Study and do homework with ChatGPT or Claude

ChatGPT has a built-in study mode. Claude's learning mode is described under its Education plan; on other plans, ask Claude to quiz you.

Picks: 6; ranked

ChatGPT has a study mode that guides you with questions instead of handing over the answer, on every ChatGPT plan, and it can turn notes into flashcards. Anthropic describes a learning mode that works like a tutor on its Claude for Education page, which is a university plan. Its university guide lists study guides, practice questions, flashcards and step-by-step explanations among what students can ask Claude for. Both can be wrong, so check answers against your notes. For graded work, follow your school's AI rules.

Good for

Students preparing for quizzes and exams
Self-learners picking up a new subject
Teachers who manage courses in Google Classroom
Researchers reading papers for a class

The short answer

Our advice: use ChatGPT study mode when you want to be guided and quizzed. Use Claude when you want long explanations, or to work from a big set of notes in a Project. Do the thinking yourself and check answers against your course materials.

Our advice: pick the tool that makes you answer first.

Best for

ChatGPT study mode for guided practice and flashcards
Claude Projects for keeping a whole course of notes in one place
teach and dbs-learning skills for a multi-session plan

Skip it if

You want it to finish graded work for you
You rely on it without checking against course materials

Study a topic for an exam

1
Give it your level and your materials
OpenAI suggests including your level, the exact topic, what you already understand, your deadline and any notes, slides or a photo of the problem.
Prompt
```
I am a first-year college student taking introductory biology. My exam on enzymes is next week. Here are my notes. Quiz me one question at a time and explain anything I miss.
```
2
Turn on the guided mode
In ChatGPT, type @study in the message box or go to chatgpt.com/studymode. Study is not available in Temporary Chats, GPTs or Projects. In Claude, ask it to teach by questions.
Prompt
```
Do not give me the answer straight away. Ask what I already know, then guide me one step at a time.
```
3
Work the problems
Upload a photo or worksheet. Ask for the reasoning, then try a similar problem yourself.
Prompt
```
Walk me through one factoring problem, then give me a similar one to try without help.
```
4
Make flashcards
ChatGPT creates interactive flashcards in the chat and saves decks in your library. In Claude, ask for flashcards as a table you can paste into your app.
Prompt
```
Turn these notes into 20 flashcards. Put the hardest ideas first.
```
5
Plan across sessions
For a multi-week subject, a skill can keep a plan and lessons in a folder.
Prompt
```
Build a four-week plan for statistics. End each session with a five-question quiz.
```
Tip: Check any answer against your textbook before an exam.
Uses teach, dbs-learning

Best plugs for this

Our advice: ChatGPT leads for built-in study tools; Claude is the alternative for explanations and notes in a Project. Plugs add multi-session plans.

1
ChatGPTBuilt inAssistant
Study mode guides you with questions, accepts photos of problems and notes, and ChatGPT makes flashcards. Web, iOS and Android.
Free and upPlan
2
ClaudeAssistant
Explains concepts, writes practice questions and study guides, and keeps course notes in a Project. Learning mode is described under the Claude for Education plan.
Free and upPlan
3
teachSkill
Turns the current folder into a learning workspace where the agent teaches you a topic over many sessions.
899,479 installs
4
dbs-learningSkill
Turns a topic into a series of study articles shaped by your feedback on the last one.
24,594 installs
5
learnSkill
Researches an unfamiliar topic in six phases, from primary sources to a draft you check yourself.
13,326 installs
6
gws-classroomSkill
For teachers: manage Google Classroom courses, rosters and coursework from your assistant.
29,849 installs

ChatGPT

ChatGPT has a dedicated study mode, described on OpenAI's help page.

Plan: Any plan. Study mode is on all ChatGPT plans on web, iOS and Android.

What it can do

Guide you with questions in study mode
Read uploaded notes, slides, PDFs and photos of problems
Quiz you one question at a time
Create interactive flashcards and save decks in your library
Run Python for calculations when it analyses data

Limits

Study is not available in Temporary Chats, GPTs or Projects
ChatGPT can make mistakes, including in flashcards
Follow your school's AI-use rules for graded work

Claude

Claude is strong on explanations and on working from a pile of notes.

Plan: Any plan. A paid plan helps when you keep large course notes in a Project.

What it can do

Explain concepts in simpler terms (listed in Anthropic's guide for university-sponsored accounts)
Write practice questions, study guides and flashcards (same guide)
Give step-by-step explanations for problems (same guide)
Keep course notes and instructions in a Project
Read uploaded PDFs, DOCX and CSV files

Limits

Do not use it for assignments you must do alone, per Anthropic
Check complex calculations with specialist software or by hand
Free accounts can create up to five Projects

Questions

What is the best AI for studying?

ChatGPT has the most built in: a study mode and flashcards on every plan. Claude is a good second for explanations and for keeping notes in a Project. Our advice: try your own notes in both.

How do I turn on study mode in ChatGPT?

On the web, type @study in the message box and pick Study, or go to chatgpt.com/studymode. On iOS and Android, tap + and choose Study. It is not available in Temporary Chats, GPTs or Projects.

Is ChatGPT study mode free?

Yes. OpenAI says study mode is available across ChatGPT plans, on web, iOS and Android, for all ChatGPT models.

Does Claude have a study mode?

Anthropic describes a learning mode that asks questions instead of handing over answers on its Claude for Education page, a university plan. Its guide for university-sponsored accounts also lists study guides, practice questions, flashcards and step-by-step explanations. On other plans, ask Claude in your prompt to quiz you one question at a time.

What is the best AI for math homework?

Use ChatGPT study mode to work a problem step by step from a photo. Claude can do equations and calculations too, but Anthropic says to verify complex calculations with specialist software or by hand. See the math page for details.

Can I use AI for physics, chemistry or statistics?

Yes for explanations and practice. ChatGPT can run Python for calculations and Claude can use code execution on uploaded data. Check units, formulas and results against your textbook.

Can it make flashcards from my notes?

Yes. ChatGPT creates flashcards in the chat, lets you flip and mark them, and saves decks in your library. Claude can write flashcards from your notes as text.

Will my school allow it?

Check first. OpenAI says to follow the AI-use policies of your school or instructor for graded work, and Anthropic says not to use Claude for assignments you are expected to do alone.

Can it be wrong?

Yes. OpenAI notes ChatGPT can make mistakes, including in flashcards. Check answers against your notes or textbook, especially before an exam.

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 7

Using study mode in ChatGPT · help.openai.com
Flashcards in ChatGPT · help.openai.com
Use Claude for Education at your university · support.claude.com
Claude for higher education · claude.com
What are projects? · support.claude.com
How does Claude handle mathematical equations and calculations? · support.claude.com
Data analysis with ChatGPT · help.openai.com