Q: When I'm typing a question for a test or testbank, how do I insert symbols for degrees, long dashes, pi, or other symbols that I cannot type from the keyboard?

A: In TestGen 7, display the Equation Editing toolbar at the top of the screen (choose Toolbars on the View menu). The symbol palettes displayed on the Equation Editing toolbar are from left to right: 1) Operation symbols, 2) Relation symbols, 3) Set and logic symbols, 4) Geometry symbols, 5) Arrows, lines, and bars, 6) Greek uppercase, 7) Greek lowercase, 8) Script letters, 9) Calculus and miscellaneous. Put the cursor in the question where you want to insert a symbol, then click one of the palettes and choose a symbol to insert.

(TestGen 5.5) Double-click a question to open the Question Editor. Put the cursor in the question or answer where you want the symbol to be inserted. If the symbol palette buttons are not showing at the top of the editor window, select "Show symbols" from the Tools menu. Click on a symbol palette button to display the available symbols. When you click on a symbol, it will be put into your question at the cursor location.

Q: How can I insert math expressions in questions and answers?

A: In TestGen 7, display the Equation Editing toolbar at the top of the screen (choose Toolbars on the View menu). Seven icons to the right of the symbol palettes, beginning with the fraction icon, are templates for inserting math expressions. Put the cursor in the question where you want to insert a math expression. Click one of the template buttons to display its templates and make a selection. The selected template is inserted at the cursor location. Type numbers or text in each of the cells of the template to create your expression. To create more complex expressions, you can insert templates inside the cells of other templates.

(TestGen 5.5) Double-click a question to open the Question Editor. If you do not see a row of buttons starting with a plus (+) sign near the top of the Question Editor window, select "Show Toolbar" and/or "Show symbols" from the Tools menu. The group of buttons on the left are symbol palettes to insert symbols. The next group of buttons, beginning with the fraction icon, are templates for inserting math expressions.

Q: When I'm creating or modifying questions, is there a way to store frequently used words, expressions, tables, or symbols so I can insert them later without having to retype them?

A: Yes. While editing a question, copy the word, sentence, expression, table, graphic, or symbol that you want to store. Then select "Macro Editor" from the Tools menu. Choose one of the function keys (F2 to F24) on the drop-down menu and paste the copied information into the edit box below. (You can also create items from scratch or edit stored items in the Macro Editor.) Click the close box to close the Macro Editor and save the definition of the macro. Make a note of the macro key shortcuts you make. Wherever you want to insert macro content into a question, press the predefined macro key (F2 to F12, or Shift-F1 to Shift-F12 for F13 to F24). Then continue editing.

Q: How can I insert variables into questions?

A: While editing a question, select "Variable" from theInsert menu. One-by-one, on the Variable Definitions worksheet, define values and insert variables in your problem. Use the Link column to group sets of numbers. After inserting variables, select the problem and click the Calculate icon to display a different set of values. For more detailed information about how to insert variables, consult TestGen Help or the TestGen User's Guide.

(TestGen 5.5) Double-click a question to open the Question Editor. If you do not see icons for v, Var, Graph, and View near the top of the Question Editor window, select "Show Toolbar" or "Show symbols" from the Tools menu. Use the "v" button to insert a variable at the cursor location. Use the Var button to define the values of each variable you need in the question or answer.

Q: How do I insert workspace below each question on my test?

A: To add workspace below specific, individual questions on a test, put the cursor at the end of the question field and press the Enter or Return key to add as many spaces as you want. To add space between questions on a global basis for the current test, select Preferences and Test Options from the Tools menu and click the Default Styles tab. Near the bottom of the dialog, enter your preferences for how much extra space to leave between questions.

(TestGen 5.5) Workspace can be assigned on a question-by-question basis to each question. (Some math testbanks have pre-assigned workspace for each question.) To view or change the workspace for any question, double-click it to open the Question Editor and look at Workspace field at the top of the window. The workspace number represents the number of lines of workspace that will be printed below the question on a test. (Testbanks do not display the blank lines of workspace.) Once workspace is assigned and you have created a test, you need to select "Display" from the Setup menu and click the Workspace tab. Click Single, Double, or Triple to display 1, 2, or 3 times the assigned number of lines of workspace for the questions on the test.