Sign in, upload something you already teach from, and leave with a paper or a link.
- A ZeroExam account, or a workspace invitation from another teacher. Student join links do not create a teacher account. See Accounts.
- A course file: PDF, DOCX, PPTX, plain text, or a PNG or JPEG page.
- Sign in to the teacher app.
- Upload a document from Documents. The browser sends the file to storage, then asks ZeroExam to start reading it. You do not refresh to see progress.
- Wait for processing. Text is read first, then a chapter tree. A long textbook is queued separately so it does not block every short handout in the workspace.
- Check the structure. Open the document and correct titles, summaries, and page ranges that the extractor got wrong. Edited entries stay marked as edited.
- Create an exam. From My Exams, choose New exam, pick the document, and select the chapters the paper should cover. Set the question mix — types and how many of each — before generation starts.
- Let generation finish. Questions appear on the exam as they are saved. The page stays locked for edits until that job ends. Generation spends AI credits and stops when the workspace has none left.
- Read the draft. Change wording, options, marks, or the answer. Add manually for a question you want to write yourself. Generate with AI asks for one more question. Approve the ones students should see. A share link serves approved questions only.
- Deliver it. Share copies a link. PDF downloads a paper. Print uses the browser. DOCX and an answer-key sheet are under PDF & Print Settings.
- The document finishes extraction and shows a structure tree.
- The exam lists questions tied to the source material.
- The PDF opens and the text is selectable, not a screenshot of the page.
- The share link opens in a private window without asking the student to sign up.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|
| Processing stays queued | Other work in the workspace is ahead of it, or the file is on the slow lane for long documents | Wait. A short file usually moves once the lane is free |
| Processing failed | The file could not be read, or it passed a limit on your plan | Re-upload a smaller file, or a text-based PDF instead of a scan |
| The structure tree is empty or nonsense | The file has no headings the extractor could use | Edit the entries yourself before generating |
| Fewer questions than you asked for | Near-duplicates were dropped, or credits ran out | Check Billing & Plan, then generate again or add the missing ones by hand |
| Share will not create a link | Nothing on the exam is approved | Approve at least one question, then open Share again |
| The link says it is closed or not found | It has not opened yet, it has expired, the exam was archived, or the token is wrong | Open Share again and check Opens and Closes |
| Word | Meaning |
|---|
| Workspace | The shared home for documents, exams, questions, and classes |
| Document structure | The chapter and section tree. Generation uses the parts you select |
| Question bank | Every question the workspace has generated or written, reusable on later exams |
| Share link | A URL for one exam. No student account |
| Credits | The AI allowance for the billing period. Generation and the assistant spend them |
