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Study for a math test with step-by-step ChatGPT equation walkthroughs

FailureEvidence: Described by posterPosted Last checked

ChatGPT walked Reuven Gorsht's daughter through every equation, but the studying didn't stick and the daughter bombed the math test.

How to use this

  1. Tap Copy prompt.
  2. Open ChatGPT.
  3. Paste it into the message box.
  4. Replace anything in [CAPITAL LETTERS IN BRACKETS] with your own details.
  5. Send it, then read the answer before acting on it.
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A prompt is the message you send to the AI tool. Copy the one on this page, put your own details where it asks, and read the answer before you act on it.

Prompt

Recreated prompt

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote one from what it describes. The result shown is the source's, not ours.

What the prompt labels mean

The person didn't share their exact words, so we wrote this from what they described. We haven't tested it, and they didn't use this exact version.

I have a math test coming up on solving equations. Walk me through solving each of these equations step by step, one problem at a time, so I understand how to do them. Here are the practice problems from my worksheet: [EQUATIONS].

Try this in:

ChatGPT Used in sourceGemini Grok Claude

This prompt has blanks to fill in, like [EQUATIONS]. We'll copy it instead of filling it in, so you can edit it before you send.

Opens in a new tab. We don't see what you send.

These links are only a shortcut. We're not affiliated with OpenAI, Google, Anthropic or xAI, and your results may not match the source.

Optional stronger version

Our rewrite with extra checks. The poster didn't test it.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish.

Goal: Help a student practice for a math test by doing the work themselves, with hints instead of full solutions.

Questions to ask me first:
- What topic and grade level is the test?
- Which kinds of problems are hardest?
- How many days until the test?

Inputs (fill in or confirm):
- Topic: [TOPIC, e.g., solving linear equations]
- Practice problems: [PROBLEMS]
- Days until the test: [DAYS]

Rules:
- Don't solve a problem for me; ask me for the next step and give one hint at a time only if I'm stuck.
- After I finish, check my answer and point to the first wrong step.
- Give me new problems of the same type until I get three right in a row without hints.
- End each session with a short mixed quiz under test conditions.

Checkpoint: After the first two problems, ask me how confident I feel and adjust the difficulty.

If you get stuck: If I keep getting the same step wrong, explain that one idea with a different example.

Verify before you finish: Check that I solved the final quiz problems without hints.

Output: One problem at a time, hints on request, and a quiz with my score at the end.

Done when: I can solve the test-style problems on my own.

AI tool

ChatGPT

Outcome

Reuven Gorsht's daughter had a math test and studied at the kitchen table by asking ChatGPT to walk through solving equations, step by step and problem by problem. ChatGPT broke down each equation cleanly and was patient, clear and thorough, and by every visible measure the daughter was studying and putting in the hours. The daughter bombed the test. Gorsht's conclusion is that the tool gave the path without making the student walk it: watching each equation get solved isn't the same as solving it.

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Known limitations

FailureThe source says the AI did not get the job done.

What went wrong: Step-by-step walkthroughs felt like studying, but the daughter couldn't do the problems on the test without them.

Source

Posted
by Reuven Gorsht (Substack)
Last checked
Method:
How we verify

https://reuvengorsht.substack.com/p/my-daughter-used-chatgpt-to-study

Context: Gorsht also cites University of Pennsylvania research in which students practicing with ChatGPT did better in practice and worse on the test; that study is separate from this family's experience.

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