[School or institute name]
[Exam name], [Month Year]
Class: [Class] Subject: [Subject]
Time allowed: [3 hours] Maximum marks: [80]
General instructions:
1. This paper has [3] sections: A, B and C. All questions are compulsory.
2. Section A has [20] multiple-choice questions of 1 mark each.
3. Section B has [10] short-answer questions of 3 marks each. Answer in [50–60] words.
4. Section C has [6] long-answer questions of 5 marks each. Answer in [80–120] words.
5. There is an internal choice in [2] questions of Section C.
6. Draw neat, labelled diagrams wherever needed.
Guide for teachers
How to make question paper
How to make a question paper comes down to four steps: fix the total marks and the time, draw up a blueprint that spreads the marks across chapters, question types and difficulty, write each question with its answer key and marking scheme, then check the finished paper against the blueprint before it is printed or set online.
Kaabil Assess · at a glance
- 80 marks
- Sample blueprint below: 36 questions in three sections
- 6 levels
- Bloom’s taxonomy, from remember to create
- 2 documents
- Every paper needs an answer key and a marking scheme
How do you make a question paper, step by step?
Fix the marks, time and syllabus
Decide the total marks, the duration and the chapters the paper covers, in line with your board’s or institution’s pattern for that exam.
Weigh the chapters
Give each chapter a share of the marks in line with the teaching time it took and its weight in the syllabus.
Choose the question types
Split the marks across objective questions (multiple choice, fill in the blanks, true or false), short answers and long answers, usually in separate sections.
Draw up the blueprint
Make a grid of chapters against question types and fill in the marks, so every row and column adds up to the totals you fixed.
Balance the difficulty
Mix easy, average and hard questions, and spread them across thinking levels, from recall to application and analysis.
Write the questions, key and scheme
Write each question to fill a cell in the blueprint. Write the answer key and the marking scheme at the same time, with step marks for numericals.
Review before it goes out
Check the totals, the time, the instructions and the wording. Ask a colleague to attempt the paper against the clock.
What is a question paper blueprint?
A blueprint is a grid of chapters against question types, with the marks in each cell. This sample is for an 80-mark class 10 physics test (science chapters from the physics units); it is an illustration, not a board’s pattern.
| Chapter | Section A: MCQ, 1 mark | Section B: short answer, 3 marks | Section C: long answer, 5 marks | Total marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 6 questions (6) | 3 questions (9) | 2 questions (10) | 25 |
| Electricity | 5 questions (5) | 3 questions (9) | 2 questions (10) | 24 |
| Magnetic effects of current | 5 questions (5) | 2 questions (6) | 1 question (5) | 16 |
| Human eye and the colourful world | 4 questions (4) | 2 questions (6) | 1 question (5) | 15 |
| Total | 20 questions (20) | 10 questions (30) | 6 questions (30) | 80 |
Marks in brackets. Rows add up to each chapter’s weight; columns add up to each section’s total.
How do you set questions at different difficulty levels?
Bloom’s taxonomy sorts thinking into six levels. Questions spread across the levels test more than memory. The verbs below are a starting point.
| Level | Question verbs | Example (science) |
|---|---|---|
| Remember | Define, list, name, state | State Ohm’s law. |
| Understand | Explain, describe, classify | Explain why the sky appears blue. |
| Apply | Calculate, solve, use | Calculate the current through a 10-ohm resistor at 5 volts. |
| Analyse | Compare, distinguish, examine | Compare series and parallel circuits for a home. |
| Evaluate | Justify, judge, argue | Judge whether solar power suits your town, with reasons. |
| Create | Design, plan, propose | Design an experiment to show that light travels in straight lines. |
What should you check before the question paper goes out?
The paper
- Section and question marks add up to the total
- A colleague finished it in the time allowed
- Every chapter in the blueprint has its share of marks
- Instructions say how many questions to attempt and any internal choice
The questions
- Each question asks one clear thing, in plain words
- Each multiple-choice question has exactly one correct option
- No question gives away the answer to another
- Diagrams and data are legible when printed or on screen
The key and scheme
- An answer key for every objective question
- A marking scheme with the expected points for written answers
- Step marks for numericals and accepted alternative answers
Question paper format to copy
A header with general instructions, and one marking scheme entry. Fill in the brackets.
Q[number]. [Question in short] ([marks] marks)
Expected points:
1. [Point one] – [1] mark
2. [Point two] – [1] mark
3. [Point three, or the correct final answer with units] – [1] mark
Accept: [alternative answers]
Numericals: [1] mark for the formula, [1] for substitution, [1] for the answer with units.
Can AI make a question paper for you?
Yes, if your institution uses one. Kaabil Assess, from Kaabil AI by Redrob, writes new papers from your institution’s own material, in the same pattern, and grades them online. See the AI question paper generator for how it works.
From your own PDFs
Upload the syllabus, chapter notes or a past paper; it takes the sections, marks, question types and difficulty from your paper.
Faculty approve every paper
Teachers set the scope and approve each paper before learners see it. Papers are in English for now.
Graded online
Learners answer in a web browser, answers are graded automatically, and each learner gets section-wise feedback.
Kaabil Assess
Bring a past paper to a 30-minute demo.
Kaabil Assess turns it into a new paper in the same pattern, grades a learner attempt online and shows the section-wise report. Faculty approve every paper.
How Kaabil Assess worksFor schools and coaching institutes
Questions teachers ask
Fix the marks, time and syllabus; weigh each chapter; choose the question types; draw a blueprint so every row and column adds up; balance the difficulty; write the questions with an answer key and marking scheme; then review the paper against the clock.
A blueprint is a table of chapters against question types, with the marks in each cell. It makes sure the paper covers the syllabus in proportion, before a single question is written. The sample on this page is for an 80-mark paper.
It depends on the marks, the time and the question types. The sample 80-mark paper on this page has 36 questions: 20 one-mark multiple-choice, 10 three-mark short answers and 6 five-mark long answers.
Yes, if your institution uses Kaabil Assess. Faculty upload a syllabus, notes or past paper as a PDF, Kaabil Assess writes new papers in the same pattern, in English for now, and teachers approve each one.
An answer key gives the correct answer to each objective question. A marking scheme lists the expected points for each written answer and the marks for each point, so every evaluator grades the same way.