How to rate a card: the four ratings
In the Keeplet app for Android and iPhone, after flipping the card you choose one of four ratings: Not at all, A little, Fairly well or Perfectly. The rating says how well you remembered the answer and decides when the card comes back: the better you remembered it, the further away the next review. Under each rating the app already shows the due date.
Before you start
The four ratings only appear after you flip the card, under the question "How well did you remember it?" If the card has no question, it appears already flipped. For the full review, see How to review your cards every day in the app.
Steps
- In the review, tap the card or Show the answer to see the answer.
- Compare the answer with what you remembered, honestly.
- Tap the rating that best describes your memory, following the table below.
- If you realize you picked the wrong one, tap Undo within 3 seconds.
What does each rating mean?
| Rating | When to choose it | What the card does |
|---|---|---|
| Not at all | You didn't remember the answer | Goes to the end of the session. If you close before seeing it again, tomorrow. The count of successful reviews restarts from zero |
| A little | You only remembered part of it, with great effort | Comes back tomorrow |
| Fairly well | You remembered, with some hesitation | Comes back later: in 3 days the first time, then in 6, then ever further out |
| Perfectly | You remembered instantly and with confidence | Comes back even later: in 5 days the first time, then in 6, then ever further out |
The numbers in the table apply to a new card (first and second review). From the third review on, the previous interval is multiplied by an ease factor that grows with Perfectly and shrinks with Fairly well, A little and Not at all. The full calculation is in The SM-2 algorithm in Keeplet.
How do I read the due dates under the ratings?
Under each rating's name you see when the card would come back if you chose it: "today or tomorrow", "tomorrow", "in 6 days", "in 2 months", "in 1 year". The preview is calculated from that card's current state, so it changes from card to card.
Here is an example calculated with the algorithm's rules: a card you've already reviewed several times, with a 10-day interval and an ease factor of 2.5, would show Not at all "today or tomorrow", A little "tomorrow", Fairly well "in 23 days" and Perfectly "in 26 days".
What happens next
The rating is saved on your phone and, if you have an account, sent to the server, which recalculates the due date with the same algorithm. The rating also counts for statistics: in the Statistics tab, the cards "remembered well" are those rated Fairly well or Perfectly.
Frequently asked questions
Which rating do I pick if I remember the answer but hesitated?
Pick Fairly well. Use Perfectly only when the answer comes to you instantly and without doubt: it is the rating that stretches intervals the most. Always giving Perfectly to feel good makes cards come back too late, when you've already forgotten them.
What happens if I review a card late?
You can still review it, but if you remember the answer lateness counts: beyond 1.5 times the planned interval the card stays at the same level (the interval does not grow), beyond 2 times it goes back one level. The due dates under the ratings already take lateness into account. With Not at all and A little nothing changes. The calculation is the same as a guest and with an account, including ratings given without a connection: see The SM-2 algorithm in Keeplet.
Is the difference between Not at all and A little big?
Yes. With Not at all the card starts over (the count of successful reviews goes to zero) and is put back in the queue in the same session. With A little the card comes back tomorrow, but the review still counts as successful.
Can I change the rating after giving it?
Only with Undo, within 3 seconds and not on the last card of the session. After that, the rating is recorded.
Are the ratings the same as on the Keeplet website?
Not entirely. Not at all and A little are the same, but the website's third and fourth ratings are labeled Somewhat and Great. The website also has, besides the four ratings (passive mode), an active mode with Remembered and Didn't remember. See How to rate a card during review.