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Creating a New Reading, Writing, or Listening Test

Use Create New in the Admin sidebar to open the Test Creator Studio.

Test Creator Studio with the Reading tab open

The studio has three main tabs:

  • Reading
  • Listening
  • Writing

No matter which tab you choose, you will start by filling in the main test details.

Step 1: Enter the basic test details​

At the top of the screen, add the test's core information:

  • Title
  • Difficulty band
  • Duration

These details help you recognise the test later in the Content Library and help students understand what to expect.

Step 2: Build a Reading test​

Reading tests are built from:

  • one test
  • one or more passages
  • question groups inside each passage
  • individual questions inside each group

For each passage, you can add:

  • a passage title
  • the full passage text
  • one or more question groups

Inside each question group, you can build the questions students will answer.

Step 3: Build a Writing test​

Writing tests use two tasks:

  • Task 1
  • Task 2

For Writing, you can set:

  • the prompt text for each task
  • minimum word count
  • maximum word count
  • suggested time

For Task 1, you can also upload an optional chart or graph image for students to refer to while writing.

Step 4: Build a Listening test​

Listening tests can include up to 4 sections.

Each section can have:

  • a section title
  • an audio upload
  • a transcript
  • time-synced question groups and questions

Test Creator Studio with the Listening tab open

This lets you prepare the full listening flow section by section.

Step 5: Preview the student view​

Before you save or publish, click Preview.

This shows you the test in a student-style view so you can quickly check:

  • layout
  • wording
  • passage or section order
  • prompts and question setup

Preview is especially useful for catching missing text, awkward instructions, or the wrong task details before students see the test.

Step 6: Save as Draft or Publish​

When you are ready, choose one of these options:

OptionWhat happens
Save as DraftKeeps the test as work in progress
PublishMakes the test available in the Practice Library

:::note What Draft and Published mean A Draft stays tied to the app identity that created it, so other people using the install will not see it in the Practice Library. A Published test appears in the Practice Library for everyone using this install. :::

A simple creation flow​

  1. Click Create New.
  2. Choose Reading, Writing, or Listening.
  3. Enter the title, band, and duration.
  4. Add passages, tasks, or sections.
  5. Click Preview.
  6. Save as Draft or Publish.

:::tip Start with a draft If you are building a longer test, it is usually best to save a draft first, review it, then publish when you are happy with the final version. :::