How do you choose the right target retention rate in Tomaru?
Your target retention rate balances long-term memory accuracy against total review volume, allowing you to choose between broad coverage and high recall accuracy.
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In Tomaru, you can set your target retention rate to 85%, 90%, or 95%. This setting is not a difficulty slider or a grade requirement; it represents a direct trade-off between two competing goals that cannot be maximized simultaneously: how thoroughly you retain each word versus how many total words you can cover in a given timeframe.
Understanding how this setting shifts your study focus helps you select the percentage that aligns with your specific learning objectives.
How does target retention affect study workload?
A spaced repetition engine schedules reviews to catch words right as they approach the threshold of being forgotten. Raising your target retention rate forces the algorithm to schedule reviews sooner and more frequently, increasing accuracy at the expense of requiring significantly more daily repetitions.
- Higher retention (95%): Words recur frequently to minimize forgetting. Because each word demands more total reviews, the same daily study time covers fewer total words over time.
- Lower retention (85%): Words are scheduled with longer gaps between reviews. You will forget more individual words during study, but you will cover a far larger volume of vocabulary in the same amount of time.
- Balanced default (90%): Represents a middle ground between memory durability and vocabulary volume, serving as the standard default for most general study routines.
Pushing retention from 90% to 95% is far more costly than the five-point step suggests. Preserving that final percentage of retention requires a disproportionately higher volume of daily reviews.
Which target retention rate should you choose?
Neither end of the spectrum is inherently superior; the right setting depends entirely on your immediate learning goals:
| Target Rate | Primary Goal | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|
| 85% | Maximizing vocabulary volume | Fixed exam deadlines or large reading lists where broad exposure matters more than perfect recall on every single word. |
| 90% | Balanced growth and retention | General language study and ongoing vocabulary expansion without excessive review buildup. |
| 95% | High precision and recall | Maintaining a language you actively speak, or preparing for high-stakes professional or academic settings where error rates must be minimized. |
Does changing target retention alter your review history?
No. Adjusting your target retention rate does not alter your accumulated review log, your card statistics, or your personal FSRS-6 parameters.
It simply changes the mathematical threshold at which cards are flagged for review going forward, dynamically recalculating future intervals across your study queue.
To see how individual memory parameters are computed, read personalized scheduling. To learn how retention rates impact your daily schedule, see daily load and limits.
Related questions
Why isn't 95% target retention recommended for everyone?
Maintaining a 95% retention rate requires a significantly higher volume of daily reviews. For many learners, the extra time spent reviewing existing words prevents them from covering new material effectively.
Can I change my target retention rate later?
Yes. You can switch between 85%, 90%, and 95% at any time in your settings to adapt to changing schedules or upcoming deadlines.
Does lowering my retention target delete card data?
No. Lowering your target retention rate lengthens future review intervals but preserves all accumulated study history and personal scheduling parameters intact.
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