📚 Secondary school — Active revision

Revise differently.
Remember for real.

Rereading your notes isn't enough. What makes things stick is asking questions — and testing the answers against what you already know.

Choose a character →How it works

Why questioning a character helps you revise

This isn't a method invented to make revision “fun”. It's what cognitive science shows about memory.

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Reading doesn't make it stick

Rereading your notes feels comfortable — but it doesn't make your brain really work. Cognitive science is clear: what fixes knowledge is retrieving information, not reading it.

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Asking a question makes you think

To ask Caesar a good question, you first have to activate what you know — and spot what's missing. That's exactly what your brain needs to do to remember for the long term.

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The gap between his answer and your lesson

Caesar answers from 49 BC — he doesn't know what comes next. When you compare what he says with what your textbook establishes, you build connections that last. That's what real understanding is.

By age and subject

Find the character that matches what you're studying right now.

Ages 11–13
⚡Zeus
Greek mythology
Creation myths, the gods, the heroes, relations between humans and gods.
⚔️Julius Caesar
History — Antiquity
The Roman Republic, the conquests, Rome's political crisis.
Ages 13–15
👑Napoleon
History — Revolution and Empire
The Terror, 18 Brumaire, the revolutionary legacy in Europe.
⚔️Julius Caesar
History — crisis of the Republic
From Republic to Empire, the civil wars.
Ages 16–18
🏛️Socrates
Philosophy — consciousness, truth, justice
The Socratic method, defining virtue, the limits of knowledge.
🛋️Freud
Philosophy — the unconscious, freedom, science
Repression, dreams, whether psychoanalysis is a science.

The method in 3 steps

A revision session with Parlova takes 20 to 30 minutes. That's enough to consolidate a chapter.

1
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Reread your lesson first

No need to reread everything — pick out the 2 or 3 points you didn't understand or keep forgetting. That's what you'll ask about.

2
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Ask the character exactly those questions

Phrase your question precisely — as if you wanted a real answer, not a textbook definition. The more precise your question, the more the answer teaches you.

3
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Compare with your lesson

This is the key step. The character speaks from their own time — they may simplify or have blind spots. Where do they confirm your lesson? Where do they differ? That comparison is what makes knowledge stick.

What it looks like for real

Two examples of questions asked by students — and what they learned by comparing the character's answer with their lesson.

👑Napoleon— Age 13–14 — French Revolution
you
Was the Terror necessary to save the Revolution?
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« The Terror was the response of men convinced the Revolution would die unless it was imposed by force. Robespierre sincerely believed he was defending the principles of 1789. Was he right? History has judged that question — and so do I, ten years on. »
💡 What you learn by comparing
Compare: your textbook says the Terror executed tens of thousands of people. Napoleon talks about it as part of the Revolution's internal logic — not as a criminal excess. That nuance is exactly what an essay asks for.
🛋️Freud— Ages 17–18 — Philosophy
you
If the unconscious is by definition inaccessible, how do you prove it exists?
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« You're asking the very question I ask myself. The unconscious isn't an object you observe — it's an explanatory hypothesis. Like the electron for a physicist: you can't see it, but without it nothing makes sense. Dreams, slips of the tongue, symptoms — so many effects that have no other satisfying explanation. »
💡 What you learn by comparing
Compare: Popper will later say this makes psychoanalysis unfalsifiable. Freud would answer with clinical results. You've just built the core of an essay on truth and science.
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Ready to revise differently?

Choose the character you're studying right now — and start with the question that's giving you trouble.

⚔️ Julius CaesarHistory, ages 12–14👑 NapoleonHistory, ages 13–15⚡ ZeusMythology, ages 11–13🏛️ SocratesPhilosophy, 16–18🛋️ FreudPhilosophy, 16–18

Frequently asked questions

Is Parlova free for students?
Yes. You can question Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Socrates, Freud and Zeus for free. No account needed to get started.
How do I use Parlova to revise?
First reread your lesson. Note the points you don't fully understand. Then open the character and ask exactly those questions. Compare their answer with your lesson. That comparison is what makes the knowledge stick.
Are the characters' answers reliable?
The characters are played by an AI, guided to stay consistent with their time and with the historical sources — but an AI can make mistakes or invent a detail. They may simplify or have blind spots — on purpose. The idea is to test what they say against your lesson, not to replace it.
Which subjects can I use Parlova for?
History throughout secondary school (Julius Caesar, Napoleon), philosophy for older students (Socrates, Freud), Greek mythology for ages 11–13 (Zeus).
Does it replace my lessons?
No — and that's deliberate. Use Parlova after reading your lesson, not instead of it. The characters may simplify or have blind spots. The idea is to compare what they say with what you already know — that comparison is what fixes knowledge.
How does it help with exams?
By making you ask precise questions and write a reasoned answer at the end of the session. Those two exercises match exactly the skills exams assess: argued paragraphs, essays and source analysis.
Can I use Parlova on my phone?
Yes. Parlova works in any browser on phone, tablet or computer. Nothing to install. You can revise from home in 15 minutes during a break.
Go further
🎒
Why rereading your notes doesn't work
What neuroscience says about memory — and how to revise differently with Julius Caesar and Freud.
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