AnswerQuest is one of very few software programs specifically designed to make life easier for teaching staff. We believe teaching staff could be spending more time actually TEACHING if only they were able to spend less time on mundane, repetitive and administrative tasks. We believe that AnswerQuest will save teaching staff so much time that it will pay for itself in a very short period of time.

In a nutshell, AnswerQuest enables teaching staff to create exercises and exams ('tests') semi-automatically. It enables pupils to take these tests on a PC, it will review the results objectively and present the results back to the teaching staff, along with various statistics.

Like in AnswerQuest Lite a 'Practice ' mode is also available, but this time the full range is available, i.e. tables up to 19 and additions/subtractions from -999 to +999.

It is quick and easy to create tests, whether they are exercises or exams. A typical 20 question test for simple numeric algebra can be generated in as little as 60 seconds, as the system generates both the questions and the answers. Questions and answers can be easily controlled and amended if needed. The numeric algebra generator is the most flexible available on the market.

In the smallest setup the system can generate numeric algebra and textual tests. Numeric algebra lets you generate 'sums' : additions, subtractions, divisions and multiplications (and any combination of these). A textual test lets you enter ANY type of textual questions and answers on ANY subject. Further modules are being developed to cover other media types such as Sounds and Images. These extra modules can be added as and when required. What is unique about AnswerQuest is that these are all OPEN modules. For instance for a Spelling exercise you decide which words make up the test, unlike other software packages which limit you to fixed, limited lists of words to choose from. This means that ANY type of textual test is supported, from the simplest Spelling to the most complicated Fluid-dynamics theory. If it can be expressed in words then AnswerQuest can handle it. The system supports 'open' questions as well as 'multiple choice' questions.

All tests are re-usable, so once a test has been created it can be used over and over, year after year.

Tests are portable between PCs. Staff can create tests at home and load them into the system at school or move tests between PCs at school. Likewise, tests can be extracted from the system at school for the pupils to take home as homework. The pupils' answers can be loaded back into the system at school for marking. On a wider scale, tests created by expert teaching staff could be shared between schools.

As a fun way to demonstrate for pupils that they understand the subject matter, AnswerQuest enables them to create their own tests which they can then make available for the other pupils to do (subject to approval by the teacher).

If a school has access to its own website it could post its tests there, ready for download by pupils and staff alike, wherever they may be in the world. Alternatively tests and results could be distributed via e-mail or plain floppy disk. A number of example tests are available for free download from our free stuff web page.

The system will mark test results very fast and totally objective. Typically it takes less than 40 seconds to list the results of a particular test for all pupils in a class.

Access for all users can be restricted by means of password protection. Only certain users can create new tests. Only certain users can view and analyse results. Nobody can make changes to given answers.

The programs have been optimised for 'older' PC hardware (486 CPU upwards) and will run both on Windows 3.1, Windows'95 and Windows'98. This means that 'old' PCs are given a new lease of life and expenditure on new PCs can be deferred or reduced. This in itself may pay for the cost of the software many times over. It also means that performance is exceptionally good on the more powerful Pentium based PC's.

Clear, useful Help information is available on every screen, to guide less experienced users (pupils as well as teaching staff ! ).

AnswerQuest is a tool, a means to an end. While the users are concentrating on the end result (creating/taking/marking tests) they are unwittingly gaining valuable computer skills, as AnswerQuest operates in a fashion very similar to many of todays commercial business applications. Keyboard and Mouse skills are improved as well as familiarity with the 'look and feel' of commercial applications.

This version of AnswerQuest is limited to 1 Administrator account, 4 Teacher accounts and 40 Pupil accounts. If you need more than this then you can either get more copies of AnswerQuest Pro or switch to AnswerQuest ProMax which has no imposed limits.