Study smarter

Make AI work for your studies

AI can be a useful study companion when you know how to use it. From explaining tricky topics and creating practice questions to helping you plan your revision, there are lots of ways it can support your learning.

There are also some important things to keep in mind. AI can give you incorrect information, and using it in the wrong way could affect your studies or assessment. This guide explains how to use AI safely, responsibly, and effectively.

Using AI safely in your studies

AI can be a useful tool to support your studies, but it has its limitations. AI tools generate responses based on patterns in the information they have been trained on, which means they can sometimes give you incorrect or made-up information. This is often called a hallucination.

Kaplan has built AI tools into MyKaplan, including TutorBot and Open Question Feedback, to support you with your learning. These tools are designed to work alongside your Kaplan studies, but you should still use your own judgement and check important information against your Kaplan learning materials and guidance from your tutor.

The key thing to remember: AI can support your learning, but it can't do the learning for you. Use it to help you understand, practise and prepare, rather than relying on it to give you the answers.

Know when to use AI

AI can be useful in lots of ways, but not everything you can do with AI is appropriate. Use the guide below to understand where AI can support your learning, where you need to check its output, and where you shouldn't use it.

Green: good ways to use AI

These are examples of ways AI can support your learning and help you make the most of your study time.

Use TutorBot for study support
Use TutorBot in MyKaplan to ask questions, explore topics, and get help with your studies. It's designed around your Kaplan course content, making it a useful place to start when you need study support.
Plan your revision
Ask AI to help you create a revision timetable based on the time you have available, the topics you need to cover, and your upcoming exams.
Make difficult topics easier to understand
If you're struggling with a concept, ask AI to explain it in simpler language or give you an example or analogy. For example: Explain deferred tax to me as if I'm 12 years old.
Organise your priorities
Use AI to help you work out how to balance work, apprenticeship tasks, and study deadlines. It can help you organise your workload and decide what to tackle first.
Create practice questions
Ask AI to create questions, quizzes, or flashcards based on a topic you're studying. Use these to test what you know and identify areas you need to revisit.

Amber: use AI with care

AI can be helpful here, but don't take its answers at face value. Check important information against your Kaplan learning materials and guidance from your tutor.

Check AI-generated information
AI can give you answers that sound convincing but aren't correct. Always check important facts, figures, calculations, and explanations against your Kaplan learning materials.
Use AI to support your written work
AI can help you explore ideas or organise your thoughts, but don't rely on it to produce work for you. It can miss important errors or give you information that isn't relevant to your question.
Use Kaplan's AI tools where they're available
TutorBot and Open Question Feedback are designed to support your Kaplan studies. Where you're using AI for learning and practice, these should be your first choice. Remember that feedback from your tutor or marker is still important when you're preparing for an assessment.

Red: don't use AI in these situations

Some uses of AI can put your assessment, confidentiality, or professional responsibilities at risk.

Don't use AI to complete assessments
Don't use AI to write, generate, or complete any part of a Kaplan assessment, mock exam, or formal professional examination where this isn't permitted.
Don't share confidential or private information
Never put personal information, client data, employer records, or confidential Kaplan information into a public AI tool. You should also avoid uploading copyrighted Kaplan study materials to external AI tools.
Don't ignore the rules
The rules around AI can vary between Kaplan, your employer, and your professional body. Always check the relevant guidance before using AI for your studies or work.

Writing better prompts

The more clearly you explain what you need, the more useful AI's response is likely to be. Give it enough context to understand your question, and be specific about what you want it to do.

A good prompt doesn't need to be complicated. It just needs to give AI enough information to help.

Tip: If your question relates to a specific subject, qualification, country, or tax year, include that information in your prompt. This can help AI give you a more relevant response. Always check important information against your Kaplan learning materials.

Scenario 1 - create a personalised study plan

A vague prompt
“Create a study plan for tax.”

A more specific prompt
“Create a 30-day revision plan for my Tax exam. I have two hours per evening on weekdays and four hours on Saturdays. Prioritise Corporation Tax and VAT.”

Scenario 2 - get help understanding a topic

A vague prompt
“Explain double entry.”

A more specific prompt
“Explain double-entry bookkeeping using a real world example of buying coffee inventory for a small cafe.”

Scenario 3 - organise your workload

A vague prompt
“Help me organise my day.”

A more specific prompt
“I have three work deadlines, two apprenticeship tasks, and one Kaplan module due this week. Help me prioritise them by urgency and effort with a colour-coded schedule..”

Assessment integrity and using AI

Your assessments need to show what you know and can do. Using AI in the wrong way could put your qualification at risk and may lead to an investigation by your employer, Kaplan, or your professional body.

Know when you can and can't use AI

AI must not be used to write, generate, or complete any part of a Kaplan assessment, mock exam, or formal institute examination.

Keep a record of your work

If you're working on a major assignment or piece of coursework, keep your initial notes, outlines, and drafts. This can help show how you developed your work independently if your work is ever reviewed.

Remember that AI-generated answers can be wrong

AI can confidently produce information that isn't correct, including made-up case law, incorrect tax thresholds, or inaccurate formulas. Using AI-generated answers in an assessment could therefore affect the accuracy of your work as well as raise questions about whether the work is your own.

AI use can be identified

Kaplan, professional bodies, and examination teams use a range of tools and methods to identify work that may not be original, including plagiarism software and AI analysis.

The safest approach is simple: use AI to support your learning, not to do your assessed work for you.

Using AI for language and accessibility support

If English isn't your first language, or you have specific learning needs, AI can be a useful tool to support your studies.

Simplify complex language - Ask AI to explain complex legal, tax, or financial language in simpler, everyday English.
Check your understanding - Ask AI to define technical financial terms and explain them using clear examples.
Use speech and audio tools - Use speech-to-text and other accessibility features available in your e-readers and study materials to support your learning.

Remember: Don't use AI to translate or draft your final written assessment responses.

Don't take AI's word for it

IAI can sound confident even when it's wrong. It can give you outdated information, get facts wrong, or make things up entirely.

IWhen you're using AI to support your studies, always check important information against your official Kaplan learning materials and guidance from your tutor. If an AI response doesn't match what you're being taught, don't rely on it. Check the information and ask your tutor if you're unsure.

IAI can support your learning, but you are responsible for checking what you use.

Frequently asked questions

Which AI tools should I use for my studies?

Kaplan recommends using TutorBot and Open Question Feedback in MyKaplan for AI-supported learning and practice. These tools are designed to support your Kaplan studies. If you use other AI tools, remember that they can provide inaccurate or outdated information, so always check important information against your Kaplan learning materials and guidance from your tutor

Can I use AI to summarise my notes or lectures?

Yes. AI can help you summarise your own notes or lecture transcripts, which can be a useful way to review what you've learned and identify key points.

Don't upload copyrighted Kaplan course materials to public AI tools, and don't use AI to produce your final assessment responses.

Can I use AI in an assessment?

This depends on the rules for your specific assessment. Always check the relevant assessment guidance before using AI. Where AI use isn't permitted, you must not use it to write, generate, or complete any part of your assessment, mock exam, or formal professional examination.

If you're unsure, speak to your tutor before you start.

Can I upload my Kaplan study materials to an AI tool

Don't upload copyrighted Kaplan study materials to public or external AI tools. If you're unsure whether something can be uploaded, check the relevant guidance or ask your tutor.

What should I do if AI gives me an answer that doesn't match my Kaplan materials?

Don't assume the AI answer is correct. AI can give you information that sounds convincing but is inaccurate or out of date.

Check the information against your official Kaplan learning materials and guidance from your tutor. If you're still unsure, ask your tutor.

Can I use AI to help with language or accessibility?

Yes. AI can be useful for explaining complex language, defining technical terms, or helping you understand difficult concepts. You can also use accessibility features, such as speech-to-text, where they're available in your study materials.