---
title: "Create a diagnostic, unit exam, or AP exam"
description: "Use an exam preset when you want more than a single question section."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/help/teachers/assignments/build-exam-or-diagnostic"
type: "teacher-help"
lastUpdated: "2026-09-03"
---

# Create a diagnostic, unit exam, or AP exam

## Quick answer

Select Diagnostic, Unit exam, or AP exam from Choose an assignment type. Choose the course coverage, review the assembled sections and timing, then adjust the draft before you publish it.

## What to do

1. **Choose the right preset**: Diagnostic adapts by unit to identify gaps. Unit exam combines course content with exam-style weighting. AP exam uses the full exam's question count and pacing where Fiveable supports the course.

   ![Choose an assignment type page with Diagnostic, Unit exam, and AP exam cards.](/img/teachers/assignment-types.jpg)

   *Use Diagnostic for gap-finding, Unit exam for one unit, or AP exam for a full supported exam.*

2. **Choose the subject and coverage**: Select the subject, then the unit or course-wide options shown.

3. **Review the preview**: Check the section list, question counts, and timing before assembly. For world-language written companions, remember that a printable or digital written section cannot reproduce every listening or speaking condition.

4. **Inspect the assembled assignment**: In Edit, open each section and confirm it matches what your class has covered. Remove or replace sections before students receive the link.

5. **Confirm timing and publish**: Open Settings, review the timer and attempts, preview, and publish.

## If something is not working

### AP exam is not available for this subject.

Full exam presets depend on Fiveable's current exam configuration. Use Unit exam, combine supported sections, or choose another assignment type.

### The exam timing is not what I need.

Open Settings and change Timer before publishing. Confirm the student-facing time in Preview.

## Related guides

- [Choose class, timing, grading, and result settings](/help/teachers/assignments/assignment-settings): Decide who receives the assignment, when it is due, and how grading and retakes work.
- [Preview an assignment as a student](/help/teachers/assignments/preview-assignment): Check the assignment from the student side without publishing it.

## About This Document

Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`.

- [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns
- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing
- [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`)