Goodnotes is more than just a note-taking app. It can also help you learn from your notes with its awesome study sets feature!

A study set is like a digital notebook filled with flashcards. You know, those cards with words, pictures, or anything else you want to remember on them. You can flip them over and quiz yourself.

The app has two modes for studying: Practice Mode and Smart Learning Mode. Practice Mode lets you go through all your flashcards at once, in any order you like. It’s great for when you need a quick refresher. Smart Learning Mode is even smarter. It uses a clever technique called spaced repetition to show you the cards you’re most likely to forget at the right time. It’s like having a personal tutor in your pocket!

<aside> ℹ️ Study sets are available across all of your devices via iCloud Sync, so you can conveniently review them no matter where you are.

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Create a study set

From scratch

1. Choose New... from the Documents tab of the Library View.

2. Choose Study Set.

3. Title it and tap Create.

4. Edit the Question and Answer sides of the first card:

   1. Choose a content type:

      

      • Choose the Text icon if your card will contain only typed text.
      • Choose the Image icon if your card will contain only an image background.
      • Choose the Freeform icon if your card will contain any type of content, especially handwriting.

   2. Tap the content area and insert new content.

5. Do one or more of the following:

   • To insert a new card after the current, tap the Add Card icon near the top-right corner.
   • To duplicate the current card, open the More menu (...) in the top-right corner > Duplicate Card.
   • To delete the current card, open the More menu (...) > Delete Card.
   • To navigate through cards:
     • To go to the previous/next card, swipe left/right (iOS/iPadOS), or use the left/right keys on the (hardware) keyboard (iPadOS/macOS). See also Use keyboard shortcuts with Study Sets.
     • To jump to a card, choose the thumbnail view icon (”four squares”) near the top-left corner, and select the card.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have a complete set.

   <aside> 💡 Save time by dragging and dropping content from another Goodnotes document in [Split View](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207582#:~:text=Slide one finger up from,View with the current app.) to your study set in Edit mode.

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From an external file

You can import these types of files into Goodnotes as study sets:

• study sets exported from the app, e.g. by a study partner and shared with you.
• plain text files in .txt, .csv, or .tsv format created by a spreadsheet app or another flashcard app. See Migrate from another flashcard app.

Migrate from another flashcard app

If a third-party app meets the following criteria, you can migrate your flashcards in it to Goodnotes: