
With StudyFetch in your pocket, every spare moment can become an opportunity for productive exam preparation tailored around you.
2. Evernote
Evernote is a versatile digital notebook popular with students of all ages. Available as a free web clipper browser extension and app, it lets you quickly save web pages, sections of text, images, PDFs and more for later retrieval.
This makes Evernote ideal for organising revision notes and resources in one place. When it comes to creating your own revision notes, Evernote's document editor and wide range of templates help turn even complex topics into well-structured, easy-to-digest summaries.
Flashcard and list features, and then transform your notes into interactive self-testing tools. While not a dedicated revision platform, Evernote's ease of use, flexibility across devices and focus features have made it a study essential.
With millions of users, it's a reliable choice for GCSE, A-Level and university exam preparation.
3. Quizlet
Boasting over 70 million monthly learners globally, Quizlet is one of the web's top destinations for flashcards and games supporting exam revision.
After choosing your topic, you can make flashcards from scratch or select from millions of ready-made sets from other students and teachers.
These cover everything from GCSE Maths to A-Level French vocabulary lists. Interactive study modes then turn these Quizlet sets into engaging games testing your knowledge.
As a web app with native mobile and desktop apps, your revision can continue across devices. While best suited to memorising key facts, figures and definitions, Quizlet's scale, accessibility and proven study modes make it a hugely valuable asset.
4. Forest
While not a dedicated revision platform, Forest helps foster the focus and distraction-free environment all effective exam prep requires.
This popular productivity app enables you to set a timer for up to two hours. During this time, you cannot access your phone or apps, acting as if you were studying in an actual forest!
The app blocks distractions so you can concentrate fully on revision. To incentivise use, Forest plants a real tree for every 30 minutes you stay focused, leading to some environmentally friendly motivation.
While simplicity is its core strength for revision, limited integrations with other study tools prevent advanced features.
5. SimpleMind
As the name suggests, SimpleMind cuts through complexity to make it easy to turn revision topics into memorable mind maps.
Its intuitive interface strips out unnecessary options to enable fast, fluid map-making. Students can brainstorm topics and related themes, highlighting keywords throughout.
Visual links between nodes transform scattered thoughts into memorable mind maps, with everything relating to core revision points.
Available at no cost on mobiles for viewing pre-made mind maps, desktop access enables full editing features from £4.99 monthly.
This hybrid access model makes SimpleMind great for both ready-made GCSE and A-Level mind maps alongside DIY revision notes.
With exports to PDF to quickly share your creations across other platforms, SimpleMind brings visual context and connections to exam preparation.
Revision Apps FAQs
What is the best app for exam revision?
Thanks to its all-in-one study tools, StudyFetch is likely the best overall exam revision app for UK GCSE and A-level students.
What is a revision app?
A revision app is a software program or online platform designed to help students prepare for upcoming class tests or major exams through features like quizzes, flashcards and study notes.
Which is the No. 1 app for study?
Evernote is likely the number one study app for versatility across school life and exam revision.
Conclusion
Alright, we've come to the end of this piece.
As we've shared, a good revision app is a very important tool. It helps you study more effectively with features like quizzes, audio recaps, and a personal AI tutor.
If you're looking for the best revision app, we strongly recommend using StudyFetch.
Why? You won't have to take down notes yourself. You can generate quizzes around your topic area and summarise your notes, which you can listen to later with its audio recap.
StudyFetch also has a personalised AI tutor that makes complex topics so easy. There are also other tools for revisions, as we've shared, but most of these apps approach specific study areas.
However, StudyFetch is an all-in-one AI study suite for students.
