Ace
Short answer: no single study interval is proven best for everyone. Short Pomodoro blocks (25 minutes on, 5 off) help you start and suit tiring or boring work; longer blocks like 52/17 or 90 minutes suit deep tasks once you're in flow. What matters most is taking real breaks, planning them in advance, and filling your study blocks with active work like practice questions rather than rereading.
What are the three most popular study timers?
Pomodoro: 25 minutes on, 5 off
Work for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and after four rounds take a longer break of 15–30 minutes. The short blocks make starting easy, which is why it's so popular for procrastinators. Our full guide to the Pomodoro technique explains how to set it up.
52/17: 52 minutes on, 17 off
This ratio became popular after a productivity software company reported that its most productive users tended to work for about 52 minutes and then break for about 17. It's an interesting observation from usage data, but it isn't a controlled study, so treat it as a rule of thumb rather than a scientific finding.
90-minute blocks
Some people prefer one long, focused block of around 90 minutes, followed by a proper rest. It suits deep work like writing an essay or working through a set of difficult problems, where getting back into the task after each break costs time. Research on expert practice found that top performers tended to practise in sessions of about an hour or so and limited their total daily deliberate practice, suggesting that very long stretches of intense focus are hard to sustain (Ericsson, Krampe & Tesch-Römer, 1993).
What does the research say about study breaks?
There's surprisingly little research comparing these exact intervals head to head. What studies do suggest:
- Breaks help sustain attention. In one experiment, people who briefly switched away from a long, demanding task performed more consistently than those who worked without a break (Ariga & Lleras, 2011).
- Planned breaks may beat improvised ones. A study comparing fixed Pomodoro-style breaks with breaks students chose themselves found that fixed breaks were linked to less fatigue and better mood, while overall productivity was similar (Biwer et al., 2023).
- What you do in the block matters more than its length. An hour of rereading feels productive but does less for memory than a shorter block of practice questions. Retrieval practice leads to much better long-term memory than rereading (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006).
How do you choose the right study interval?
- Struggling to start? Use 25/5. Short blocks lower the barrier.
- Losing focus after 20 minutes? Stay with 25/5 and make the work more active: switch from reading to answering questions.
- Getting into flow and resenting the timer? Try 50/10 or 52/17.
- Doing one deep task (an essay, a problem set)? Try a 90-minute block with a real break afterwards.
- Whatever you choose, decide the breaks before you start, and make them real breaks: stand up, move, get water, stay off your phone.
To fill each block with active work, Ace can turn your own lecture slides or PDFs into practice questions, with every answer showing the line from your notes it came from. See also how to focus while studying.
Frequently asked questions
How long should you study before taking a break?
Anywhere from 25 to 90 minutes, depending on the task and how tired you are. Start with shorter blocks and lengthen them if you keep wanting to continue when the timer rings.
Is 52/17 better than Pomodoro?
There's no controlled evidence that it is. It comes from observed usage data. Try both for a week and keep the one you actually stick to.
What should I do during a study break?
Something restful and physical: stand up, stretch, walk, drink water. Scrolling social media tends to make breaks run long and makes it harder to get back to work.
Sources
- Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406.
- Ariga, A., & Lleras, A. (2011). Brief and rare mental "breaks" keep you focused: Deactivation and reactivation of task goals preempt vigilance decrements. Cognition, 118(3), 439–443.
- Biwer, F., Wiradhany, W., oude Egbrink, M. G. A., & de Bruin, A. B. H. (2023). Understanding effort regulation: Comparing "Pomodoro" breaks and self-regulated breaks. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(S2), 353–367.
- Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255.
