Layered difficulty

Why this shape

Each question answerable at three levels for different points: one quiz that measures a whole range of ability.

An example. Answer at the level you can: recall for one point, application for two, analysis for three.

What it is

Whole-quiz structures shape the quiz rather than a question: a case that unfolds, a mastery loop that repeats a concept until it is right, an exit ticket with a reflection, a diagnostic funnel, a sandwich of difficulty, a before-and-after, a spiral review, a boss question at the end.

Why it is needed

The order and the logic of a quiz change what it measures and how it feels. A case study measures application under a growing scenario; a mastery loop guarantees that every concept is reached; a pre-and-post measures the gain from the teaching rather than the level; a spiral spaces the review the way memory needs it. These structures are the pedagogy built into the shape.

When to use it

Use a case for professional judgement, a loop for foundations that must be secure, an exit ticket to end every lesson, a funnel to place a student, a sandwich for a quiz that should open and close gently, before-and-after to measure teaching, and a spiral for the long haul.

How to write one well

Choose the structure first and write the questions to it: a case needs a scenario that grows; a loop needs several questions per concept; a funnel needs broad questions and targeted ones. Set the flow settings the structure needs; EdProcto sets the ones the template rules out.

For layered difficulty in particular. Write the three levels as three rubrics.

Mistakes to avoid

A case whose questions do not need the scenario. A loop with one question per concept, so the repeat is the same question. An exit ticket long enough to be a test.

How EdProcto marks it

Each question inside the structure is marked by its own kind. The structure sets what students see and when, which questions repeat, and how the score is built: a gain for before-and-after, a threshold for a boss question, mastery for a loop.