Make timed practice tests with marking and a review of wrong answers
A practice test earns its keep after the last question: in the marking, the explanations and the second go at what was wrong. Anticode can build timed mock exams from your own questions, mark them in the page, explain each answer and keep a history of attempts on the learner's own device. It can't report results back to a teacher or certify anyone.
Match the real exam
A mock is most useful when it feels like the real thing: the same number of questions, the same time allowed, the same question types and the same rules about going back. If the real exam lets candidates flag questions and return to them, the practice version should too. If it gives 57 minutes for 50 questions, use 57 minutes. Learners build pacing as well as knowledge, and pacing only transfers if the conditions match.
Offer a second mode alongside the timed one: practice mode, with no clock and feedback after every question. Learners use it early on, then switch to exam mode, with feedback only at the end, as the date gets closer.
Question types and marking
| Type | How it's marked | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Single answer multiple choice | Exact match | Distractors that are plausible, not silly |
| Multiple answers ("select two") | All correct and none wrong, or partial credit | Say which rule applies |
| Numeric | Within a tolerance | Units, and rounding to stated decimal places |
| Short text | Against a list of accepted answers | Spelling variants and capitals |
| Ordering or matching | Each pair or position | Partial credit rules |
| Extended written answer | Can't be marked automatically | Show a model answer and let the learner self-mark |
Good distractors (the wrong options) are where question writers spend their effort. The best are answers someone would reach through a specific misunderstanding. If a student who forgets to convert minutes to hours gets 150, put 150 among the options, and write the explanation for it.
Review is where learning happens
- Explanation for every question, shown after marking: why the right answer is right and, for common wrong answers, why that one isn't.
- Review wrong answers only: a button that starts a short session of just the missed questions.
- Topic breakdown: score by topic, so "68%" becomes "strong on algebra, weak on probability".
- Attempt history: dates, scores and time taken, so progress over weeks is visible.
- Shuffled order and options on each attempt, so learners remember content rather than positions.
Building it with Anticode
The questions are yours to supply: paste them into the request with answers, explanations and topic tags. For a very large bank, start with a core set and add the rest in later change requests. You can ask the model to draft extra questions on a topic, but check every one before learners rely on it; a wrong answer key in a practice test does real harm. A request might be: "A mock exam with these 40 questions, 45 minutes, flag and return allowed, exam mode and practice mode, a topic breakdown, a review of wrong answers, and attempt history on this device. Clean, calm, large text."
As a practice test maker, Anticode writes the whole thing as one HTML document: the question bank as data, the timer, marking and review screens in plain JavaScript. It works at phone width and with a keyboard, with answer options as proper form controls a screen reader can announce. If the bank grows, ask for a random draw of 40 from 120, so each attempt is different.
Saved on the learner's device
Attempt history and settings save in the learner's browser with local storage. There's no account and nothing is sent anywhere, which keeps things simple for schools and private tutors. An unfinished attempt can be saved too, so closing the tab mid-test doesn't lose it, if you ask for that.
Limits
- No results for the teacher. A tutor can ask for a screenshot, or add a short form after the test that sends a name and score to them; that's collecting personal data, so treat it accordingly.
- Not secure against cheating. Answers are in the page; this is for practice, not for graded or proctored exams.
- No certificates. A results screen can be printed, but it proves nothing to anyone else.
- Not tied to a real exam board. If you're preparing for a named exam, use questions you have the right to use and check its official format.
For daily short recall rather than full papers, flashcards suit better. A training quiz covers workplace knowledge checks, and math practice covers generated arithmetic drills.
Questions people ask
Can I add images or diagrams to questions?
Yes. Add your own images to the build and say which question each belongs to, or ask for simple diagrams and graphs drawn in code.
Can I make several different papers?
Ask for a paper picker, or a random draw from a larger bank so every attempt differs.
Can learners use it offline before the exam?
Once it has loaded, the test runs entirely in the page, so a weak connection doesn't interrupt it.