Exam authoring
Exam authoring software for high-quality online exams
Write, import and manage high-quality questions with rich content, flexible marking, reusable question banks and a full suite of online assessment formats.
- Question types
- Rich content
- Reusable banks
10 million+
exams delivered worldwide
Trusted by awarding bodies, universities & professional bodies
What is exam authoring software?
Exam authoring software is what assessment teams use to write, import and organise exam questions, then build them into exams. Sometimes called exam creation or test authoring software, it replaces Word documents and spreadsheets with one question bank, so questions can be tagged, reused and marked consistently across every exam.
One place to write questions
Write in a rich editor with images, tables and equations, or bulk import existing questions from CSV.
Reusable question banks
Tag questions by topic, skill and difficulty, then reuse them across mocks, practice tests and live exams.
Marking built in from the start
Set marking rules as you write, then see item statistics such as p-value and discrimination after each exam.
Question types
Try Synap's exam question types
Explore the question types you can use to build online exams, practice tests and certification assessments. Each one is interactive, so you can answer it as a candidate would and see how it is marked.
Single correct multiple choice
Auto markedSingle 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
More about Single correct multiple choice →Which of these is a programming language?
An interactive Single correct multiple choice question in Synap's exam player. Answer it, then check.
- Single correct multiple choice
- Multiple correct multiple choice
- True or False
- Choice matrix
- Short answer
- Numeric answer
- Fill in the blank
- Dropdown cloze
- Drag and drop cloze
- Text selection
- Matching
- Classification
- Ranked order
- Bow tie
- Hotspot
- Image labelling (drag and drop)
- Image labelling (dropdown)
- Image labelling (text)
- Drawing
- Free text
- Coding
- Spreadsheet
- File upload
- Audio recording
- Video recording
- Off platform
- Informational content
- Flashcard
- Likert
Question editor
Write, import and reuse questions in one place
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.
Question
ID 7d20a9Free textCloneStem
A student measured the water lost by two leaves over 24 hours.
| Leaf | Upper surface (mg) | Lower surface (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| A | 12 | 48 |
| B | 9 | 41 |
rate of water loss = mass lost ÷ time
Lead in
Marking and feedback
Set up marking and feedback as you write
Decide how each question is marked while you author it, so auto-marking, examiner marking and feedback all work from the first sitting.
Flexible marking strategies
Mark automatically with exact, partial or proportionate scoring, set credits or penalties per option, and add negative scoring where needed.
Rubrics and marker guidance
Add marking criteria and marker notes so examiners mark consistently, with support for moderation and escalation.
Feedback for every answer
Add general and option-specific feedback, so candidates see why an answer was right or wrong once results are released.
Question
ID 7d20a9Free textCredits
4Information for marking
Tags and facets
Use tags to understand and organise your question bank
Tags are one of the most powerful parts of a mature question bank. In Synap, they show how candidates perform by topic and skill, help you spot questions that need attention and make the right content easy to find.
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.
Find and reuse the right questions
Organise questions by subject, topic and difficulty so authors can quickly find what they need and reuse it across exams.
Subject
Topic
By subject
By topic
By subtopic
Teams and permissions
Keep control as your question bank grows
Exam authoring at scale needs more than an editor. Roles, permissions and quality checks keep content accurate as more people work on it.
Roles for your whole team
Custom roles for question writers, exam managers and markers, each with its own rights to view, edit and delete.
Collaborators
Share questions and quizzes with colleagues so teams can edit together, without giving everyone admin access.
Write without publishing
Give writers permission to edit but not publish, so someone else signs off before their content goes live.
Question flags
Candidates can flag problems with a question. Authors see every flag in one place, then review and resolve it.
Bring your existing questions
Import questions in bulk from CSV with marks, tags and formatting, or connect your systems through the API.
Export for review
Export questions to CSV for offline review, quality assurance or migration, then import your changes back.
Frequently asked questions about exam authoring software
Find quick answers or browse our academy.
Still not sure?
Tell us what you need to assess and we will point you to the right answer.
Create better questions in a fraction of the time
Book a tailored demo to see how Synap helps your team write, import, manage and mark high-quality assessment questions.
