What should I use to create classroom quizzes?

QI give astronomy and science presentations in schools, and provide a resource CD of print-outs, such as multiple-choice quizzes. Is there any software I can use to convert my worksheets for use on a PC? It doesn’t have to be free, just easy to use. Dennis Ashton (Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society)

AWe noticed you sent your email from your ipad, so let’s start there. The easiest way to convert your worksheets is to scan them using the powerful ipad app Scanbot 6 Pro (£7.99, www.snipca.com/23623). It uses OCR to convert them into searchable text, then lets you edit them using colours, themes and other design tools. You can save them as interactive PDFS, then distribute them via CD just as you did with your paper worksheets. Scanbot also supports online services such as Evernote and Dropbox, with optional password protection.

We recommended a couple of free OCR apps in Issue 496 (page 59), but they lack the design features and PDF support of Scanbot Pro 6.

Also try creating interactive resources on your PC. The most powerful program for building educational tests is ispring Quizmaker, but it costs a colossal $397 (£318) after a free trial ( www.ispringsolutions.com/ispring-quizmaker). Instead, try Hot Potatoes ( http://hotpot.uvic.ca). It’s easy to use, relatively small (26.3MB) and free. After installing, type your name, tick ‘I am a network administrator’, then click Use English. When the program window opens, click Potatoes and then choose a tool, such as Jquiz (see screenshot). You can save your creations in a number of formats, including HTML for web and clipboard export for printing.