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v1.5.5

Exam Practice with AI marking, and a new portal for pupils

Set original exam-style questions for Cambridge IGCSE PE, have every answer marked by AI against its mark scheme with you in charge of the final mark, and give pupils their own portal to practise and track their progress. Plus a stronger workspace for the whole department.

  • NewExam classes: pupils join with a class code and practise on their own phone, tablet or laptop.
  • NewA bank of original exam-style questions, written by The PE Dept to cover the Cambridge IGCSE PE syllabus topic by topic. Preview every question before you set it.
  • NewSet questions by topic as a test, an in-class activity or homework, with a time limit and as many tries as you choose.
  • NewEvery answer is marked by AI against the question's mark scheme, usually in under a minute. Anything it isn't sure of is flagged for you to check.
  • NewYou keep the final say. Change any mark, edit any comment, and choose what pupils see and when.
  • NewThe Topics view shows the whole class's strengths and gaps, weakest topic first, with every pupil against every topic.
  • NewPupils get their own portal at student.thepedept.com, with all their classes, results and feedback in one place. Their answers save as they go, even on a patchy connection.
  • NewYour dashboard has an Exam classes card that takes you straight to your classes.
  • ImprovedEvery teacher in your department can open Curriculum and follow the plan your admin builds.
  • ImprovedInviting staff is simpler: choose Teacher or Administrator, each with a one-line description of what they can do.

Exam Practice brings GCSE and IGCSE PE theory into The PE Dept. We're starting with original exam-style questions aligned with the Cambridge IGCSE PE syllabus, with more specifications on the way. Every question and mark scheme is our own, written to cover the syllabus topic by topic.

For teachers

  1. Open Exam classes (it's on your dashboard too) and create a class. You'll get a join code to share.
  2. Choose your settings. Pick Examiner feedback (mark-scheme wording, the way a paper is marked) or Guided feedback (what was missing and how to get the mark next time), or let pupils choose. You can show results in words instead of as a score, and with Hide the mark totals on, pupils still get every word of advice on how to improve.
  3. Set an assignment. Pick questions by topic, preview each one, and set it as a test, an activity or homework. Let them try again holds to the number of tries you choose, on every question.
  4. Review the class. Answers arrive marked by AI, with anything uncertain flagged. The marks are a first draft for you: change any mark or comment and the pupil's total follows. Then release as much as you want: just the score, which answers were wrong, or the full feedback.
  5. Use the Topics tab to see where the class is strong and where to teach next.

Spot something in a question that doesn't look right? Choose Spot a problem? Report it in the question preview and it comes straight to us.

For pupils: your own portal

The PE Dept now has a portal just for you at student.thepedept.com.

  • Join your class with the code your teacher gives you, then sign in with your school Google or Microsoft account or a one-time code.
  • Add it to your phone's home screen and it opens like an app.
  • All your exam classes are on one home page.
  • Your answers save as you go, even on a weak connection. If one hasn't saved when you hand in, you'll be asked to check your connection and hand in again, so nothing you've written is lost.
  • Practise questions and get feedback that shows you how to pick up the marks you missed.
  • When a question builds on an earlier part, you can see what you wrote before.
  • See how you're doing in each topic, so you know what to revise.

For parents

  • Pupils use their school account, and the portal is built for them, with its own plain-language terms and privacy notice.
  • Teachers can choose to show results in words rather than as a score.
  • Teachers review and can change any mark, and decide when results are shared.

Also in this release

  • Curriculum for the whole department. Every teacher can open the department's curriculum and follow the plan through the year. Admins still set it up.
  • Simpler invitations. Invite staff as a Teacher or an Administrator, with a description of each role as you choose. An invitation tells the person which role they've been invited with.
  • Monthly or annual, your choice. Move your plan between monthly and annual billing from Change plan. The preview shows what will be charged before you confirm.
  • New school year? If your classes are still in 2025/26, Assessments says so, with one button to view last year and one to copy your classes into 2026/27.
  • An easier start. Finding your school when you sign up is quicker, and the terms you agree to look the same wherever you're asked.

See how exam practice works

Cambridge IGCSE is a trademark of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The PE Dept is independent: our questions are original and are not produced, endorsed or approved by Cambridge.

Still have questions?

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