Atomic Converter: User Guide

💡 Tip This tool works with any type of exam — from math and science to humanities, nursing, business, and more.

What You Can Build

The builder supports most question types available in Atomic Assessments:

Question Type	What Students See	Best Used When
Clozetext	Type a number or word into a blank inside an equation	Numeric answers, fill-in-the-blank math
Clozedropdown	Select an answer from a dropdown menu inside the question	Interpretation, qualitative choices, Yes/No
Clozeassociation	Drag labeled tiles into the correct blank	Match values to variables, classify terms
Long Text (Rich)	Rich-text essay box with formatting toolbar (manually graded)	Explain reasoning, identify bias, written analysis
Plain Text Essay	Plain textarea — no formatting toolbar (manually graded)	Short written answers where formatting is irrelevant
Graph Plotting	Interactive coordinate grid — plot points, lines, or segments	Graphing equations, plotting data, coordinate geometry
Order List	Drag items into the correct sequence	Arranging steps, timelines, ranked lists
Short Text	Single typed answer field for a word or number	One-word answers, capitals, definitions, short facts
Token Highlight	Click words or sentences in a passage to highlight them	Reading comprehension, evidence identification
Choice Matrix	Grid of rows (statements) with column options to select	True/False grids, Agree/Disagree across multiple items
Association (Match)	Drag tiles from a pool to match two columns	Match terms to definitions, cities to countries
MCQ	Select one answer from a list (with optional passage/case study)	Nursing case studies, clinical priority questions
Rating	Labeled scale selection (e.g. 1–5 stars)	Confidence checks, Likert surveys, self-assessment

⚠️ Note Avoid requesting 'cloze math', 'cloze formula', or 'drag & drop' by those names — those are unsupported type names. Use the names above.

Step-by-Step: How to Build an Assessment

Step 1 — Upload Your PDF

Drag your exam PDF into the Claude chat window. Then tell Claude what you want:

Example prompts:

"Convert this stats exam to Atomic Assessments format."
"Build a Learnosity zip from this PDF."
"Turn these questions into an importable AA quiz."

Step 2 — Review the Question Mapping Table

Claude will read every question and display a table showing:

The question number/label
A short summary of the question
The suggested question type
The reason for that suggestion

💡 Tip Review this table carefully. If you disagree with a type — for example, you want a dropdown instead of a typed blank — just say so before Claude builds anything.

Example: "Change Q3b to cloze dropdown — I want students to choose from options, not type free text."

Step 3 — Confirm and Build

Once you approve the mapping (or request changes), Claude will generate the zip package automatically. You'll receive a download link when it's ready.

Step 4 — Import into Atomic Assessments

Log in to Atomic Assessments and open Content Manager.
Click Import.
Upload the .zip file Claude produced.
Your questions will appear as a ready-to-use activity.

Choosing the Right Question Type

Not sure which type to request? Use this guide:

If the question requires…	Use this type
Student types a number or fills a blank in an equation	Clozetext
Student chooses from a list of options (e.g., Skewed Right / Left)	Clozedropdown
Student matches values to variables by dragging tiles	Clozeassociation
Student writes an explanation (with formatting options)	Long Text (Rich)
Student writes a short plain answer (no formatting needed)	Plain Text Essay
Student plots points or draws a line on a coordinate grid	Graph Plotting
Student arranges items in the correct sequence	Order List
Student types a single word, name, or short answer	Short Text
Student highlights correct words or sentences in a passage	Token Highlight
Multiple statements each need a True/False or multi-option response	Choice Matrix
Student matches items across two columns (e.g., city → country)	Association
Multiple choice with a shared passage or case study	MCQ + Shared Passage
Survey, confidence check, or Likert scale (ungraded)	Rating

Working With Multiple PDFs

If you upload more than one PDF at once, Claude will always ask you:

"Should these be an adaptive assessment, or standalone independent exams?"

Standalone Exams

Each PDF becomes its own independent activity zip. Claude builds and delivers them separately. Import each one into AA individually.

Adaptive Assessments

An adaptive assessment routes students to different exams based on their score. For example: start on Exam A — if they score ≥ 70%, go to Exam B; if below, go to Exam C.

To build an adaptive assessment:

Tell Claude the branching rules (start exam, score thresholds, routing destinations).
Claude builds and delivers each exam as its own zip file.
Import all the exam zips into AA via Content Manager.
After importing, copy the activity ID shown below each activity name in Content Manager.
Share those IDs back to Claude — one per exam.
Claude builds the adaptive zip. Import it last.

⚠️ Note Atomic Assessments assigns its own activity IDs on import — the IDs inside the zip are replaced. This is why Claude must receive the real IDs from you before building the adaptive zip. The adaptive zip must always be imported after all exam zips.

Help Blocks and Hints

The builder produces a structurally complete assessment. Adding pedagogical scaffolding is a separate step — either embedded in the zip by Claude, or added manually inside the Atomic Assessments editor after import.

Hints

Hints are step-by-step prompts students can reveal one at a time if they're stuck. They are attached to individual questions in the item editor inside Atomic Assessments — Claude does not pre-populate hints, because they are a pedagogical decision the instructor must make.

💡 Tip Best practice: write hints as partial steps, not full solutions. For example: "Start by identifying the probability of each branch, then multiply along the path." rather than "The answer is 0.305."

Help Blocks

A Help Block is a button students click to reveal a chunk of content — a worked example, formula sheet, vocabulary reminder, or any other reference material. Unlike hints, a Help Block is tracked: you can see in the reporting dashboard which students clicked it and how many times.

Help Blocks are particularly useful when:

You want to offer a worked example without giving away the answer to the current question
You are building a reassessment and want to embed the lesson content students missed directly into the retake
You want to track which students needed scaffolding as a formative data point

To request Help Blocks: tell Claude before it builds — for example: "Add a help block to Q3 with a reminder of the z-test formula." Help Block content supports rich text, LaTeX math, bullet lists, and tables.

💡 Tip Ask Claude to add Help Blocks before it builds the zip — not after. If you don't specify, the zip will be built without them and you'll need to add them manually in the AA editor.

Adaptive Assessments

An adaptive assessment routes students to different exams based on their score. For example: all students start on Exam A — those who score ≥ 70% proceed to an advanced Exam B, while those who score below are routed to a remediation Exam C.

Adaptive assessments are useful for:

Diagnostic routing — place students into the right level at the start of a course
Reassessment / retake workflows — students who don't pass are routed to a practice or review exam before retrying
Differentiated learning paths — advanced students get harder material; struggling students get scaffolded support

How to Build an Adaptive Assessment

Upload all your exam PDFs at once. Claude will ask whether to build them as adaptive or standalone.
Tell Claude the branching rules — which exam comes first, what score threshold triggers each branch, and where each branch leads. For example: "Start with Exam A. Score ≥ 70% → Exam B. Score < 70% → Exam C."
Claude builds each exam as its own zip file. Import all exam zips into Atomic Assessments via Content Manager.
After importing, copy the activity ID shown below each activity name in Content Manager. These are the real IDs AA assigned — share them back to Claude, one per exam.
Claude builds the adaptive zip using those real IDs. Import it last.

⚠️ Note Atomic Assessments assigns its own activity IDs when you import a zip — the IDs inside the zip are replaced. Claude cannot build the adaptive zip until you have imported the exam zips and shared the real IDs back. The adaptive zip must always be imported after all exam zips.

Scoring Styles

When the adaptive zip is imported, you can configure the scoring style inside Atomic Assessments:

Cumulative scoring — the student's score carries across all branches. Best for placement tests where a single overall score determines level.
Section-based scoring — each branch is scored independently. Best for reassessment workflows where each attempt should stand alone.

Math Equations and Special Formatting

The builder fully supports LaTeX-rendered math expressions. If your PDF contains equations, fractions, Greek letters, or statistical notation, Claude will encode them correctly so they render in Atomic Assessments.

Examples of what renders correctly:

Fractions: x/y displayed as a proper fraction
Square roots, exponents, subscripts
Greek letters: μ, σ, α, β
Statistical notation: x̄ (x-bar), ŷ (y-hat), H₀, p-hat
Inequality symbols: ≥, ≤, ≠

💡 Tip If your exam uses unusual symbols or notation not listed above, just mention it when you upload — Claude will handle it.

Tips for Best Results

Use clean PDFs. Text-based PDFs work best. Scanned images of exams may require extra processing.
Sub-parts are supported. Questions with parts (a), (b), (c) are each treated as individual questions in the activity.
Include answer keys. If your PDF includes an answer key or solutions, Claude will use them to set correct answers automatically.
Multiple accepted answers. For numeric answers, Claude includes common rounding variants (e.g., 8.16 and 8.157) so students aren't penalized for different rounding.
Shared passages. If multiple questions refer to the same data table, case study, or reading passage, Claude will link them so the passage appears in a side panel for each question.
Specify the question type if you have a preference. Claude will suggest types automatically, but you can always request a specific one — e.g., "make this a token highlight" or "use a choice matrix for the True/False questions."
Rating questions are ungraded. Use them for confidence checks, surveys, or self-assessments. They won't affect the student's score.
Ask about Help Blocks upfront. If you want Help Blocks added, mention it before Claude builds — e.g., "Add a help block to each question with a formula reminder." Claude will prompt you for the content if needed.
Retry on upload errors. Occasional server errors during import are transient — just try uploading again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change question types after the zip is built?

Yes — just ask Claude to rebuild with the changes. Share the original PDF again and specify which questions you want adjusted.

What if I only want some questions converted, not the whole exam?

Tell Claude which questions to include before it builds. For example: "Only convert questions 1 through 5" or "Skip the bonus question at the end."

Can I use this for nursing or clinical case studies?

Yes. The builder supports MCQ questions with shared passage panels, including multi-tab case studies (e.g., separate tabs for patient assessment, vitals, and labs). Partial credit for alternate correct answers is also supported.

What formats can I upload?

PDF is the primary supported format. If you have exam content in another format (Word doc, image), let Claude know — it may still be able to work with it.

Can Claude add Help Blocks automatically?

Yes, if you ask upfront. Tell Claude what you want in the Help Block — a formula reminder, a worked example, a vocabulary definition — and it will embed them into the zip. If you don't specify, the zip will be built without them and you can add them manually in the editor after import.

Can I use this for reassessment or retake workflows?

Yes. Upload your original exam and your retake/practice exam as separate PDFs and ask Claude to build an adaptive assessment. Claude will build each exam as its own zip, then wire the branching logic once you provide the activity IDs from Atomic Assessments. Students who don't pass the first exam are routed to the retake automatically.

The import gave an error in Atomic Assessments. What should I try?

First, try re-uploading the zip — transient server errors are common. If the error persists, share the error message with Claude and it can diagnose and rebuild the zip.

Getting Help

If you run into any issues with the builder or the imported assessment:

Chat: Share your concern in the Claude chat window with the original PDF attached.
Support: Contact your Atomic Jolt Customer Success Manager.

💡 Tip When reporting an issue, include: the PDF you uploaded, the error message (if any), and a description of which questions look wrong. This helps Claude or your CSM resolve it quickly.