USD Practice Exam Home Page

The exam questions are processed by a short PERL script called exam.pl. You can also try running another sample PERL script called usd.pl that is an exam for which the results are sent to the instructor rather than being interactive with the student. Standard interactive exams can be converted to this format using the Exam Editor's advanced features. To see examples of specialized interactive exams using PERL scripts, try your hand at the Geologic Time Scale or the Periodic Table of the Elements.

With interactive exams the student can read a question, choose an answer, and get an immediate response. In the case of multiple choice and matching questions, the student is told whether the chosen answer or matching combination is correct or not by viewing a green or red screen. Comments associated with each answer tell the student why the answer is correct or incorrect so that something is learned by each trial. For essay questions the student can write or think of an answer and then compare it with a sample provided by the instructor.

As you enter the Exam Editor you will see the Main Menu which is primarily concerned with getting you to a directory of exam files. The link above takes you to a trial directory where you can try creating new exams or editing old ones just to see how the program works. Feel free to play around all you want. For now, stick with the options on the bottom portion of the Main Menu such as selecting, editing, and creating exams. Rest assured that you can't do any serious damage here!

By selecting (or creating) an exam and pressing the Edit Exam button you are taken to the Exam Editing Menu which is your primary work area for writing an exam. Here you can select the type of question you want to write and thereby call an actual question editor. All the functions should be self-explanatory. As you create and save a question you are returned to the Exam Editing Menu, and then you can create another question or edit an old one. You can even use an existing question as a model for a new question by choosing to edit that question, making changes, then selecting to save rather than replace the question using the choices at the bottom of the question form. You can also delete an unwanted question from an exam by selecting to edit it, then choosing the delete option. Most of the menus have a button called View Exam that allows you to see what your exam currently looks like (what the students will see).

Enter the Exam Editor again, and in the Current Directory field (at the top of the Main Menu) delete trial at the end of the directory name and replace it with your own chosen directory name. For example, if you want to create practice exams for MATH 333, then edit the directory name to read /usr/local/www/exam/math333 (or whatever name you select). Then press the Change Directory button. If such a directory already exists, you will be taken there (and that's one way to get back there in the future). If such a directory does not exist, you will enter a screen asking you for information about the directory you want to create, including security information. Once you have created your own directory you can begin writing exams to it. If you gave your directory a high security rating, then you will need to press the Password button on the Main Menu before editing during future sessions.

If you have a personal, course, or department home page, you may want to create links to your exams there so that students can easily choose the one they want from a list. If you want students to write questions to your exams as an exercise, then you can tell them how to access the Exam Editor as described above. If you want to create a direct link to the Exam Editor on your home page with your own exam directory as the default, then include the directory in the URL behind the program address (after a question mark), such as:

This should be all you need to get started. For more information press the Help Manual button on the Main Menu (or call the URL http://www.usd.edu/exam/examedit.html). You are free to e-mail the author of this program if you have additional questions or need any special help. Demonstration sessions will be offered on occasion through the CIDD.

This Web page, the Exam Editor, and accompanying documents were written by Dr. Timothy H. Heaton, originally for use with Earth Science Practice Exams. Comments and suggestions for additional features are welcome.

© 1998 Timothy H. Heaton, Department of Earth Sciences, University of South Dakota