Every algorithm in our engine traces back to peer-reviewed cognitive science. We built what the research said should work — then proved it did.
MERIDIAN LABS is an applied cognitive science company. While most exam prep apps rely on basic flashcard logic, we engineered a learning engine grounded in decades of research on memory, metacognition, and testing psychology. The result: a system that doesn't just quiz you — it learns how you learn.
Each algorithm solves a specific learning problem identified in cognitive science research.
Students consistently overestimate what they know — the most dangerous gap on exam day.
Every answer is scored against your self-reported confidence, creating a proprietary 4-outcome weighting system that detects overconfidence before it becomes a failed exam.
Without strategic review scheduling, study progress decays within days.
A 6-level mastery system with dynamically expanding intervals. Overconfident errors are penalized more harshly than humble mistakes — because knowing you don't know is safer than thinking you do.
Confident wrong answers are invisible to the student and devastating on exam day.
A dedicated detection system flags answers where confidence is high but accuracy is low, then elevates those items to maximum review priority until resolved through consecutive correct answers.
A student at 80% accuracy is not 80% ready for their exam.
A 4-factor readiness algorithm with non-linear scaling that weighs accuracy, consistency, confidence calibration, and domain coverage — because readiness is multidimensional.
Most prep apps test only recall and recognition — the two lowest cognitive levels.
Questions are mapped across all 6 cognitive levels of Bloom's revised taxonomy, with progressive difficulty across 4 practice test levels that mirror real exam complexity.
Test anxiety can drop scores by 10–15% even when knowledge is strong.
Timed challenges with progressive pressure thresholds build exam-day resilience. By the time you sit for the real exam, the pressure feels familiar.
You respond and indicate your confidence level
4-outcome confidence weighting applied
Spaced repetition interval assigned based on mastery
Misconceptions detected and elevated to priority review
Multi-factor exam readiness score recalculated
All factors converge — Exam Ready certification earned
Our algorithms draw from four major research domains. Full bibliography available upon request.
Memory encoding, retrieval practice, spacing effects, and desirable difficulties
Confidence calibration, knowledge monitoring, and self-assessment accuracy
Consistency triggers, streak psychology, and behavioral automaticity
Stress inoculation, arousal reappraisal, and performance under pressure
Every Pro subscription includes a Pass Guarantee — because we've built our revenue model on the confidence that our methodology works. If you earn your Exam Ready Certificate and don't pass, we refund your subscription.
See Pass Guarantee Details →Available across beauty, healthcare, military, and IT certifications.
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