Free printable generator
Cornell notes generator
Build a reusable Cornell notes sheet with an adjustable cue column, summary area and line spacing.
Quick starts
Page setup
Paper pattern
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Start with a familiar setup.
Good to know
A balanced Cornell notes page
The cue column keeps prompts and key terms separate from the main notes. The summary space at the foot of the sheet gives you a deliberate place to restate the important ideas.
Labels are sized independently of the rule spacing, so they remain readable while you adjust the layout.
The Cornell method
How to take Cornell notes properly
Where the method comes from
The Cornell note-taking system was devised by Walter Pauk at Cornell University as a way of turning lecture notes into something you can revise from. The page is split into three areas, and each has a different job at a different time.
The three parts of the page
- Notes column (the wide right-hand area): what you write during the lesson, lecture or reading. Short phrases, diagrams and examples, not full sentences.
- Cue column (the narrow left strip): filled in afterwards with questions, keywords and prompts that point to the notes beside them.
- Summary (the band at the bottom): two to four sentences in your own words explaining what the page was about.
A simple routine
- During the session, write only in the notes column. Leave gaps between ideas.
- Within a day, reread the notes and write a question in the cue column for each main point, such as 'What causes a tide?'
- Write the summary at the bottom without looking back at the notes if you can.
- To revise, cover the notes column and answer each cue out loud, then uncover to check.
Choosing a layout
The A4 version with 8 mm ruling suits most secondary and university notes. The US Letter version uses college-like spacing. The A5 layout with 6 mm lines is handy for a ring binder or for shorter topics such as a single chapter of a book. Print at Actual size so the ruled lines stay evenly spaced.
A worked example of a filled-in page
Here is how one page might look after a Year 10 science lesson on the water cycle. The notes were written during the lesson; the cues and summary were added that evening.
| Cue column (added later) | Notes column (written in the lesson) |
|---|---|
| What drives the water cycle? | Energy from the Sun heats water → evaporation from seas, lakes, soil. Plants lose water from leaves = transpiration. |
| Evaporation vs condensation? | Evaporation: liquid → gas (water vapour). Condensation: vapour cools as it rises → tiny droplets → clouds. |
| Forms of precipitation? | Droplets join and get heavy → fall as rain, sleet, snow or hail. |
| Where does water go after it falls? | Surface run-off → rivers → sea. Infiltration into soil → groundwater flow. Some stored in ice and lakes. |
| Summary (bottom band) | The Sun's energy evaporates water, which condenses into clouds and falls as precipitation. It returns to the sea over land or underground, so the cycle repeats. |
Taking the notes
Write in the wide right-hand column only, and keep it brief: key words, short phrases, arrows, quick sketches and examples. Abbreviate freely (→ for ‘leads to’, e.g. for examples) and leave a line between ideas so you have room to add later. If you miss something, mark it with a question mark and move on rather than losing the thread.
Writing the cues
Soon after the session, ideally the same day, read the notes through and write a cue opposite each main idea. The best cues are questions that the notes answer, such as ‘Why does the air cool as it rises?’, rather than single words. Questions turn the page into a self-test later. Add keywords, dates or formulas too, if those are what you will need to recall.
Writing the summary
In the bottom band, write two to four sentences in your own words that explain the whole page to someone who missed the lesson. Try it without looking at the notes first. If you cannot, that is useful information: it shows which part needs another look.
Adapting the method
- Lectures: print a few sheets in advance and number them. Write the date and lecture title at the top so pages stay in order in a binder.
- Reading: use one page per chapter or section, and write the page numbers beside each note so you can find the source again.
- Revision: turn old notes into fresh Cornell pages, putting past exam questions in the cue column and the model answer points in the notes area.
- Online lessons: pause the video at each new heading and write the notes for that section before moving on.
Last reviewed: 9 October 2026
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Questions, keywords and short prompts you add after the lesson. Each cue should point to a section of your notes so you can test yourself later by covering the notes and answering the cue.
No. The summary is written afterwards, ideally within a day, once you have reviewed the notes. Keeping it short forces you to pick out the main idea.
Yes. It works well for textbook chapters, articles and revision guides. Use one page per section and write cues as the questions an exam might ask.
A4 with 8 mm lines for most students in the UK, US Letter for American binders, and A5 with 6 mm lines for compact folders or short topics.