Question authoring software

Create better online exam questions

Write, import and manage high-quality questions with rich content, flexible marking, reusable question banks and a full suite of online assessment formats.

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  • Question types
  • Rich content
  • Reusable banks
Online exam authoring software showing the question editor with question types and formatting options.

10 million+

exams delivered worldwide

Trusted by awarding bodies, universities & professional bodies

Question type reference

Explore Synap question types

A structured guide to the question formats you can use when building online exams, practice tests and certification assessments.

View all question types

Single correct multiple choice

Single correct multiple choice questions are ideal when there is one best answer and you need fast, consistent marking at scale.

Best for: Knowledge checks with one best answer, Large cohorts where instant marking matters and Practice tests, mocks and certification exams

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Single correct multiple choice
Question 1 of 20 Selected response

Which of these is a programming language?

Auto-marked instantly

An interactive Single correct multiple choice question in Synap's exam player — answer it, then check.

Question editor

Showcase the question authoring UI

Create polished questions without leaving the platform

Build questions with a clear stem, lead-in, answer options, feedback and rich formatting. Add images, tables, equations and embedded content directly inside the question editor.

Rich text question editor with formatting controls and an embedded plant biology image.

Tags and facets

Use tags for analytics and weighted exam design

Tags are one of the most powerful parts of a mature question bank. In Synap, they help you understand performance by topic and skill, then build dynamic exams with weighting rules that reflect your blueprint.

  • Analytics by topic and skill

    Break results down by facets such as subject, topic, subtopic, skill and difficulty to see where candidates are strong or struggling.

  • Question quality review

    Use tags alongside item-level stats like p-value and discrimination to identify content that may need review.

  • Dynamic, weighted exams

    Pull questions from tagged pools with rules and weighting that keep coverage consistent with your blueprint.

Tag analytics
Student Cohort

Subject

Topic

By subject

Finance
61%
74%

By topic

Accounting
61%
74%

By subtopic

Bookkeeping
65%
78%
Reconciliation
57%
69%

Authoring capabilities

Everything authors need to create high-quality questions

Synap gives assessment teams the structure they need for serious question writing, from candidate-facing content to marking guidance and operational workflows.

  • Structured question content

    Create questions with stems, lead-ins, general feedback and option-specific feedback so candidates and markers get the right information at the right point.

  • Flexible marking strategies

    Support exact match, partial match and match-per-blank approaches for auto-marked questions, alongside manual marking where judgement is required.

  • Rubrics and marker guidance

    Add marking criteria, marker notes and candidate feedback to support structured human marking, moderation, escalation and AI-assisted marking workflows.

  • Rich text and embedded content

    Use formatted text, tables, images, equations, dynamic variables and embedded media to build questions that match real assessment scenarios.

  • Media-first question design

    Add audio and video stems, control playback where required, and create language, listening, speaking and scenario-based assessment items.

  • Extended matching and specialist formats

    Build extended matching questions and specialist item types for clinical, STEM, language, coding and applied professional assessments.

  • CSV and API workflows

    Import and export questions using CSV, or connect authoring workflows to your existing systems with Synap APIs and integrations.

  • Reusable question banks

    Organise questions by topic, difficulty and tags so teams can reuse validated content across exams, mocks and practice tests.

Assessment lifecycle

Where question authoring fits next

Question writing is one part of the wider assessment workflow. These related areas cover what happens once your question bank is ready.

Frequently asked questions

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Or ask an AI about Synap

Question authoring software lets teams create, format, import, organise and maintain assessment questions digitally. Synap supports rich question content, reusable question banks, bulk CSV import, question cloning, feedback and flexible marking settings, so authors can build high-quality online assessment content without relying on paper or spreadsheets.
Yes. Synap is built for non-technical authors, so you can create questions without coding or setup. Write questions directly in the editor with formatting, tables, images and equations, bulk import from CSV, or clone existing questions to build your question bank in minutes.
Synap supports a wide range of question types, including single and multiple correct multiple choice, short and long answer, drag and drop, fill in the blank, ranked order, extended matching and hotspot. You can also add multimedia (images, audio and video), audio and video recording, coding, spreadsheets and file upload questions. Formats are either auto-graded for scale or manually marked against rubrics.
Yes. Use the CSV question importer to upload large numbers of questions at once, including formatting, custom marks and category tags in a single file. You can also clone existing questions to build up your question bank quickly.
Yes. Organise questions by topic, subtopic, difficulty and custom tags so validated content can be reused across exams, mocks, practice tests and revision workflows.
Synap supports automatically marked question types, manual marking and structured marking workflows. Auto-marked questions can use strategies such as exact match, partial match and match per blank, while written or uploaded responses can be reviewed with rubrics, marker notes, moderation and candidate feedback.
Yes. Questions can include formatted text, tables, images, equations, embedded content, audio and video. These options are useful for language assessments, scenario-based exams, clinical cases and other assessments where the stimulus is more than plain text.
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