Turn a Syllabus or Topic List into a Practice Exam

Short answer

How do I turn a syllabus into a practice exam?

Upload the syllabus (PDF or Word) at examtex.com/create, or paste the list of topics, then choose the question types and difficulty and generate. ExamTeX writes exam questions across the listed topics and returns a LaTeX-typeset exam you can edit and download as a PDF, with an optional answer key, usually in about a minute. A topic list tells the AI what to test but not how your course teaches it, so add your notes or slides for questions that follow your course closely.

How it works

1. Add the syllabus

Upload it as a PDF or Word file, or choose Paste text and paste the topic list. If the document is mostly admin (grading, office hours, policies), paste just the topics instead.

2. Choose the format

Pick the question mix and difficulty, and the IB, AP or A-Level exam style if your course follows one. A special instruction such as “units 3 and 4 only” narrows the exam down.

3. Sit it, then study the gaps

Print the PDF, sit it timed, and mark it with the answer key (tick Include Answer Key). The topics you lose marks on are your study list.

What to know

What a topic list can and cannot do

A syllabus names topics; it does not contain your lecturer’s examples, notation or emphasis. Questions are written from the topic list and general subject knowledge, so treat the exam as a coverage check and add notes or slides for course-specific questions.

Board specifications work too

An IB subject guide, an AP Course and Exam Description or an A-Level specification lists topics the same way. Upload the relevant pages and pick the matching exam style where one exists.

Use it early and late

At the start of a course it shows what is coming. A few weeks before the exam it shows which topics you still cannot answer questions on.

For teachers

Teachers can turn a unit’s topic list into a draft class test, edit it question by question, add the course name and date to the header, and print it with an answer key.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a practice exam from just a list of topics?

Yes. Paste the list or upload the syllabus. The questions cover those topics using general subject knowledge, so they may not match exactly how your course teaches them; adding lecture notes or slides to the same exam fixes that.

Will one exam cover every topic on the syllabus?

Not in depth. A 20-question exam cannot test a long syllabus thoroughly. Generate separate exams per unit, or use a special instruction such as “units 1–3 only” to control what each exam covers.

Can I use an IB, AP or A-Level specification?

Yes. Upload the relevant pages of the subject guide or specification and choose the matching exam style if there is one: IB Maths (AA or AI), IB Economics, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, A-Level Maths or A-Level Economics. The questions then follow that board’s command terms and mark conventions.

Can I combine the syllabus with my notes?

Yes, and it usually gives more course-specific questions. Upload the syllabus together with your notes, slides or a past paper, up to 20 files per exam, and the questions draw on all of them.

Is it free?

You can try it free, without a card. The free plan includes 2 practice exams a month, with a watermark on the PDF, and generating from the built-in sample notes does not use one of them. Pro costs €9.99 a month for unlimited practice exams without the watermark; the Exam Pass gives you the same for 30 days for a one-time €9.99 and does not renew.

Try it free — no card required

Upload your materials and see the result in under a minute.

Turn a syllabus into a practice exam →

Turn a syllabus or topic list into a practice exam