Study finds AI tutoring matches human effectiveness at 1/918th cost for GRE prep
A new study called StudentBench, published September 23, 2026, compared AI and human tutoring using GRE questions with 2,383 participants. It found AI instruction statistically equivalent to human-led learning, with one AI costing $0.0052 per 1% gain in correct answers versus $4.81 for human tutors—a 918x cost difference under controlled conditions. The authors emphasize this is a research…
Key points
- Study with 2,383 participants found AI tutoring matched human effectiveness for GRE prep, per *StudentBench* (September 2026)
- Cost per 1% learning gain: **$0.0052** for AI vs. **$4.81** for human tutors—918x cheaper in research conditions
- Researchers warn figure doesn’t reflect real-world tutoring costs and study only tested short-term gains on GRE material
The findings contrast with earlier experiments where a fifth-grader found AI-generated mock exam questions too dissimilar to real test formats. The author argues AI excels as a tutor—explaining unclear concepts or generating alternative explanations—rather than as a predictor of exam content. However, they caution against blind reliance, citing personal failures where AI misinterpreted geometry problems when given images. The study’s authors stress it’s a preprint and not yet peer-reviewed.
Is ChatGPT Better Suited as a 'Tutor' Than a 'Predictor'? Reflecting on Mock Exam Results and Recent Research
note.com · 29 September 2026
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