Conversion Guide — Exam Converter

📄

File Format

Which file types work best

▶

Format	Support	Notes
Word (.docx)	✓ Best	Recommended. Bold formatting is preserved, which helps detect answer markers automatically.
PDF (text-based)	~ Good	Works well if the PDF was created digitally (exported from Word, etc.). Bold and formatting may not be preserved.
PDF (scanned)	✗ Not supported	Scanned image PDFs cannot be read. Convert to Word or use a text-based PDF instead.

💡 If you only have a scanned PDF, open it in Word (File → Open) — Word will automatically run OCR and create an editable .docx you can upload.

🔢

Question Numbering

How to number your questions for best detection

▶

The system detects questions by their numbering. All of the following formats are supported:

✅ Arabic numerals

1. 1) 1: (1)

✅ Question prefix

Q1 Q.1 Question 1 Question 1:

✅ Roman numerals

I. II. III. up to XX

⚠ Avoid inconsistency

Don't mix formats within the same exam — use one style throughout.

✓ Do this

Use consistent numbering throughout
Put the number on its own line or at the start of the question
Number from 1 continuously (don't restart per section)

✗ Avoid this

Mixing 1. and Q1 in the same file
Restarting numbering at each section (1, 2, 3… then 1, 2, 3 again)
Numbered lists inside answer options that could look like questions

🔤

Answer Options

Formatting multiple-choice options

▶

Supported option formats

A. Option text here A) Option text here a. Option text here (A) Option text here 1. Option text here ← numeric labels also work

✅ Any number of options

You're not limited to 4 options. True/False, 3-option, 5-option — all are captured correctly.

✅ Consistent labelling

Use the same label style (A/B/C or a/b/c or 1/2/3) throughout the exam.

⚠ Keep options together

Don't put a page break or large block of text between a question stem and its options.

⚠ True/False questions

State the question as a statement and include "True" and "False" as explicit options, or just label the question True/False in the stem.

✅

Marking Correct Answers

The most important step — this determines how much manual review you'll need

▶

⭐ This is the single biggest factor in conversion quality. Questions with clearly marked answers are set to "approved" automatically. Questions without answer markers require manual review for every single question.

All of the following methods are recognised automatically:

✅ Bold the answer label (Best — .docx only)

In Word, bold the answer letter: B) instead of B). The system reads Word bold formatting directly.

✅ Answer line after question

Any of these work:
Answer: B
Correct Answer: B
ANSWER: B
Key: B

✅ Answer key at end of document

A section titled "Answer Key" or "Answers" at the end is automatically scanned and applied to all questions. Format: 1. B or 1) B per line.

✅ Marked in rationale

Phrases like "The correct answer is B" or "Option B is correct because…" are recognised.

✅ Symbols on the option

Asterisk, checkmark, or ✅ before or after the correct option are all detected.

⚠ Underline (Word only, limited)

Underlining the correct option in Word may not always be detected. Use bold or an Answer line instead.

Example — answer line (works in both .docx and PDF)

1. Which of the following is a beta-blocker? A) Amlodipine B) Metoprolol C) Lisinopril D) Furosemide Answer: B Rationale: Metoprolol is a selective beta-1 blocker used for hypertension and heart failure.

Example — end-of-document answer key

Answer Key 1. B 2. A 3. D 4. C 5. B

📋

Clinical Scenarios & Case Studies

Questions that share a common patient scenario or vignette

▶

If several questions refer to the same patient case or scenario, format it as a clearly separated block before the questions. The system will detect it as a shared context and link the questions to it automatically — you won't need to duplicate the scenario text for each question.

Example

SCENARIO A 68-year-old male presents to the ED with crushing chest pain radiating to his left arm, onset 45 minutes ago. BP 145/92, HR 98, SpO2 96%. ECG shows ST elevation in leads II, III, and aVF. 1. What is the most likely diagnosis? A) NSTEMI B) Unstable angina C) Inferior STEMI D) Aortic dissection Answer: C 2. What is the immediate priority intervention? A) IV morphine B) Oral aspirin 300mg C) Emergency PCI D) Thrombolysis Answer: C

✓ Do this

Label the scenario block clearly ("SCENARIO", "Case Study", "Patient Information")
Put the scenario before the questions it applies to
Keep the scenario as a single continuous block

✗ Avoid this

Embedding the full scenario inside every question
Breaking up the scenario with tables or other elements
Mixing scenario questions with non-scenario questions without a clear separator

↔️

Matching Questions

Column A / Column B style questions

▶

Matching questions work best when formatted as a Word table with two columns. If you're using plain text, use clear Column A / Column B headings.

Best format — Word table (two columns)

Match each condition in Column A to its description in Column B. Column A | Column B ----------------------|------------------------------------------ Angina pectoris | Chest pain relieved by rest or nitrates Myocardial infarction | Irreversible cardiac muscle death Heart failure | Inability to maintain adequate cardiac output Arrhythmia | Abnormal heart rhythm Answers: 1-B, 2-C, 3-D, 4-A ← include correct pairings if available

💡 Word tables are detected and preserved automatically. If you're working in plain text, keep the two columns aligned with consistent spacing or pipe characters ( | ) between them.

⚠️

Common Issues to Avoid

Things that can reduce conversion accuracy

▶

🚫 Headers and footers with repeated text — page numbers, document titles, or "Confidential" footers that repeat on every page can sometimes be mistaken for content. Remove them if possible, or they'll be filtered automatically.
🚫 Grading rubrics and mark allocations — tables showing "Question 1 — 2 marks" or scoring guides are not questions and will be excluded automatically.
🚫 Images and diagrams — the system extracts text only. If a question refers to a figure ("refer to diagram above"), the diagram won't be captured. Include any necessary information as text.
🚫 Complex mathematical notation — equations using special symbols or equation editors may not extract cleanly. Simple arithmetic is fine.
🚫 Text in text boxes — Word text boxes are sometimes not extracted. Move important content out of text boxes and into the main document body.
🚫 Two-column page layouts — if your Word document uses a two-column layout, the columns may be read in the wrong order. Convert to single-column before uploading.

✔️

Pre-Upload Checklist

Run through this before uploading for the best results

▶

☐File is .docx (preferred) or a digitally-created PDF
☐Questions are numbered consistently from start to finish
☐Answer options use consistent labels (A/B/C or 1/2/3)
☐Correct answers are marked — bold label, Answer: X line, or end-of-document key
☐Scenario/case text is in a single block before the related questions
☐No images or diagrams that questions depend on
☐Document is single-column layout (not newspaper-style columns)
☐No important content hidden in text boxes or headers/footers

🎯 A well-prepared .docx with bold answer labels and consistent numbering will typically convert with zero manual review required.

📋 Conversion Guide

✓ Do this

✗ Avoid this

✓ Do this

✗ Avoid this