Even with the best techniques, this can't be the whole story. presumably he had already studied the stuff before (however effectively). I would think in one hour one could not even read all the material.
Also creating those mental hooks also is work and takes time. Not sure if it comes easier after a lot of practice (probably).
It's not a good thing.
I had no work ethic. Everything came too easy, and never having to work for anything made me lazy.
Luckily I found things that I loved and became experts at them (outside of my course) to keep me from boredom. Then I decided to start my own business, and I've never looked back. I work because I love it, I research because I love it, and know more now than I ever thought possible.
Oh how I wish someone had of introduced me to a challenge ten years earlier and the amazing things that happen when you work hard at something you love.
I also never studied hard for, say, maths at school. But the fact is, I always voluntarily did my maths homework. Not that it took me long, but still.
I fondly remember purposefully going into an exam completely blind, not a minute of prep and acing it. The year following was exceptionally lazy :(
Regardless I look back and wonder what could have been if only I had actually studied those topics and found things I enjoyed. Since I skipped so much of it (spent a lot of time in the sun at university and went clubbing most nights) I never knew what I was missing. I've since gone back and revisited the materials and really enjoyed it.
My lesson is that the goal isn't an exam result, it's finding things you find interesting enough to work hard at. Grades are beside the point entirely. If I had of gone to lectures and perhaps picked up some research assistant jobs back then I would have found my calling much earlier.
It's amazing how many answers can be found within the exam itself. Obviously this varies from subject to subject, but I found throughout school that exams often gave you so many answers, it's absurd...