Make or Take: How Students Navigate Self-Created and Instructor-Provided Cheat Sheets

The use of cheat sheets in exams is often framed as a way to reduce cognitive load and support student performance. However, little is known about how students choose between self-created and instructor-provided cheat sheets, or how these choices relate to their broader approaches to exam preparation. We conducted a longitudinal study in a senior-level undergraduate software requirements course, where students could use either an instructor-provided or a self-created cheat sheet for both the midterm and final exams. Across three survey waves, we received 53, 50, and 44 responses, respectively. 41 students completed all three surveys and formed the longitudinal cohort used to examine how choices and experiences evolved over time, while exam-specific analyses used all available responses from the corresponding wave. Our findings identify several considerations that shaped students’ choices, including trust in instructor expertise, the desire for personalization, and preparation efficiency. We further show how students’ attitudes shifted over time and how their preferences were reflected in patterns of cheat sheet use, perceived content coverage, and challenges encountered during the exams.