The right daily card count is not one universal number. It depends on your exam date, course load, and how quickly your reviews are growing.
Baseline formula
Start with: new cards + reviews <= daily study minutes / average seconds per card.
If you have 60 minutes and average 12 seconds per card, your safe capacity is about 300 cards total, including reviews.
Recommended starting points
- Light course load: 25 to 40 new cards/day.
- Moderate load: 15 to 30 new cards/day.
- Heavy load: 10 to 20 new cards/day.
Rule of thumb: If your overdue count grows for 3 days in a row, reduce new cards by 20% immediately.
How to adapt during exam season
- 2 to 4 weeks out: reduce new cards, increase weak-topic reviews.
- Final week: focus mostly on reviews and mistake correction.
- Post-exam: reset to sustainable levels to prevent burnout.
FAQ
Is 100 new cards/day too much? For most students, yes, unless short-term and very high priority.
Should I stop new cards completely when behind? Usually no. Keep a small trickle unless exam week is imminent.
Related: How to Fix Overdue Anki Cards.