How to prepare a PDF before turning it into a quiz

Check what text the file actually contains

Select and copy a paragraph. If you cannot select the words, the file may be a scanned image. Do not assume text recognition is part of the generation workflow: prepare a PDF with readable text or transcribe the block you need.

In two-column documents, check that reading does not jump between columns. Pay particular attention to tables, symbols, subscripts and footnotes: being visible on screen does not mean they are extracted in the right order.

Select a meaningful unit

Start with a topic or complete section, including the conditions needed to understand it. Cutting a paragraph immediately before an exception can lead to questions that are too general.

If the PDF combines several subjects, split them into documents. Keep a recognisable name, such as “Physiology — Membrane transport”. You do not need to generate a quiz for the whole course in one operation.

Follow the path from PDF to questions, quiz and mistakes

Suppose you have twelve pages of notes. Check the text, select the block you will practise and generate a manageable batch. Then check each answer and its reference. Verify page numbers with the file open, because printed and document numbering may differ.

Take the quiz without the PDF in front of you. Afterwards, record the concepts you missed and return to those passages, rather than all twelve pages. In your next session, try answering again before looking things up.

If generation goes wrong, check the cause

• Irrelevant content: reduce the block and check which text you selected.
• Repeated questions: check coverage against learning objectives.
• Invented facts: discard the question and return to the source.
• Provider error: check your settings, quota or connection; the PDF is not necessarily the problem.

WayOfLearning can generate questions from documents using your own AI key. The result needs review; uploading a file does not guarantee that all its content can be interpreted.