A mistake log is a short table where each wrong answer gets a cause, a correction and a date to try again. Copy the template below into a notebook or a document and use one row per mistake.
The key idea is the last column. You have not learned from a mistake until you have answered a fresh question on the same skill correctly.
The template
| Date | Task and source | What I wrote | Correct working | Cause type | Fix in one line | Retest question | Retest date | Retest result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cause types (pick one per row):
- Arithmetic: the method was right, a calculation slipped.
- Interpretation: I misread the question, units or command word.
- Incomplete reasoning: I stopped early or skipped a step or a reason.
- Knowledge gap: I did not know the fact, rule or definition.
Sorting by cause matters because each needs a different remedy. Arithmetic slips need a checking habit, interpretation errors need slower reading, reasoning gaps need a worked example, and knowledge gaps need recall practice.
Filled example
| Date | Task | What I wrote | Correct working | Cause | Fix | Retest | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct | Work out 3/4 ÷ 2/5 | 3/4 × 2/5 = 3/10 | Flip the second fraction: 3/4 × 5/2 = 15/8 | Incomplete reasoning | Write “flip the divisor” before multiplying | 5/6 ÷ 3/4 | 20/18 = 10/9, correct on 9 Oct |
| 5 Oct | Order −8, −3, 0.5 smallest first | −3, −8, 0.5 | −8 is further left, so −8, −3, 0.5 | Knowledge gap | Sketch a number line before ordering negatives | Order −0.6, −1/2, −2 | −2, −0.6, −1/2, correct on 9 Oct |
| 6 Oct | Distance from a speed-time graph, 0 to 10 m/s over 5 s | 10 × 5 = 50 m | Area of a triangle: ½ × 5 × 10 = 25 m | Interpretation | Ask “is the shape a rectangle or a triangle?” first | 0 to 8 m/s over 4 s | ½ × 4 × 8 = 16 m, correct on 10 Oct |
Notice that the second and third rows have different task sources but the log still keeps both, because the context of each error is different. Check the numbers: 3/4 × 5/2 = 15/8, 5/6 × 4/3 = 20/18 = 10/9, and ½ × 4 × 8 = 16.
How to use the log each week
- Sunday or any fixed day: read every row with a blank retest result.
- Attempt the retest without looking at the correction.
- Mark the result. If it is wrong again, rewrite the fix and set a new retest date.
- Count the causes. The most common cause tells you what to practise, not which topic to reread.
The mistake log and retest queue on this site keeps the same columns privately in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere. To turn retest questions into a routine, use the recall and review plan, and see the wider set on the resources page.
When a cause type keeps repeating across subjects, it is usually a working habit, not a topic. Our teachers look for exactly that kind of pattern in online one-to-one tuition.