Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Below are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Problem-Attic. For details about particular program options or for step-by-step instructions, see links on the left.

If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please contact us.

Subscriptions

Q: Is Problem-Attic really free?
A: Yes, the great majority of questions—more than 290,000—which are re-published through Problem-Attic are free and always will be. The PDF creation, organizing, and sharing tools are also free. If you want to take advantage of certain “technology extensions”, such as editing, online testing, slideshow creation, export to an LMS, and scoring, then a subscription is required.
Q: Can I subscribe as an individual teacher?
A: No, the only subscription option is school-wide. In the past, Problem-Attic did have a single-user option, but it was phased out so that we could focus more on collaboration, customizing curriculum, and sharing within schools and districts.
Q: My school is very small. Is there a discounted price?
A: Yes, we offer discounts for small schools (based on student enrollment) and also for quantity or district-wide purchases. For more information, please call us at 800-669-9405 or send an email to sales@problem-attic.com.
Q: Can my school get a subscription on a trial basis?
A: No, there’s no need for a free trial, because Problem-Attic offers something better: actual use of the program. With it’ huge database of questions and excellent options for creating and sharing documents, you can use Problem-Attic for real classroom purposes just by signing up. Also, you can do a thorough evaluation of export and scoring in what we call the Play Area.
Q: Does a school subscription cover all teachers?
A: Yes! When you have a subscription, all teachers at your school get full access to the program. That includes all of the technology options, such as export and scoring, and EducAide’s original content: standards-based math for grades 1–12, Spanish translations, reading passage collection, new AP subjects for science, clipart library (great for problem stimulus!), and more.
Q: Is there overlap between math frameworks (e.g., CCSS) and state assessments?
A: No, there isn’t any overlap. The additional content that comes with a school subscription, including more than 35,000 questions for state math frameworks, is original. It is developed by EducAide Software, the maker of Problem-Attic, which has more than two decades experience writing and aligning questions for standards-based instruction and assessment. You can get more details about the state math frameworks and EducAide’s design goals here.
Q: How do I update my email/password?
A: Pull down your account menu (where you see your user ID). Choose Settings, and click on the Login/Password tab.
Q: I signed up and activated my account, but I cannot access the problems.
A: Our activation email might not have reached you due to your school’s email filters. Please contact support@problem-attic.com

Content

Q: Can I share my Problem-Attic documents with other teachers?
A: Yes, as long as the other person has the same type of account (free or subscription). For example, if you subscribe to Problem-Attic, then anyone you share with must also be a subscriber. See Terms of Service.
Q: If I edit an existing problem, will this affect anything in the database?
A: No. The existing problem stays intact. Problem-Attic makes a copy of the problem for the editor.
Q: What should I do if I find a mistake in a problem?
A: Please flag any problems that may need to be fixed, and we will revisit them. If you are a subscriber, you can make a copy and edit the problem.

Technical Details

Q: What do I need to use Problem-Attic?
A: To access the content you can use any computer or device with a modern web browser. To take full advantage of other subscription features, we recommend that you use a desktop or laptop. To use the Scoring App with Internet Explorer, you will need IE 8 or later.
Q: Do you support both PCs and Macs?
A: Yes.

Problem Editor

Q: Can I create my own problems?
A: Yes, if you are a subscriber. Click the Arrange tab. You’ll see an option for new problem.
Q: What kind of figures or images can I use?
A: You can upload any JPEG or PNG file less than 1 MB.
Q: How does Problem-Attic do math formulas?
A: Problem-Attic uses TeX to render math beautifully.

Scoring Application

Q: Will the Scoring App work with my grading software?
A: Most likely, depending on the capabilities of the grading software. Problem-Attic exports results as CSV files.
Q: Can I upload a student roster into Problem-Attic?
A: No. Problem-Attic scoring works without student rosters. It is designed for quick feedback and informal classroom testing.
Q: Do you store information about my students?
A: No. Because Problem-Attic is not based on rosters, we do not save the information that could personally identify students.