Sharpen

What is Sharpen?

Sharpen is a comprehensive college study application developed by McGraw Hill that transforms exam preparation through personalized learning activities. The platform assesses students' current knowledge levels, identifies learning gaps, and delivers customized study recommendations to enhance exam readiness. Every study resource within Sharpen is carefully aligned with popular college textbooks, ensuring relevance to actual course material. Students gain access to thousands of exam-like quizzes across multiple difficulty levels, interactive flashcards, concise video explanations, visual chapter summaries, and step-by-step practice problems. The platform also features Ask Sharpen, an intelligent study assistant that answers questions, generates tailored study content, and links students to related learning activities. Available across iOS, Android, Mac, and web platforms, Sharpen serves students across diverse disciplines including accounting, biology, chemistry, economics, engineering, psychology, and many others.

Key Features

• Multi-Mode Quiz Bank

  Access thousands of exam-like questions across three difficulty levels (Basic, Advanced, Exam) featuring fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and image-based formats with built-in exam timer simulation.

• Comprehensive Learning Resources

  Study using bite-sized videos, interactive flashcards, visual chapter summaries, step-by-step guided solutions, and practice problems all integrated into one cohesive platform.

• Ask Sharpen Study Assistant

  Query the intelligent study assistant to receive explanations, deep-dives into topics, linked study activities, and automatically generated learning content tailored to specific questions.

• Personalized Progress Analysis

  Improve feature analyzes study activity patterns, identifies knowledge gaps, highlights strengths through badges, and recommends targeted learning activities based on performance data.

• Textbook-Aligned Content

  Study materials created by McGraw Hill subject matter experts and directly aligned with current college textbooks across 25+ disciplines including accounting, biology, and engineering.

• Cross-Platform Accessibility

  Study seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, and web browsers with content synced across all devices and accessibility features including captioning and screen reader support.

Use Cases

• College Exam Preparation : Students preparing for midterm and final exams can use multiple quiz modes and assessment tools to build confidence and identify weak areas before high-stakes testing.
• Course Content Mastery : Students seeking to deepen understanding of course material can leverage videos, summaries, and practice problems to reinforce key concepts throughout the semester.
• Term-Long Study Support : Students can develop consistent study habits using mobile-first design and bite-sized activities that fit into busy schedules, studying whenever convenient.
• Academic Gap Identification and Remediation : Students can use the Improve analytics feature to pinpoint specific knowledge gaps and receive targeted recommendations for focused studying on weak areas.
• Collaborative Learning Enhancement : Instructors can create customized playlists of study activities that complement classroom instruction, providing structured supplemental resources for their students.

FAQs