Paper Setter — User manual

Updated: 10 October 2026

Use this guide to understand who does what, how the platform is organised, and how to create and deliver an exam. Available screens depend on your role, subject access and organisation settings.

Quick navigation

• Users and roles
• How Paper Setter fits together
• Sign in and onboard your team
• Build and review your question bank
• Create a paper exam
• Create an online exam and sitting
• Student journey
• Troubleshooting
• Collect student feedback

This manual is intended for institution administrators, teachers, question-entry staff and students. It covers setup, everyday work, assessment delivery and common problems. Your institution provides its own sign-in address and support contact. Screens and available actions may differ according to the modules included in your account.

Features that give you more control

Paper Setter connects the way your institution organises questions with the way you build assessments.

Capability	Practical benefit	Example
Your own question-tagging structure	Classify content to reflect your curriculum and teaching approach	Chapter, topic, Bloom's taxonomy, competency, learning outcome or another institution-defined category
Organise exams in folders	Arrange the subject's papers so staff can find them quickly	Group term tests, practice papers and finals per class or term, then move exams as plans change
Search and filter your question bank	Find relevant questions without manually reading the entire bank	Narrow the bank using topic and competency tags, then inspect matching questions
Exclude questions from selected earlier exams	Control repeat exposure when Auto Select builds a new assessment	Avoid questions used in a previous class test when preparing a retest
Combine exact requirements and exclusions	Select eligible questions against assessment requirements	Request per-section counts with optional exact marks and time totals, tag-share rules and selected past papers excluded
Check wording similarity on request	Inspect potentially similar questions before finalising	Turn the similarity check on, then keep an intentional similar pair or pick a different set
Collaborate on individual questions	Keep author and reviewer feedback alongside the content being discussed	Comment on wording, solutions, marking or tags, then review the author's corrections
Assess paper balance before exam day	Inspect coverage, difficulty, targets and AI feedback before issuing a paper	Identify an overrepresented topic or an uneven difficulty profile and refine the paper
Use results to guide improvement	Help teachers and students identify areas needing attention	Inspect section/question performance and the questions most often missed by the class
Choose bank selection or AI authoring	Reuse existing content or draft fresh questions	Auto Select from the bank, or Generate Questions using a prompt and curriculum context

Example: organise a mathematics bank by chapter, topic, Bloom's level and competency. Search/filter for relevant content, then use Auto Select with per-section counts, exact totals where needed and selected past papers excluded. Review the resulting paper before distribution.

Tags describe content; they do not automatically guarantee quotas across every category or generate formal outcome-attainment reports.

Getting ready

Before your first session, have the following ready:

• Your institution's Paper Setter sign-in address and your own account.
• A modern browser and a reliable internet connection.
• The subject, class/group and assessment you will work on.
• The required templates and any approved question or curriculum content.
• The name of the administrator or support contact who can help you.

First-time administrator checklist

• Confirm the institution's name, available subjects and assessment modules.
• Agree who will enter questions, review them and conduct exams.
• Invite staff using the appropriate roles and subject assignments.
• Confirm paper and/or online templates are ready.
• Complete a small practice workflow before the first real assessment.
• Tell staff and students where to sign in and whom to contact for help.

1. Users and roles

User type	Main purpose	Typical work
Organisation Admin	Manage the institution's team and setup	Invite members, manage organisation access, oversee subjects and assessment workflows
Teacher	Create and deliver assessments	Author/review questions, build exams, manage sittings and review results within permitted access
Typist	Enter question content	Create and edit questions across the organisation's subjects; cannot approve questions or manage exams as a teacher
Viewer	Consult the question bank	View accessible bank content; this is not an approval role
Student	Take assigned assessments	Join a sitting, answer questions, submit and view released reviews
Tech Support	Provide operational assistance	Help authorised users resolve access, configuration and operational issues
System Admin	Administer the platform	Perform platform-level configuration and support across organisations

Use this table to understand each role. Individual actions also depend on subject access and ownership. For example, an exam's public visibility does not give every teacher permission to edit it.

Choosing accounts for your team

• Assign Typist for content-entry work.
• Assign Teacher for question review and assessment work.
• Use Organisation Admin for people responsible for membership and setup.
• Give learners their own Student accounts.
• Use personal accounts rather than sharing an administrator login.

2. How Paper Setter fits together

Structure

Term	What it means
Organisation	The institution and its members
Subject	The context containing assessment content and access settings
Tags	Institution-defined labels for finding and grouping questions, such as chapter, topic, Bloom's taxonomy or competency
Template	The structure/layout of a paper or online exam; a paper template also fixes the sheet size (A4 or US Letter) used for previews and printing
Question bank	Reusable questions and solutions; paper and online banks are separate
Exam	The selected content and assessment structure
Sitting	An online exam offered to students with entry and review rules
Attempt	One student's work in a sitting

Overall workflow

Before you start

• Confirm the correct organisation and subject.
• Make sure the required templates are available.
• Check that staff and students have the appropriate access.
• Decide whether you need paper output, an online sitting, or both.

3. Sign in and onboard your team

Sign in

1. Open the product address supplied by your organisation.
2. Sign in with your own account; use password recovery if needed.
3. Select the relevant subject.

If a menu or subject is missing, ask your administrator to check your access and the modules enabled for your institution. Follow the sign-in options shown on your login screen.

Password recovery and account access

• Use the password recovery option on the sign-in screen if you cannot remember your password.
• Check that the email address matches the account registered with your institution.
• If a recovery message does not arrive, check the spam/junk folder and contact your administrator.
• If you can sign in but cannot see a subject, request access rather than creating a second account.
• Sign out after using a shared computer.

Invite users — Organisation Admin

Go to: Organisation → Invite Users

1. Create an invite and choose an available role.
2. Set its expiry and maximum uses.
3. Select subject assignments where offered for teachers/students.
4. Create and share the link. It is copied when creation succeeds.
5. Recipients open the link and enter their own account details.
6. Check membership and access after they join.

Expired or exhausted links must be replaced. Typists have broad subject access for question entry; that does not grant approval permissions.

Membership and access checks

After an invite is accepted, check the member's role and subjects in the organisation's member area. Use the available member controls to make permitted changes; contact the platform administrator for changes your account cannot perform.

Keep these two invitations distinct:

Invitation	Purpose
Organisation invite	Brings a person into your institution with a chosen role and applicable subject access
Sitting invite or join code	Gives a student access to a particular online assessment, subject to its entry rules

Share invite links only with intended recipients. An organisation invite does not automatically mean a student has been enrolled in every sitting.

Prepare subjects and templates

• Open Administration → Subjects to inspect subjects and manage supported tag settings.
• Coordinate new subject/template provisioning with the platform administrator where your role does not offer those controls.
• Choose a paper template for printable layout and sections. Each paper template specifies a sheet size — A4 or US Letter — and previews, printing and PDF output follow it.
• Choose an online template for online sections/slides and associated timing rules.

Define your question-tagging structure

Tags are not limited to chapters or topics. Your institution can define named tag groups and values that suit each subject.

Example tag group	Example values
Chapter	Algebra; Geometry; Probability
Topic / subtopic	Quadratic equations; Similar triangles
Bloom's taxonomy	Remember; Understand; Apply; Analyse; Evaluate; Create
Competency	Problem solving; Interpretation; Reasoning; Application
Learning outcome	Institution-defined outcome codes or descriptions
Other custom categories	Unit, syllabus strand, teaching period or another useful classification

These are examples, not a fixed list of built-in categories. Configure the groups and values you need, then apply relevant tags to questions. A question can carry several tags describing different aspects of its content.

Set up tags

1. Open Administration → Subjects and select the subject.
2. Use the available tag-editing controls to add or edit groups and values.
3. Agree consistent names with your teaching team, then save.
4. Apply appropriate values when creating or editing questions.
5. Use those tags in bank filters and generation controls where offered.

If you cannot edit tags, ask your administrator to configure them. Avoid near-identical labels such as “Problem solving” and “Problem-solving” unless intentional. Adding a category does not automatically classify existing questions: review and tag them as needed.

Prepare curriculum context for AI

Where Curriculum is available:

1. Select the correct subject and open Curriculum.
2. Search by name or tag to find an existing document, or choose New document.
3. Use the document editor to record the relevant syllabus or teaching context and save it using the displayed controls.
4. Check that the material is accurate and suitable for the subject.
5. Select the relevant saved documents when the AI generation dialog offers curriculum context (up to three documents).

Use focused, current material. Selecting a curriculum document guides AI authoring; teachers still need to check the questions against the intended syllabus.

4. Build and review your question bank

Go to: Questions → Create Question

1. Choose the subject and template.
2. Complete the displayed metadata: tags, marks, time estimate and other required fields.
3. Enter the question using text, maths, images, tables and supported subquestions.
4. Add the solution and marking information requested by the template.
5. Use Preview, then Create Question to save.

AI Generate can help draft content. Always check accuracy, answer completeness, formatting and tags. The selected template determines which fields you need to complete.

Find and maintain existing questions

1. Open the question bank for the correct subject and paper/online question type.
2. Enter a search term and use the available filters to narrow the list. Filter by configured tags such as chapter, topic, Bloom's level or competency, and other fields offered on that screen.
3. Open a question to inspect its content, solution, tags and status.
4. Choose Edit, Duplicate or Delete only where that action is offered to your role.
5. After editing, save and check the rendered result again.

Removing a question from an exam and deleting it from the question bank are different actions. Before deleting bank content, check your institution's retention rules and any assessments that depend on it. Do not assume a bank edit retroactively changes every saved exam or completed attempt.

Search and filter with purpose

• Start with the correct subject and paper/online bank.
• Use search for relevant wording and available tag filters to refine results.
• Use other filters shown on the screen, such as difficulty, marks, time or status, where available.
• Open matching questions to inspect their content and solutions before selecting them.
• If results are empty, clear filters one at a time and check that questions have the expected tags.

For example, look for questions tagged Algebra, Apply and Problem solving using the bank's filter controls. Review the returned list; category names alone do not establish that content has been tagged correctly.

Online question authoring

Use the online question area when preparing computer-based assessments. Choose a supported question type/template, complete its prompt, answer options and correct-answer/scoring fields, then preview and save.

• Verify every answer option, including which answer is correct.
• Check negative marking or partial-credit settings where the selected format supports them.
• Confirm the student-facing rendering before adding the question to an exam.
• A paper question is not automatically converted into an online question.

Understand the two kinds of status

Status	Meaning	What to do
Draft / Approved	Question publication status	Authorised teachers/admins review and use the approval control
Pending / Ready for paper questions	Processing/rendering status	Allow processing to finish; readiness does not mean academic approval

Collaborate through question comments

Teachers, authors and other authorised collaborators can discuss a question directly in its discussion area. Comments keep feedback attached to the question, so reviewers do not have to reconcile separate email or chat conversations.

1. Open the paper or online question you want to review.
2. Open its discussion/comments area and read earlier feedback.
3. Write a specific comment and send it.
4. The author or another authorised editor can review the feedback and update the question.
5. Recheck the content and add a follow-up comment explaining what was changed or what still needs attention.
6. Use the approval control separately when the question is ready and your role permits it.

Useful comments include:

• “The wording of part (b) could have two interpretations—please clarify the condition.”
• “The worked solution skips a step needed to justify the final mark.”
• “Please check the correct option and the negative-marking setting.”
• “This question also assesses interpretation; add the relevant competency tag.”

Comments support collaborative review; posting one does not itself change the question or its approval status. Access to a discussion follows the permissions available to the user. Agree who will make edits when several people are reviewing the same content.

Review checklist

• Question and solution are correct.
• Marks, time and tags are appropriate.
• Maths, images and subquestions display correctly.
• Feedback is recorded in the discussion where needed.
• An authorised reviewer has checked the approval setting.

Typists cannot approve questions. Independent review is recommended, but the software does not enforce a separate verifier or prohibit self-approval. Use the approval control on the question itself. Check the approval and content of selected questions before an exam is used; automatic selection may include questions awaiting approval.

Use the question bank to search, filter and inspect saved content. Edit, duplicate and delete actions depend on your permissions.

5. Create a paper exam

Go to: Exams → Create exam

Choose how to add questions

Action	Use it when you want to…	What to provide/check
Manual selection	Pick specific bank questions	Correct sections and question order
Create Question	Author a question yourself	Template fields, content and solution
Auto Select	Replace the paper's questions with a bank selection built to your requirements	Per-section counts, optional exact marks/time totals, tag rules, past-paper exclusions and the similarity check
Generate Questions	Create new questions using AI	Prompt, count, difficulty, tags and curriculum context; review the generated drafts before adding them

With one available template, the selection step may be skipped. The builder creates a draft before you assemble the paper.

Edit, save and share

• Rename the exam and edit its description.
• Add, remove and reorder questions in sections. Select several questions at once to remove them together or to post one comment covering all of them.
• Use Shuffle questions in the builder's ⋯ menu to randomise question order within each section or across all sections (each section keeps its size). The new order saves automatically, and you can still reorder questions manually afterwards.
• New papers are visible by default to eligible staff who have access to the subject; they are not published to the open internet.
• Editing remains restricted to the owner/system administrator.
• Paper approval and staff visibility are separate controls.

Save indicator	Meaning	Your next step
Saving…	Save request is running	Wait
Saved	Latest save is confirmed	Continue working or leave
Unsaved changes	Latest state is not confirmed saved	Keep the page open and resolve the connection/save issue
Unsaved changes with Retry save	The last save attempt failed	Choose Retry save from the top bar and keep the page open until Saved appears

Autosave waits briefly after edits. Preview/download flush pending saves first. If a saved name or description reverts after a successful save, record the exam name and contact support.

Organise exams with folders

The Exams screen arranges a subject's paper exams in folders.

• Exams root lists top-level folders and unfiled exams; a folder page shows its immediate subfolders and exams. Switch to All exams to list every exam in the subject regardless of location.
• The folder sidebar collapses per folder and becomes a drawer on small screens; breadcrumbs and Up one level follow the same hierarchy.
• Use New folder to create a folder in the current location. A folder's menu offers rename, move and delete. Deleting asks for confirmation and moves the folder's immediate contents to its parent folder. Folder names must be unique among their siblings, ignoring capitalisation.
• When you create an exam, its Save location defaults to the folder you are viewing (root when started from All exams); the template chooser can change it, and the builder's details panel offers Save location while you work.
• Move an exam with Move to folder in its menu, or select several exams and use the selection toolbar. Dragging a selected exam onto a folder — in the grid or the sidebar, root included — also moves it. The same actions are available as dialogs on touch devices.
• An empty folder page offers Create exam, New folder and Move existing exams here.
• You can move your own exams; system administrators can move any exam in the subject. Moving an exam does not change its visibility or contents.
• Search matches folder names as well as exam titles and descriptions. Set the search scope to This folder (immediate contents) or All exams; subject-wide results show each exam's folder path.
• Folders are listed alphabetically ahead of exams; exams can be sorted newest first, oldest first or by name.

Resume an existing paper

1. Return to Exams and locate the saved paper: browse folders or switch to All exams, search by name (search also matches folder names), or narrow the list to one exam template using the template filter.
2. Open it and check that you are working on the intended version. Use Open exam in new tab to keep the list available while you work.
3. Use the available edit action if you own the paper or have the required administrative access.
4. Make changes, wait for Saved, and preview again before issuing a revised copy.

Agree a naming convention with your institution—for example, subject, year/group and assessment date—so staff can distinguish drafts, practice papers and final papers. An Approved indicator is separate from both autosave status and visibility.

Review comments and approval

The builder's Review panel collects feedback on the assembled paper.

• Comments can anchor to specific questions, a range of questions, or the whole exam; each entry shows where it applies on the paper.
• Use the Comment or Question category, reply to earlier comments, and edit or delete your own messages.
• Mark a thread resolved when it has been handled; the panel tracks how many threads remain unresolved.
• Selecting several questions before commenting posts one thread covering all of them.
• Where your role permits, use Approve exam in the review panel to mark the paper approved.

Auto Select — step by step

1. In the builder toolbar, open the ⋯ menu and choose Auto Select.
2. For each section, set the number of questions to select. Set a section to 0 to skip it.
3. Optionally tick Exact total marks and/or Exact total minutes for a section. When ticked, the selected questions must add up to exactly that total; it is a requirement, not a maximum. Leave a box unchecked to allow any total.
4. Check the template-required tags shown for each section. They always apply, including on retries; to change them, edit the exam template.
5. Add rules under Tag distribution when the paper should carry a defined share of tagged questions. Each rule sets a tag, a requirement — Exactly, At least or At most — and a percentage of the paper's questions.
6. Turn on Similarity check to avoid similar wording across sections. This extra check makes selection slower; leave it off for faster selection.
7. Expand Exclude past-paper questions and tick earlier exams whose questions must stay out (see below).
8. Choose Select questions and monitor progress.

For example, a request for ten questions totalling twenty marks requires a suitable combination in the available bank. Exact totals and tag rules are requirements: adding more of them can make a request impossible even when the bank contains many questions.

What happens to the paper during selection

• Auto Select runs in the background; you can keep working while it checks the bank.
• Existing questions stay in the paper until selection succeeds. Questions added while the run is in progress are also replaced by the result.
• If the paper already contains questions, confirmation is requested before starting because the new selection will overwrite them.
• Use Stop to cancel a running selection. A stopped run adds nothing; the exam is unchanged.
• On success, the selected questions are saved into the exam and replace its questions. If similar pairs were kept, a review dialog shows them so you can keep the set (Review exam) or Pick a different set.
• If selection cannot finish, the exam is left unchanged, your settings are kept, and the shown message and suggestions indicate what to relax.

Exclude questions used in earlier exams

Auto Select can keep the questions of earlier paper exams out of a new selection. This is useful for retests, parallel groups and revision papers where students should not encounter the same bank questions again.

1. Open Auto Select in the exam workspace.
2. Expand Exclude past-paper questions. The subject's paper exams are listed, newest first.
3. Tick each earlier exam whose questions should be excluded.
4. Set the section counts, optional exact totals and tag rules for the new paper.
5. Choose Select questions. Questions used in the ticked exams are kept out of the result, including on retries — even when the similarity check is off.
6. Review the new exam and its totals before finalising it.

Example: when creating Test 3, tick Test 1 and Test 2 under Exclude past-paper questions so their questions are kept out of the run.

Points to remember

• Exclusions apply to the exams you select, not automatically to every question ever used.
• Exclusion follows the question records used. A separately created copy or reworded question is not necessarily the same record; the similarity check addresses a different concern.
• More exclusions reduce the remaining pool. If selection cannot finish, relax some requirements or add suitable questions.
• Deleted exams no longer provide the same exclusion reference. Retain earlier exams when you need them for future repeat avoidance.

AI generation — step by step

1. In the builder toolbar, open the ⋯ menu and choose Generate Questions.
2. Write a prompt describing the intended subject matter and question style. Include the level of detail you expect in the questions and worked solutions.
3. Set the number of questions, the target difficulty, preferred tags and curriculum documents where offered (up to three documents).
4. Start generation. Drafts appear one by one as they become ready, with a progress count; you can review each draft while the rest generate.
5. Cancel generation at any point. Questions already generated are kept as drafts.
6. Read each draft, edit its text or remove it. Drafts are saved with the exam (the builder shows how many are saved), so you can close the dialog and return to them later.
7. Choose Add to Exam for the drafts you want, or Add all to Exam; optionally pick the target section first. Added questions are placed into the editor and saved through autosave — keep the page open while questions are being added.
8. Clear drafts removes the remaining drafts and stops generation. Questions already added to the exam are kept.

Each exam holds up to 50 AI drafts at a time. Added questions are created in the question bank as draft-stage questions using the exam template's question templates, and enter the normal rendering and approval workflow like any other question.

Check selection and generation results

• Auto Select meets the stated requirements exactly or fails without changing the paper. Requirements are per-section counts, any ticked exact marks/time totals, template-required tags, tag-distribution rules and exclusions.
• Tags control eligibility, and tag-distribution rules set required shares. Without a distribution rule, no particular share of a tag is promised.
• Difficulty: AI preferences guide generation; bank selection does not enforce a target difficulty distribution.
• Similarity preparation: missing or outdated similarity data is prepared for eligible candidates during selection, so the job may take longer. Reused data makes later selections faster. Missing question text still requires repair.
• Similarity: with the check on, kept similar pairs are listed after the exam is saved; review them and keep the set or pick a different one. If no set matches while similarity avoidance is on, you can allow similar wording as a preference and retry.
• AI drafts stay separate from the exam until you add them; cancelling keeps the drafts that were completed. Added questions arrive as draft-stage bank questions awaiting rendering and review — check their content, answers, tags and rendered appearance before approving them.

Evaluate how balanced and ready the paper is

Paper Setter provides insights into the composition of a paper before it is used. Open the paper's Insights view or the insights area available in the builder.

Insight	What it helps you assess	Possible follow-up
Readiness score	How the paper meets the configured readiness checks	Inspect the contributing checks rather than relying only on the overall score
Marks, time and question-count targets	Current totals against configured section targets	Add, remove or replace questions to address gaps or excesses
Tag coverage	How questions are spread across the configured tag groups	Check whether key chapters, topics or other tagged categories are underrepresented
Difficulty profile	The distribution of recorded question difficulty	Review whether the mix suits the intended students and assessment purpose
AI exam feedback	A summary, feedback score, strengths and suggested improvements	Consider the recommendations and make academically appropriate changes

Use the feedback

1. Confirm that the questions' tags, marks, time estimates and difficulty ratings are accurate.
2. Check coverage and difficulty against the purpose of the assessment.
3. In AI exam feedback, choose Generate feedback where available.
4. Read the summary, strengths and suggested improvements, including their stated priority/severity.
5. Refine the paper, then review updated insights and request fresh feedback where offered.
6. Complete the final human review before approving or distributing the paper.

Example: a paper may meet its total marks target but place most questions in one chapter. Coverage insights help reveal that concentration, while the difficulty profile helps the teacher judge whether the paper is appropriate for the class.

These views support a judgement about paper quality; they do not certify factual accuracy or replace academic review. Results depend on the metadata and targets supplied. A Bloom's or competency tag contributes classification information, not an automatic guarantee of a balanced cognitive-level quota.

Final checks and output

• Review every page in Preview.
• Check composition using paper insights.
• Resolve relevant review feedback and set the approval state.
• Check numbering, pagination, images and solutions.
• Choose Download to open the print view, then print or save as PDF from the browser dialog.

Produce answer sheets

• For one paper, use View Answer Sheet on the exam card, or Answer Sheet in the exam view.
• For several papers, select the relevant exams in the Exams list and choose Generate Answer Sheet. Up to 20 exams can be combined into one sheet.
• Answer sheets list each question with its marks and its tags grouped under your tag groups. Multiple-choice questions appear as compact tables without the question text; solutions are included.
• Check that the answer-sheet view corresponds to the intended exam names and question numbering.
• Use the view's print controls or the browser print dialog to print/save the output.
• Keep staff answer sheets separate from the paper distributed to students.

Print and PDF checks

1. Allow the preview to finish loading. Newly added or edited questions are measured for layout before the pages are assembled; the preview shows a rendering message and can take a little longer the first time.
2. Choose Download in the builder, or Download on the exam card, or open the required answer-sheet view.
3. If the browser blocks a new window, allow it for Paper Setter and repeat the action.
4. In the print dialog, choose the printer or Save as PDF, and confirm that the printer's paper size matches the template's sheet size (A4 or US Letter), with margins and scale checked against the preview.
5. Inspect the saved PDF or a test print before producing the full batch.

If output is incomplete, keep the original exam, note which page/question is affected and contact support. Avoid distributing a file that has missing questions or solutions.

6. Create an online exam and sitting

Build the online exam

Go to: Online Exams → Create Exam, where enabled.

1. Select an online template.
2. Add online-bank questions, using supported bulk-add or Auto Select actions where useful.
3. Check section order, content and timing.
4. Save using the displayed create/update action.

Remember

• Paper-builder autosave instructions do not apply to every online-editor action.
• Editing is blocked once student sessions exist.
• Use sittings to deliver online assessments to students. The online editor's public checkbox is not currently a supported sharing method.

Preflight the online exam

• Exam title and template are correct.
• All intended sections and questions are present, in the right order.
• Instructions and any introductory slides are clear.
• Timing, marks and supported scoring rules match the assessment plan.
• Correct answers and solutions have been checked.
• The exam has been saved successfully.

Finalise content before students start: an online exam cannot be edited once student sessions exist. If a later correction is necessary, contact your assessment administrator and agree how affected students will be handled.

Create the sitting

Go to: Online Exams → Sittings

1. Create a sitting and select the required online exam.
2. Choose students and entry rules.
3. Check the three cards: Online exam → Time window → Getting students in.
4. Add students or share a supported join code/invite link.
5. Check invite expiry and capacity before sharing.

Sitting type	Entry arrangement
Scheduled	Students start within a defined time window
Open	No fixed calendar entry window; any configured per-attempt start allowance remains distinct from exam/section timers

Configure student entry

In Getting students in:

1. Confirm the linked exam and entry window before sending invitations.
2. Use Copy join code or Copy invite link.
3. Open Invite settings where available.
4. Set Expires at and Max students via link, then choose Save settings. Blank values mean no expiry/no cap for those link settings; the sitting's other entry rules still apply.
5. Share the invitation with the intended students and explain when they should sign in.

The link cap controls entry through the link; it is not a substitute for checking the full roster. Review the joined count and enrolled students before the assessment.

Regenerate link replaces the invitation: distribute the new link/code and tell recipients to stop using the old one. Some settings are unavailable after a sitting has started. If a control is disabled, review the sitting's status before contacting support.

Before the sitting opens

• Check the online exam name in the top card.
• Confirm the displayed dates/times with participants, especially if they are in different locations.
• Check the student roster and invitation limits.
• Explain the permitted start period separately from the exam's answering time.
• Decide when student reviews should be released.
• Tell students how to report technical problems.

Monitor and release results

Control/status	What it tells you or does
Not started / In exam / Completed	Tracks student attempt progress
Refresh	Fetches updated status
Retry/recalculate review, where offered	Helps recover failed or outdated review generation
Student review on/off	Controls student access to generated reviews
Submit all in progress	Ends active attempts and locks answers; does not start absent students' attempts

Marks/reviews generate asynchronously. Completed does not necessarily mean a review is ready, and missing marks are not necessarily zero.

Proctor assignment is not currently available on this page. Arrange invigilation according to your institution's procedures. Browser-activity reporting, where used, does not replace supervision.

Interpret results

• Completion counts describe participation; they are not grades.
• Score distributions summarise available marks across attempts.
• Analytics provides class-level/question-level summaries; use the roster for individual students.
• Missing or failed reviews may affect which marks are available. Resolve these before reporting final outcomes.
• Use recalculation only when you intend to regenerate affected review results, such as after an agreed correction.

Use reports and reviews to identify weaker areas

Paper Setter gives teachers class-level analytics and access to permitted individual results. Students can inspect their own released attempt reviews. Together, these views support targeted feedback and revision.

Audience	Information to review	How to use it
Teacher — whole class	Completion, score distribution, mean and other summary statistics, pass rate where shown, and frequently missed questions	Identify questions or assessed skills that need reteaching; check unusual result patterns
Teacher — individual student	Roster status, available marks and the student's permitted attempt review	Discuss errors, gaps and areas needing practice using the actual answers and solutions
Student	Released question-by-question review, marks, section scores and explanations where provided	Revisit missed questions, compare reasoning with the solution and agree revision priorities

Teacher workflow

1. Wait until enough attempts and reviews are available to interpret results meaningfully.
2. Open the sitting's Analytics and check whether results are partial or final.
3. Inspect the questions most often answered incorrectly, partially answered or left unanswered.
4. Check the question and solution before deciding whether the issue is understanding, question wording or scoring.
5. Use the relevant chapter, topic, Bloom's or competency tags when preparing feedback and follow-up teaching.
6. Review individual attempts where needed, and give students specific practice or revision suggestions.

Student workflow

1. Open the review after staff release it.
2. Compare section performance and inspect missed or partially correct questions.
3. Read the explanations and identify the step or concept that caused difficulty.
4. Ask the teacher for clarification and record the topics or skills to practise next.

Example: if many students miss a question testing interpretation of a graph, the teacher can review that question with the class and provide additional interpretation practice. An individual student can use their own review to check whether the mistake arose from reading the graph or applying the method.

The current reports provide evidence for identifying weaknesses. They should not be described as an automatically generated personalised learning diagnosis, an automatic tag-by-tag attainment report or a complete remediation plan. Teachers interpret the results and decide the appropriate recommendations. Class-level analytics and individual student reviews have different access scopes; share individual results only with authorised recipients.

Release reviews

1. Confirm the intended attempts are complete.
2. Check that marking/review generation has finished, resolving failures where possible.
3. Review the results and any corrections under your institution's assessment policy.
4. Switch Student review on when students may access their reviews.
5. Tell students reviews are available. If access needs to be withdrawn, switch it off.

Close-out checklist

• Resolve unexpected in-progress attempts before treating the sitting as finished.
• Use Submit all in progress only after considering the effect on active students.
• Confirm review generation and release settings.
• Record unresolved student issues with your assessment administrator.
• Check institution policy before removing students or deleting a sitting.

7. Student journey

• Use your own student account.
• Check the sitting's entry window and invitation validity.
• Follow exam/section timers and watch answer-save feedback.
• Avoid closing the tab while an answer is unsaved.
• Wait for review generation and staff release after submitting.
• Contact staff if a code/link is expired, full or outside the entry window.

Before starting

1. Confirm you are signed in to the intended student account.
2. Open the assigned assessment or the invitation supplied by staff.
3. Check the exam name, instructions and permitted start time.
4. Prepare a stable connection and the materials your institution permits.
5. Start only when ready; follow the timing information displayed on screen.

During the exam

• Read the instructions for each section and question type.
• Select or enter answers using the displayed controls.
• Watch the timer and any answer-save or connection messages.
• Follow the available navigation controls; sections may have different timing/navigation rules.
• Avoid unnecessary tab switching, refreshing or closing the exam.

If the connection drops, restore it and follow the on-screen recovery guidance. Do not assume an unsaved answer was recorded or start a second account/attempt. If progress does not recover, tell staff the exam name, time of the problem and visible message.

Submit and view your review

• Check answers using the navigation available before submitting.
• Read any submission confirmation carefully; submission ends the attempt.
• Wait for confirmation instead of closing the page immediately.
• After submission, review access depends on both marking completion and staff release.
• When a review is available, open it to inspect the marks, answers and explanations provided.
• Raise concerns about marking with the teacher or assessment administrator.

8. Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
Menu or subject missing	Role, subject assignment and organisation/module settings
Paper edits not retained	Save status, internet connection and any visible error; use Retry save when offered; contact support if saved values revert
Cannot move an exam or folder	Only the exam's owner and system administrators can move it; folder names must be unique among siblings
Auto Select cannot finish	Pool size, section counts, exact totals, tag rules, exclusions and the similarity check
Student cannot join	Correct account, schedule, invite expiry and capacity
Completed attempt has no review	Review generation and staff release setting
Online public choice resets	Use a sitting to give students access; online public sharing is not currently supported

Common questions

Who can see a paper I create?

Eligible staff who have access to the subject can view new papers by default. Papers are not published to the open internet, and editing stays with the creator and platform administrators.

Are exam approval and student review release the same?

No. Approval marks a paper as reviewed by an authorised user; student review release controls when students can access their online attempt reviews.

Why can Auto Select fail when there are many questions?

The available questions may not satisfy the requested combination of marks, time, count, tags, exclusions and similarity restrictions. Broaden the request or add suitable questions.

Are AI-generated questions ready to use immediately?

No. Generated drafts stay out of the exam until you add them, and added questions enter the bank as draft-stage questions. Check the content, answers, scoring, tags and rendered appearance before assessment use.

Why does a completed student have no marks yet?

Completion and review generation are separate steps. Refresh, allow processing time, and ask authorised staff to check failed reviews where needed.

Can I reuse an online exam for another group?

Create another sitting for the saved exam and set the appropriate students and entry rules. Finalise exam content before any student session begins.

When contacting support, include:

• Your account email.
• Subject and question/exam/sitting name.
• Action taken and expected result.
• Visible error or screenshot, with sensitive details removed.

Never send passwords or other secret account credentials.

9. Collect student feedback

Organisation administrators and system administrators can request and read student feedback from an online exam sitting's student list. Feedback stays in the main application; there is no separate feedback portal to open.

Send invitations

1. Open the sitting and its student list.
2. Check the Feedback received count.
3. Choose Send feedback email. The button is available when email is configured and at least one student is eligible.
4. The application starts sending in the background. The displayed count is the number selected for sending, not confirmation that messages reached inboxes.
5. Refresh the roster, or return focus to the page, to load updated email and feedback information.

An eligible student must be enrolled and have completed a real attempt of this exam in this sitting. Students who already submitted feedback or were successfully emailed are excluded, even if the email was sent more than a week ago. An unsuccessful send can be retried with the same button. Email is not sent automatically when an exam ends. Released results are not required to request feedback.

Read responses

Use the feedback icon in the student's Actions column. It is greyed out while no response exists and becomes available when feedback arrives. Hover over it for its meaning and any recorded email information. Open it to read the student's answers and comments.

Student experience

Open the personal link in the invitation email; keep it private. The questionnaire asks about platform ease of use, technical problems, exam difficulty and time adequacy, with optional comments of up to 2,000 characters. Submit once for the sitting. A confirmation appears after saving.

A personal link expires after 30 days. A supplied sitting feedback link instead asks the student to sign in with the account enrolled in that sitting. Unreleased or unavailable marks are omitted; a released score may be shown after successful submission. Feedback does not release results or change the student's marks.

If something goes wrong

Symptom	What to check
Send button unavailable	Administrator role, email configuration, completed attempts, prior successful emails and existing responses
Sending started but no message arrived	Allow time, check spam/junk, confirm the student's account email, and ask the administrator to check delivery logs
Previously emailed student is skipped	This is intentional; the button does not resend successful invitations
Invalid or expired link	Confirm the correct account/sitting and contact the administrator; forwarding someone else's link is not a remedy
Feedback already submitted	Open the response from the roster; a second response is not accepted
No score shown	Results may not be released or the score may not yet be available