Maestro DocsCircuit questions in tests and assignments
How circuit questions behave in exams and how they are marked.
A circuit question opens the lab inside a test, in exam mode. It works like the normal editor, with some rules.
What the question gives you
- A starting circuit. Some parts may be locked: you can't select, move or edit them, but you can wire to them.
- A limited set of allowed parts. Only those appear in the dock and search.
- A Checked at list showing which points in the circuit are marked.
- Sometimes answer fields next to the circuit, where you type a number or pick a choice (for "measure and enter" questions).
- A Start over from the starter circuit button, if you want a clean slate.
On a small screen the question and the lab are separate tabs: Question and Simulation Lab.
Your own tools
- Undo and redo are in the dock. Undo never removes the question's own parts.
- Instruments such as the multimeter work, even on locked parts. They aren't part of your answer. Some questions turn them off.
- There is no Circuit menu or Examples in tests, and live rooms are switched off.
- Copying, cutting, pasting and blocked commands are recorded, so build your answer by hand.
How it is marked
The author places grading points on pins and nodes. Each has one or more checks, each with a weight.
| A check can measure | |
|---|---|
| Value at the end, average, RMS, maximum, minimum | Peak-to-peak, frequency, period |
| AC gain (dB) and phase at a frequency | Peak gain, the frequency of the peak, and the lower and upper −3 dB frequencies |
- Marks are shared by weight. You get partial credit for each check you pass.
- Your circuit is re-simulated on the server to mark it. Values from your browser are never trusted.
- How long the simulation runs before it's measured is set by the question.
- You see your marks and how many checks passed. Expected and measured values show only after grading, as the question allows.
Typing a numeric answer
Where a question asks for a number, you can use SI prefixes and units, such as 4.7k, 4.7 kΩ or 12 mV. The answer is checked with a tolerance.
Different numbers for each student
Some questions give you your own component values, picked when you start and kept for you. Your answer is marked against the circuit with your values, so you can't copy someone else's answer.
Hidden parts and faults
A question can include a sealed part that shows only a marking, for example "1 kΩ", and can't be selected. The real value or a fault (open, short, fitted backwards) is hidden. Measure the circuit to work out what's wrong.
Arduino questions
If the circuit has an Arduino, see Arduino in tests.
Lab work
Assigned lab work is marked automatically when you submit. If the marking service is busy, your status shows submitted, and staff can ask for it to be marked again.