Schoolhouse Test does not come with a database or a specialized repository for storing test questions to be re-used for future tests or cumulative review tests. Instead, Schoolhouse Test uses features similar to Microsoft Word or Excel for re-using saved test questions.

Here are a couple of ways to save and re-use test questions:

The Master Test

The latest version of Schoolhouse Test can handle hundreds of questions in a test document without hesitating or balking. This means you could save a school year's worth of science test questions in a single master test called something like "Test Questions for Science Level 5". Then to create smaller tests to use after each lesson or chapter, simply use the Copy Items and Paste Items features in Design View to copy & paste just the questions you need into a new test.

As an elementary teacher teaching a variety of subjects, you could have a number of subject specific master tests: "Language Arts Master Test"; "Art Master Test"; "Geography Master Test". Or if you are a middle school teacher, you could save class specific master tests: "Block 1 Master Math Test"; "Grade 7 Master Science Test".

Do you have other colleagues using Schoolhouse Test? If so, you can easily share master test files. As long as both of you are using Schoolhouse Test, any .tst file can be opened in the program and the saved test data used to create new tests. Exchange .tst files just as you would exchange Microsoft Word .doc or .rtf files.

Cumulative Review Tests

Perhaps you prefer to create small tests and then combine some of the saved test questions from the small tests to create a cumulative review test. Again, the Copy Items and Paste Items features in Design View allow you to do this easily.

Simply open the smaller tests you have saved (you can open multiple tests in Schoolhouse Test to work with); select the questions from a test you want to use and then use Copy Items to put the question data in memory. Then open a new test and paste the items in. Once you have copied and pasted all of the items you need for the cumulative test, you can use the Randomization feature in Design View to mix up the test questions, list items and multiple choice responses to make the cumulative test fresh and not an exact copy of the smaller tests.

Final Note: Do you frequently use the File, Save As feature in Microsoft Word or Excel? If you're familiar with using the Save As feature you might find this tip handy: Sometimes it's easier to start with a saved test document, re-name & re-save it using the File, Save As feature, and then delete unwanted questions, rather then copying & pasting questions from test to test.