How to Use the Save My Exams Test Builder: Teacher Guide

Creating personalised, exam-style practice tests for your class can take hours. The Save My Exams Test Builder changes that, giving teachers a fast, flexible way to build custom assessments, assign them to students, and focus revision where it matters most.

Key Takeaways

• The Test Builder lets teachers create bespoke practice tests from Save My Exams' bank of exam-style questions.

• Tests can be tailored by topic, difficulty, and subject to match exactly what your class is studying.

• It saves significant homework-planning time while keeping practice closely aligned to the real exam.

What Is the Save My Exams Test Builder?

The Test Builder is a teacher-specific feature on Save My Exams that lets you create custom practice tests from a large bank of curriculum-aligned, exam-style questions. Rather than searching for questions from multiple sources or writing your own from scratch, you can browse, select, and combine questions in minutes.

The result is a bespoke test that’s ready to print in a click that can be shared easily with your students for an in-class assessment, homework task, or even a lesson starter activity.

Where to Find the Save My Exams Test Builder

You can access the Test Builder from the resources drop-down menu at the top of the Save My Exams homepage. 

Here’s how to find it.

1. Click on the resources drop-down.

2. Click on the Test Builder option.

3. You can then explore the Test Builder for the subjects you teach.

The tool is available across a wide range of subjects and qualification levels, including GCSEs, IGCSEs, A Levels, IB, and AP courses. 

You’ll need to explore the feature to check that your exact combination of qualification level and subject is available. The tool is regularly being added to and updated.

How the Test Builder Works

The Test Builder works by letting you select a topic from our library of exam board-aligned questions for your chosen subject and exam board.

You then choose the relevant questions that you feel your students need to practice to improve their exam technique and help their learning stick. Once you’ve selected your questions, the tool assembles them into a single test. There’s a lot of flexibility in the Test Builder. You can mix:

• Question types - diagram-based, multiple-choice, extended response, etc.

• Difficulty levels - easy, medium, hard.

You could even choose to tweak tests to add a level of differentiation in the tests, so you can build assessments that match your students’ needs.

When you’re happy with the assembled test, you can download it and print it out, ready for your students to complete in-class or at home.

The questions in the bank are written to mirror the style, command words, and mark schemes of real exam boards, so practice is as authentic as possible. 

Here’s an example of how you might use the tool if you want to focus on the Reactivity of Metals topic in GCSE Chemistry.

How to Use the Test Builder to Reduce Your Workload

Using the Save My Exams Test Builder means you have more hours in your working week to focus on other tasks. Here’s how the tool can save you time.

Start with the topic you are currently teaching

The most efficient way to use the Test Builder is to align it with your current scheme of work. As you move through each topic in class, build a short five-to-ten question test covering the key ideas from that unit.

This formative assessment schedule means your students get regular, relevant practice, and you’re not spending hours searching for suitable resources.

Use it to prepare students for upcoming assessments

In the weeks before a mock exam or internal assessment, use the Test Builder to create a practice paper that mirrors the topics and question styles your students will face.

For example, if your Year 11 Physics class is sitting a paper on particles and radiation, you can pull together a targeted test specifically on those topics in a matter of minutes.

Identify gaps before they become problems

Once students have completed a test, review the class results to see which questions caused the most difficulty. This gives you a clear, data-driven view of where understanding is weakest before the real exam arrives.

Use this information to inform your next lesson or to set focused follow-up tasks for students who are struggling.

Differentiate for different groups

Effective differentiation takes time. The Test Builder removes this extra workload by making it straightforward to create different versions of a test for different groups. 

For example, you could create a more accessible test version for students who need additional support, and a more challenging version for higher-ability learners. 

Next steps: Take a look at our guide to how teachers can use the entire suite of Save My Exams resources to save even more prep time.

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Test Builder

1. Use it little and often. Rather than saving practice tests for the end of a unit, build shorter quizzes throughout. 

   • According to a 2022 study, frequent testing is one of the most effective ways to assess learning and revise effectively. (opens in a new tab)

   • Regular progress reviews also keep your students engaged and motivated.

2. Combine with other Save My Exams resources. After students complete a test, direct them to the relevant revision notes on Save My Exams to address any gaps. 

   • This creates a natural revision loop: test, identify, revisit.

3. Review results as a class. Go through test results together in class, rather than just sending them back to students. 

   • Walking through common mistakes as a group reinforces understanding and shows students they are not alone in finding certain topics difficult.

4. Do not wait until the exam is near. The Test Builder is most powerful when used throughout the year, not just in the final weeks of revision. 

   • The earlier you can identify weaknesses, the more time students have to address them.

5. Avoid making tests too long. A focused ten-to-fifteen question test on a specific topic is usually more useful than a sprawling fifty-question paper. 

   • Shorter tests are quicker to complete, easier to review, and give clearer feedback on a specific area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a Save My Exams subscription to use the Test Builder?

Limited access to the Test Builder is available to teachers with a free account. You can: 

• Create an unlimited number of tests

• Download and print one test per week 

With a paid subscription, you can: 

• Create an unlimited number of tests

• Download and print an unlimited number of tests

Is the Test Builder available on mobile?

Save My Exams is accessible on mobile devices, and teachers can use the platform on a phone or tablet. However, for the best experience when building and managing tests, a desktop or laptop is recommended.

Can I reuse or edit a test I have already created?

Yes. You don’t always have to start from scratch, and can tweak a test that you’ve created before.

Using the Save My Exams Test Builder to Enhance Your Teaching

Teaching is demanding, and finding time to create high-quality, exam-aligned resources on top of everything else is a real challenge. The Save My Exams Test Builder is designed to take some of that pressure off.

By putting a carefully curated question bank directly in your hands, the tool lets you build meaningful practice tests in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take.

More importantly, the results you get back help you teach smarter. Used consistently throughout the year, the Test Builder becomes a reliable checkpoint that keeps your class on track, builds their confidence, and gives them the best possible chance of performing well when it matters most.

References

PMC - Testing Improves Performance as Well as Assesses Learning: A Review of the Testing Effect with Implications for Models of Learning (opens in a new tab)