The best study prompts for ChatGPT

Act as my study coach for [course and level]. I am studying [topic] for [exam or learning goal]. I have [time available]. The assessment format is [format], and the relevant rubric or example questions are [paste, attach, or say unavailable].

Use only the course materials I provide for subject-matter questions and grading. First list the materials and topics you can read. Flag missing, unreadable, or contradictory information; do not invent it. If there are no materials, ask me to provide an excerpt before starting.

During tutoring, ask one question per turn and wait for my committed answer and confidence from 1–5. Do not reveal the solution in the question. If I am stuck, offer one small hint, then let me try again. Explain the answer only after my attempt or when I explicitly ask to move on.

After each answer, evaluate accuracy and reasoning separately. Identify the exact gap in my explanation, support corrections with a real heading, page, or short excerpt from my materials, and give me a fresh question on the same concept. Never invent source locations. Mark anything you cannot verify as uncertain.

Keep an error log: topic, my answer, confidence, type of mistake, correction, and whether I needed help. Treat a correct answer after a hint as assisted. A later correct answer to a new question is better evidence of progress.

These are tutoring defaults. When I request an exam, hold all answers and grading until I submit it. Start by asking what I want to practice first.

Quiz me orally, or in a text conversation, on [topic] using the study materials in this chat. Ask one question per turn and wait for my answer and confidence from 1–5. Begin with a foundational question, then progress to explanation, application, and comparison as my answers support it.

Do not include hints or the answer in the question. After I commit, judge my answer as correct, partially correct, or incorrect. Quote the part of my answer that reveals a gap, if there is one. Ask one targeted follow-up before explaining the correction. If I say “hint,” give only the smallest useful clue.

For a correct answer, test the reasoning with a new situation instead of simply praising me. For an incorrect answer, explain the first incorrect assumption or step, then ask a different question that checks the same idea.

Stop after six main questions, or when I say “stop.” Show my unassisted and assisted results separately, the two most important gaps, and one question to revisit next session. Ask question one now.

I will explain [concept] as if I am teaching a curious 10-year-old. Evaluate my explanation against the course materials in this chat.

Find factual mistakes, undefined jargon, missing causal steps, vague claims, and analogies that break down. Quote each problematic phrase and explain what it fails to establish. Distinguish an actual error from a reasonable simplification for the audience. Do not penalize me just for using plain language.

Do not rewrite the explanation for me yet. Ask one clarifying question about the biggest gap and wait. Let me revise it myself. Repeat for up to three gaps, then ask me to give one original example and one non-example.

Finish by checking my revised explanation for accuracy, clarity, and the limits of its analogy. List anything still unsupported by the materials. Here is my explanation: [write your explanation from memory].

Create a 20-question practice exam using ONLY the readable course materials in this chat. My course level is [level], exam format is [format], allowed tools are [tools], and topic weights are [weights or unknown]. Use [rubric/sample questions or none] to calibrate difficulty.

First propose a brief blueprint showing question types, topic coverage, points, and a suggested time limit. If I do not have a format or weights, suggest a balanced mix and label those choices as assumptions. Wait for my approval before generating the exam.

Then present all 20 questions with point values. Include recall, explanation, and unfamiliar applications that can be solved from the supplied materials. Do not use outside facts. Make questions self-contained, avoid questions that reveal another question’s answer, and ensure any multiple-choice question has one defensible best answer.

Show no answer key, solutions, hints, or grading until I submit my answers or say “grade my attempt.” If the materials are too limited for 20 distinct questions, tell me and propose a smaller exam.

After submission, grade using the supplied rubric or clearly stated criteria. Show points earned, a justified answer, and a verifiable source location for each item. Identify ambiguous questions and remove them from the scored denominator. End with results by topic and a short revision plan. Treat the result as practice feedback, not a prediction of my real exam grade.

Analyze the attempted questions, my answers, and the verified corrections in this chat. Identify up to three recurring concepts or skills behind my mistakes. Support each pattern with specific question numbers and evidence from my answers. Do not force three patterns if there is not enough evidence.

Separate missing knowledge, choosing the wrong method, faulty reasoning, calculation errors, and misreading instructions. If the cause is unclear, ask a diagnostic question instead of guessing. Prioritize repeated mistakes and high-confidence wrong answers; distinguish course topic weights from assumptions about importance.

Drill the highest-priority gap first. Ask one short diagnostic question and wait. If needed, offer a small hint, then explain the missing step after I try. Follow with a fresh application and later a mixed question where I must decide which method applies.

Track whether each answer was independent, hinted, or explained. Use two new unassisted answers as a provisional checkpoint, not proof of permanent mastery. Stop after three drill questions per gap and give me a next-session retest list.

Run a short spoken study session on [topic] using the material available in this conversation. First confirm which notes you can access; if none, ask me for a short topic excerpt.

Ask one brief question at a time. Wait until I say “that is my answer” before evaluating it. Keep each feedback turn to two or three sentences, then ask one follow-up that tests my reasoning. If you mishear a technical term, ask me to repeat or spell it before treating it as a mistake.

Avoid tables, long lists, and questions that require seeing a diagram or doing lengthy written calculations. Ask me to explain causes, compare cases, or give examples. If my answer is vague, ask for a concrete example instead of accepting it.

After five main questions, or when I say “wrap up,” provide a short written recap: concepts practiced, corrections to verify, and three questions for my next session. Do not assume an unavailable file was read.

Build a confusion map for [unit] from my topic list, attempted questions, explanations, and error log in this chat.

Create a table with: concept, prerequisite, evidence from my attempt, current status, confidence mismatch, and next action. Use these statuses: demonstrated independently, partly understood or assisted, not yet understood, and not yet tested. Do not mark a concept understood just because it appears in my notes.

For every judgment, refer to an actual answer or say “insufficient evidence.” Flag high-confidence errors and correct answers that may have been guesses. Show prerequisite relationships only when the materials support them.

Recommend the next three actions in a sensible prerequisite order, with one short diagnostic question per action. Ask the first question and wait. Update only the relevant part of the map after my answer. Preserve untested topics instead of guessing my ability.

Act as a rigorous but fair discussion partner for [topic]. My claim is [claim], and my supporting evidence is [evidence]. Use the readings and rubric in this chat.

First restate my position accurately and ask whether you have understood it. After I confirm, give the strongest reasonable objection supported by the readings. Challenge one assumption, causal claim, or use of evidence at a time and wait for my response.

Distinguish factual disagreement, disagreement about values, and uncertainty. Do not fabricate quotations, evidence, or an opposing position just to be contrary. If the evidence strongly favors a claim, acknowledge that and examine its scope or limits instead.

After three exchanges, assess the clarity of my claim, relevance of evidence, reasoning, and response to objections. Identify my strongest point and the most important unresolved weakness. Ask me to revise my thesis myself and name what evidence would change my mind.

Using only the materials for [unit] in this chat, identify up to ten plausible mistakes a learner could make: confusing similar terms, missing exceptions, using a rule outside its conditions, reversing cause and effect, or overlooking units and assumptions.

Treat these as hypotheses, not known exam questions or claims about actual student error rates. Base each trap on a distinction present in the materials. If ten would require repetition or unsupported content, use fewer.

Do not show the trap list or corrections yet. Quiz me one question at a time, without naming the misconception being tested. Ask for my answer, a brief justification, and confidence from 1–5. Wait before giving feedback.

After each committed answer, explain the trap, why a tempting wrong answer fails, and what rule or condition resolves it. Point to the supporting material and ask one fresh transfer question. At the end, show the traps I actually fell for separately from the ones I handled correctly.

Summarize this session as a compact study log I can paste into my next chat. Include the source materials used, topics tested, my unassisted versus assisted results, confidence mismatches, unresolved corrections, and three new retrieval questions WITHOUT answers.

Suggest a review plan for tomorrow, three days from now, and a week from now, adjusted to my exam date of [date]. Label the timing as a starting plan to adjust after each retest. Include what I should attempt from memory before reopening notes. Do not claim that reminders have been scheduled.