Make Revision Feel Like a Game Show: Live Class Quizzes That Mark Themselves

Introduction: From Silent Past Papers to Live Game Shows

Picture the scene: it's Week 1 of the revision period. You've photocopied a stack of past papers, handed them out, and told students to "work through these quietly." Twenty minutes later, half the class is staring blankly at question 3, two students are on their phones under the desk, and you're fielding the same clarification question for the fifth time.

Sound familiar?

Revision doesn't have to feel like a slog—for you or your students. With $\ce{AI-generated}$ ClassQuiz games and Revision Quizzes, you can transform any lesson into a fast-paced, competitive, low-stakes retrieval session that:

• Takes under 10 minutes to prepare
• Runs itself while you circulate and observe
• Marks itself instantly
• Feeds data straight into your existing assignment and grading workflow

This post walks you through exactly how to do it.

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Why $\ce{Game-Based}$ Revision Works (and Still Feels "Serious")

Before we dive into the how-to, let's address the elephant in the room: "Isn't this just playing games instead of proper revision?"

Actually, no. The research is clear:

Retrieval Practice Is King

A landmark meta-analysis in Psychological Science found that practice testing (the core mechanism behind quiz games) outperforms every other study technique—including re-reading, highlighting, and summarising—for long-term retention. Every time a student retrieves an answer from memory, the neural pathway for that knowledge strengthens.

$\ce{Low-Stakes}$ Testing Reduces Anxiety

When the quiz is framed as a game rather than an assessment, students engage more freely. They take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them—without the cortisol spike that shuts down working memory during high-stakes tests.

Competition Increases Attention

Leaderboards and team formats tap into social motivation. Students who would otherwise zone out suddenly care about getting the next question right—not because it's worth marks, but because their team is counting on them.

Immediate Feedback Closes Gaps Faster

In a traditional revision lesson, a student might not realise they misunderstood a concept until they get their marked paper back a week later. In a live quiz, they see the correct answer within seconds and can ask you about it on the spot.

Bottom line: $\ce{Game-based}$ revision isn't a gimmick. It's retrieval practice, spaced repetition, and formative assessment wrapped in a format that students actually enjoy.

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Step 1: Turn Your Existing Resources into a ClassQuiz Game

You don't need to start from scratch. If you have a PDF, PowerPoint, or Word document with your revision content, you can generate a full quiz game in minutes.

How to Create a ClassQuiz from a File

1. Go to /classquiz/create and sign in.
2. Choose "Upload File" and select your PDF, PPTX, or DOCX.
3. Use the PDF Page Selector (if uploading a PDF) to pick only the pages you want—no need to process an entire 50-page textbook when you only need Chapter 4.
4. Click "Generate Questions". The AI extracts key concepts and creates multiple-choice or short-answer questions automatically.
5. Review and edit in the Game Editor. You can tweak stems, adjust distractors, delete weak questions, or add your own.
6. Save your game. It now appears under "Your Games" at /classquiz.

Pro Tips

• Keep it tight. 10–15 questions is ideal for a 10-minute in-class game. More than 20 and energy starts to flag.
• Mix question types. The AI can generate recall questions ("What is…?"), application questions ("Which of the following is an example of…?"), and even short-answer prompts.
• Add images. If your source material includes diagrams, the Game Editor lets you attach images to questions for visual subjects like Biology or Geography.

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Step 2: Run a Live Revision Session in 5 Minutes

Once your game is saved, hosting it is as simple as clicking a button.

Hosting a ClassQuiz

1. Go to /classquiz and find your game.
2. Click "Host".
3. A unique game code appears on screen. Students join via their devices (phone, tablet, laptop) by entering the code.
4. When everyone's in, hit "Start".

Suggested Formats

What You Get Instantly

• Live leaderboard showing who's leading
• $\ce{Question-by-question}$ breakdown of which answers students chose
• Instant identification of the questions most students got wrong—your cue for a quick re-teach

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Step 3: Create Homework $\ce{Follow-Ups}$ with the Revision Quiz Creator

A live ClassQuiz is great for in-class energy, but revision also happens at home. That's where the Revision Quiz Creator comes in.

How to Generate a Revision Quiz

1. Go to /revision-quiz-creator.
2. Choose your input method:
   • Text: Paste notes or a spec extract.
   • PowerPoint / PDF / Document: Upload a file (with page selection for PDFs).
   • YouTube: Paste a video URL and the AI extracts content from the transcript.
3. Set the number of questions (5–20 is typical for homework).
4. Click "Generate Quiz".
5. Save the quiz. It now appears at /revision-quizzes.

Assigning to Classes

From the Revision Quizzes page:

1. Click "Assign" on any quiz.
2. Select one or more classrooms.
3. (Optional) Set a due date.
4. Click "Assign".

Students receive the quiz in their portal. When they complete it, results flow into your grading dashboard—no manual marking required.

Why This Matters for Workload

• No photocopying. No collecting papers. No lugging marking home.
• Instant data. You see who completed the quiz and how they scored before the next lesson.
• Reusable. The same quiz can be reassigned to next year's class or a different set.

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Lesson Templates: Three $\ce{Ready-Made}$ Revision Flows

Here are three plug-and-play lesson structures you can use tomorrow.

Template 1: "Last 15 Minutes Game Show"

When: End of any lesson during revision period.

Prep time: 5 minutes (generate quiz from your lesson slides).

Template 2: "Full 50-Minute ClassQuiz + Homework Quiz"

When: Dedicated revision lesson.

Prep time: 10 minutes (generate ClassQuiz + Revision Quiz from the same source file).

Template 3: "$\ce{Pre-Mock}$ Exam $\ce{Catch-Up}$"

When: Week before mocks.

Prep time: 15 minutes (two quizzes, one broad, one targeted).

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What You Stop Doing

Let's be honest about the workload trade-off:

Net result: More energy in the room, less admin on your desk.

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Conclusion: More Energy, Less Prep, No Extra Marking

Revision doesn't have to be a grind. With ClassQuiz and the Revision Quiz Creator, you can:

• Turn any existing resource into a live, competitive quiz game in under 10 minutes.
• Run engaging in-class sessions that give you instant formative data.
• Set auto-marked homework quizzes that feed into your grading workflow.
• Reuse and reassign quizzes year after year.

Your students get the retrieval practice they need. You get your evenings back.

Ready to try it?

• Create a ClassQuiz Game
• Generate a Revision Quiz
• View Your Saved Quizzes

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Related Articles

• Stop Blind Revision: Use PLCs and Quick Quizzes to See Exactly What Students Need
• Build a $\ce{Self-Running}$ Revision Toolkit: Flashcards, Mindmaps and $\ce{Student-Led}$ Practice
• 10 $\ce{Evidence-Based}$ Flashcard Study Strategies That Work