# Active and passive review mode in Keeplet

Applies to: website · Last updated: 2026-10-29

In Keeplet website review, **passive mode** shows you the question, then the answer, and you rate how well you remembered it with four buttons; **active mode** is a **reorder exercise**: you put the words of the answer back in order and Keeplet judges by itself whether you remembered. Every session starts in passive mode and you can switch at any time.

## How do I switch mode?

Above the card there is a selector with two options: **Active** and **Passive**. Press the one you want, or press Tab on the keyboard. Your choice stays for the next cards in the session, but every new session starts again in **Passive**. If a card has only one meaningful word, active mode is not possible: you see "This note does not have enough words for active mode" and stay in passive.

## How does passive mode work?

1. Read the **Question** and try to recall the answer.
2. Press **Show the answer** (Space on the keyboard, or tap the card).
3. When asked "How well did you remember it?", press **Not at all**, **A little**, **Somewhat** or **Great**.

Each button shows when the card will come back. This is the right mode for definitions, dates and long answers. Details are in [How to rate a card during review](/en/help/web/rate-a-card).

## How does active mode work?

Active mode is a reorder exercise, not a fill-in-the-blank one: you do not type or complete anything, you only put the words back in the right order.

1. Under the question the **Available words** appear, shuffled. They are the words of the answer, or of the question if the card has no answer.
2. Press the words in the correct order: they move up to the **Your order** area ("Select words in the correct order"). To remove a word, press it again.
3. When you have placed them all, press **Confirm**.
4. If the order is right, the card is marked **Remembered**. If it is wrong, Keeplet shows the **Correct order** for a few seconds and marks **Didn't remember**.

Only words longer than 3 characters are used in the exercise, at most the first 10 of the text, without punctuation at the edges. In active mode you do not choose the rating: the outcome is only remembered or not remembered.

## What about cloze cards?

Cards with terms inside `{{ }}` have their own fill-in exercise with blanks `[...]`: they always work this way, whether passive or active mode is selected. After **Show the answer** you choose **Remembered** or **Didn't remember**. See [How to create a cloze exercise in Keeplet](/en/help/web/create-a-cloze-exercise).

## Which mode should I choose?

Use **passive** to review quickly and judge for yourself how well you know a card. Use **active** when you want to test yourself without looking at the answer: actively recalling information strengthens memory more than simply rereading. You can alternate them in the same session. For the reasoning behind the two modes read [Active vs passive review in Keeplet](/en/help/concepts/active-and-passive-review).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the default mode?

Passive. Every time you start a review session the selector is on **Passive**.

### Does active mode work with every card?

No. You need at least two words longer than 3 characters in the text of the answer (or of the question). Cloze cards always use the fill-in exercise. Cards with only an answer and no question are reviewed in passive mode.

### How does active mode affect the card's due date?

The outcome updates the due date like any rating: **Remembered** pushes the next review further away, **Didn't remember** brings it back close. In passive mode you have four ratings, so more nuance.

### Can I switch mode with the keyboard?

Yes, with the Tab key. The other shortcuts are on the page [Keeplet keyboard shortcuts](/en/help/web/keyboard-shortcuts).

### Is there active mode in the app for Android and iPhone?

In the app, review works differently: a card to flip and four ratings. Read [How to review your cards every day in the app](/en/help/app/review-cards-every-day).

## Related articles

- [How to do a review session in Keeplet](https://keeplet.app/en/help/web/do-a-review-session)
- [How to rate a card during review](https://keeplet.app/en/help/web/rate-a-card)
- [How to create a cloze exercise in Keeplet](https://keeplet.app/en/help/web/create-a-cloze-exercise)
- [Keeplet keyboard shortcuts](https://keeplet.app/en/help/web/keyboard-shortcuts)
- [Active vs passive review in Keeplet](https://keeplet.app/en/help/concepts/active-and-passive-review)

Source: https://keeplet.app/en/help/web/active-and-passive-review-mode