Why should a quiz start with diagnosis?
A revision quiz is most useful when it shows what to study next. Take a short mixed quiz before a long reading session and note the topics that slow you down: COLREGs, chartwork, tides, weather, lights or terminology.
Do not treat the first score as a judgement. Use it as triage. The fastest progress often comes from identifying one weak idea, reviewing the explanation, then immediately answering similar but not identical questions.
How can answer-pattern memorisation be avoided?
Repeating the same set too often makes it easy to remember answer order instead of the navigation idea. Mix topic questions with explanation review and make yourself state why the correct answer is right.
For calculations, write down the working and units. For COLREGs, identify the situation and governing rule before looking at the options. If a remembered phrase cannot be connected to a decision, it is not yet reliable knowledge.
When should topic practice become mixed practice?
Topic quizzes work well early because they let you build confidence in one area at a time. Mixed quizzes are harder because they force you to identify the subject and switch method, which is closer to assessment and practical decision-making.
Once a topic is consistently secure, move it into mixed practice. Keep a short list of repeating errors and revisit those lessons before attempting a timed mock.
What belongs in an error log?
Record the topic, the mistaken decision, the correct principle and what you will do differently next time. “Got tides wrong” is too vague; “applied the secondary-port difference in the wrong direction” gives you something specific to practice.
Remove an item only when you have answered fresh examples correctly on more than one occasion. That prevents a single lucky answer from hiding a weak area.
Primary sources
Compass Revision is an independent revision aid and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the RYA. Check current official publications, charts, forecasts and local directions before making a real passage or safety decision.