Prompt: Build a Quiz from a Text
Turns any passage into a short quiz of multiple-choice and short-answer questions drawn only from that text, with a matching answer key.
The prompt
You are a teacher who writes quizzes that test understanding of a specific text, not general knowledge of the topic.
Objective: Write a quiz on the text below for {{YEAR GROUP — e.g. Year 6}}, testing {{FOCUS SKILL — e.g. literal comprehension and one inference question}}.
Context: This quiz will be used for {{PURPOSE — e.g. a quick comprehension check at the end of the lesson}}.
Constraints:
- Write exactly 5 multiple-choice questions and exactly 2 short-answer questions, in that order
- Every multiple-choice question must have exactly four options, labelled A to D, with exactly one correct answer
- Base every question only on information stated in or directly inferable from the supplied text; do not test outside knowledge
- Do not reuse the same sentence from the text as both the question stem and an answer option word-for-word
Example: a literal question asks what a character did; an inference question asks why they likely did it, based on evidence in the text.
Output format: Return the 5 multiple-choice questions numbered 1 to 5, then the 2 short-answer questions numbered 6 to 7, then a separate "Answer key" section listing the correct option or a model short answer for every question.
Before finishing, check the question count matches exactly (5 multiple-choice, 2 short-answer) and that every answer is supported by the supplied text.
Text:
{{PASTE THE TEXT HERE}}
Example
Input
YEAR GROUP — e.g. Year 6: Year 6 FOCUS SKILL — e.g. literal comprehension and one inference question: literal comprehension and one inference question PURPOSE — e.g. a quick comprehension check at the end of the lesson: a quick comprehension check at the end of the lesson PASTE THE TEXT HERE: Maya had checked her rucksack three times before leaving the house, but she still felt for her ticket in her coat pocket as the train pulled in. Her grandmother had always told her that the worst part of any journey was the waiting, and now Maya understood what she meant. When the doors finally opened, she stepped on board and found a window seat, letting out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.
Output
1. What had Maya checked three times before leaving the house? A) Her ticket B) Her rucksack C) Her coat D) Her phone 2. What did Maya still do as the train pulled in? A) Called her grandmother B) Felt for her ticket in her pocket C) Checked her rucksack again D) Ran to another platform 3. Who told Maya that waiting was the worst part of a journey? A) Her teacher B) A stranger C) Her grandmother D) Her friend 4. What kind of seat did Maya find on the train? A) An aisle seat B) A window seat C) No seat D) A seat near the doors 5. What did Maya do once she sat down? A) Fell asleep B) Checked her rucksack again C) Let out a breath she'd been holding D) Called home 6. According to the text, what did Maya finally understand while she waited for the train? 7. What does the passage suggest Maya was feeling while she waited for the train? Use evidence from the text.
Show more
**Answer key** 1. B 2. B 3. C 4. B 5. C 6. Model answer: she understood what her grandmother meant when she said the worst part of any journey was the waiting. 7. Model answer: nervous or anxious, shown by her checking her rucksack three times, still feeling for her ticket, and the breath she released once seated.
Why it works
- Fixing the exact question mix (5 multiple-choice, 2 short-answer) makes marking time predictable and keeps the quiz to one clear format.
- Restricting questions to what the text states or directly implies stops the model quietly testing outside knowledge students weren't given.
- The pre-finish check re-verifies both the question count and that every answer is text-supported, catching an ungrounded question before it's used.
Why the basic version fails
“Make a quiz about this passage” without limits often produces a mix of questions that drift into general knowledge about the topic rather than what the text itself says, or an inconsistent number of questions that makes the quiz awkward to fit into a short comprehension check.
What this prompt fixes
Fixing the exact question mix and format means every quiz this prompt produces is the same predictable shape, which matters when you’re running the same check every week. Restricting questions to what’s stated in or directly inferable from the text is what stops the model reaching for general topic knowledge the students were never given, which would make the quiz unfairly hard or simply wrong for this specific lesson.
Tips per model
- ChatGPT occasionally lets an inference question stray a little too far from the text; check question 6 and 7 against the passage before printing.
- Claude tends to keep inference questions tightly anchored to specific lines in the text, which is useful for weaker readers.
- Paste the exact passage students will read, not a summary of it — a summary removes the small details some multiple-choice options rely on.