Ace
Short answer: paste or upload your lecture notes and tell ChatGPT to ask you one question at a time, using only those notes, and to wait for your answer before revealing the correct one. Ask it to quote the line from your notes that proves each answer, mix question types (multiple choice, typed answers, putting steps in order), and keep a list of the questions you miss so you can be asked them again on later days.
Why being quizzed beats being told
Every time you pull an answer out of memory, you make it easier to pull out again. This is called retrieval practice, and it is one of the most reliable findings in learning research. In a well-known study, Roediger and Karpicke (2006) had students either reread a passage or practise recalling it. A week later, the students who practised recall remembered considerably more. Even questions you get wrong help, as long as you see the correct answer afterwards (Kornell, Hays and Bjork, 2009).
ChatGPT's default habit is to explain. That is the opposite of what revision needs. The prompts below flip it round.
Set it up properly first
Start a new chat for each topic and give it your actual material: paste the notes or upload the slides or PDF. Then send a setup message like this:
"You are my quizmaster. Use ONLY the material I've given you, never outside knowledge. Ask me one exam-style question at a time and wait for my answer. After I answer, say whether I'm right, give the correct answer, and quote the exact sentence from my material that proves it. If the material doesn't answer something, don't ask about it. Keep a list of every question I get wrong."
The quote requirement is the important part. It forces the answer to come from your notes, and it gives you a way to catch mistakes: if the quoted sentence doesn't say what ChatGPT claims, don't trust that answer.
Prompts for every kind of question
Mixing question types keeps you thinking rather than pattern-matching. Try these during one session:
- Multiple choice: "Next question: multiple choice with four options. The wrong options should be mistakes a student who half-learned this would make, not obvious jokes."
- Type the answer: "Ask me a question whose answer is a single key term from my notes. I'll type it from memory."
- Put it in order: "Take a process or sequence described in my notes, shuffle the steps, and ask me to put them back in order."
- Explain it back: "Ask me to explain one concept in two sentences, then tell me what I left out, using my notes."
- Apply it: "Give me a short scenario that uses a formula or rule from my notes, and ask me to work out the result."
Turn misses into a review plan
At the end of the session, ask:
"List every question I got wrong today, with the correct answer and the quote from my notes."
Save that list. Tomorrow, start a new chat with your notes and the list, and ask: "Quiz me on these again, rephrased." Repeat after a few days and again after a week. Spreading reviews out like this makes memories last much longer than one long session (Cepeda et al., 2006). Our spaced repetition schedule shows how far apart to space them.
Common mistakes
- Asking for 20 questions with answers at once. You will read the answers. One at a time.
- Letting it use general knowledge. Your exam tests your course, not the internet.
- Not checking. ChatGPT can be fluently wrong. Check anything that matters against the quote and your notes; see how to check AI study answers.
- Only doing it once. The second and third time you answer a question are where it sticks.
If you would rather not set this up every time, Ace does the same job from a file: upload your PDF, slides or a lecture video, and it writes questions in several formats from that material only, each one backed by a quote from your file that you can see under the answer.
Frequently asked questions
Can ChatGPT quiz me on a PDF?
Yes. Upload the PDF or paste its text, then use the setup prompt above so it only asks about that material.
How do I stop ChatGPT showing the answer straight away?
Tell it to ask one question and wait for your reply before giving the answer. Repeat the instruction if it slips.
Is a ChatGPT quiz as good as real practice papers?
Past papers show you the exam's style and difficulty, so use them too. ChatGPT quizzes are useful for daily practice on each lecture as you go.
How many questions should I do in one session?
Fifteen to twenty-five minutes of questions is plenty. Shorter sessions repeated over several days work better than one long one.
Sources
- Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255.
- Kornell, N., Hays, M. J., & Bjork, R. A. (2009). Unsuccessful retrieval attempts enhance subsequent learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 35(4), 989–998.
- Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380.
