The test screen is laid out like the official computerised exam: reader controls on the left of the top bar, your position in the middle, and the way out on the right.
The top bar
- A countdown timer showing the time remaining.
- Text size buttons, for making the paper bigger or smaller.
- All questions, which opens the question overview.
- Question 3 of 30, the current position.
- On a writing question, a live Word count.
- The logo on the right turns into Exit when you hover it. Leaving does not submit the paper, and the clock keeps running.
The question overview
All questions opens a grid of numbered tiles with a key beside it: Unanswered, Answered, Flagged and Current. Next unanswered and Flagged jump forward through the paper and wrap around, so pressing either repeatedly tours the whole set. Tap a tile to go straight to that question, or press Esc to close.
The bottom bar
Previous, Flag, Next and Finish. Flag marks a question to come back to and the button then reads Flagged. Answers save as they are given: a short Your answer was recorded note appears each time, so closing the browser loses nothing, although the clock does not stop.
Reading and extract papers
The passage sits in its own column beside the question and can be collapsed with the arrow in its header, which is useful on a small screen. A paper with several sources shows them as Extract A, Extract B and so on across the top of that column. On a narrow screen, Passage and Question buttons switch between the two columns.
Question types
- Mathematics, Thinking Skills and Reading: multiple choice.
- Extract: choose which extract each statement belongs to, one dropdown per part.
- Cloze: place the missing sentences into the gaps in the text.
- Inline cloze: choose the word that best fits each gap.
- Writing: a long response with the word count in the top bar.
Finishing
Press Finish. A Finish test window asks whether you are sure, warns that answers cannot be changed afterwards, and counts down briefly before Submit test becomes available. If the clock runs out first the paper is submitted for you, and the Practice page says so at the top when you land back on it.