The Pomodoro Technique is simple: work for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, repeat, and take a longer break every four rounds. It was built for general productivity, but exam revision has different failure modes than office work, so here's a version tuned for it.
Make each Pomodoro topic-specific, not task-specific
Instead of "study for 25 minutes," commit to "get through these 15 practice questions on quadratic equations." A vague goal lets your attention drift; a specific, checkable goal keeps you honest about whether you actually focused.
Use the break to test yourself, not to scroll
The 5-minute break is for your brain to rest, not to open a group chat that eats 20 minutes. A better use of that window: close your notes and try to recall three things you just studied. It's a tiny act of retrieval practice that compounds over a study session.
Save your hardest subject for your second or third Pomodoro
Your very first block is usually spent getting into a rhythm, not your sharpest thinking. Save your hardest, most avoided subject for the second or third round, once you're actually warmed up.
None of this requires special software — a phone timer works fine. What matters is treating the boundaries seriously: when the timer goes off, actually stop, and when the break ends, actually start again.