No. Codes are valid for 15 minutes. Click Resend code to get a fresh one.
, }, ]} /> ## Logging back in To return to your account go to [/login](/login). If you forget your password, use [Forgot password](/forgot-password) — we'll email you a link to set a new one. ## What happens next Once you're on the dashboard, the natural next step is to add at least one child profile. Without a child, you can't upload exam papers. ## Related - [Adding & managing children](/userguide/children) - [Credits & subscriptions](/userguide/credits-subscriptions) --- title: section.title, description: section.summary, alternates: { canonical: `${GUIDE_PUBLIC_URL}/${section.slug}` }, keywords: section.keywords, }; # Adding & managing children _Add one or many children to your account, set their school year and subjects, and switch between profiles._ > **TL;DR** — Open [Children](/dashboard/children), click **Add child**, enter their first name and school year. Repeat for siblings. Switch between children using the selector at the top of the dashboard. ## Why child profiles matter Pathora keeps every child's results, revision items, and analytics separate. Each upload is tagged to one child, so you get **per-child progress charts** and a clean revision hub for each one — even when siblings share a tablet. You need **at least one child** before you can upload a paper. ## Add your first child 1. From the dashboard sidebar, open [Children](/dashboard/children). 2. Click **Add child**. 3. Fill in: - **First name** (required) — what we display on results and emails. - **School year** (required) — Year 1 through A-Level. Used to pick the right marking criteria. - **Primary subjects** (optional) — pre-fills the upload form so you don't have to re-pick. 4. Click **Save**. You'll see the child appear in the list immediately. > School year drives marking strictness. A Year 6 SATs paper is marked very differently from a GCSE paper — picking the right year is the single biggest thing you can do for accurate feedback. ## Multiple children Pathora supports as many children as you want on a single account. Each one gets: - Their own results history - Their own revision queue - Their own analytics - Independent credit consumption (one upload uses one credit, no matter which child) If you have **more than five children**, the dashboard's child switcher becomes a scrollable list — you won't lose any of them off the edge. ## Switching between children Most pages — Dashboard, Results, Revision, Analytics — show data for the **currently selected child**. The selector lives at the top of the dashboard. Click your child's name to open the dropdown and pick another. The current child is remembered across sessions on the same device. ## Editing a child's details Open [Children](/dashboard/children), click the child's row, and edit any field. Changes apply to **future** uploads — past results keep the year and subjects they were marked under so historical reports stay accurate. ## Removing a child > Removing a child deletes their profile, all their uploaded papers, all their results, and all their revision items. We email you a confirmation when this happens. There is no undo. To remove a child: 1. Open the child's profile. 2. Scroll to **Danger zone** at the bottom. 3. Click **Remove child** and confirm by typing their first name. 4. We'll email you confirmation that the data has been deleted. ### Can two parents share access to the same child? Not yet — accounts are single-user. If you both want access, share a single login. Multi-parent / family accounts are on the roadmap. ### My child is between school years — which one should I pick? Pick the year matching the paper they are about to take. If you upload a Year 6 SATs practice paper, set the year to Year 6 even if your child is currently in Year 5. You can change it back afterwards. ### Does my child need their own login? No. Children don't have logins — only parents do. If older students want to mark their own work they sign in with the parent's account. ## Related - [Uploading exam papers](/userguide/uploading) - [Credits & subscriptions](/userguide/credits-subscriptions) --- title: section.title, description: section.summary, alternates: { canonical: `${GUIDE_PUBLIC_URL}/${section.slug}` }, keywords: section.keywords, }; # Uploading exam papers _Photograph or upload exam papers, choose subject and year, and let Pathora auto-mark them._ > **TL;DR** — Go to [Upload](/dashboard/upload), pick the child, subject, and school year, then drag-and-drop a photo or PDF. Marking starts automatically and finishes in 30–90 seconds. ## Supported file types - **Photos** — JPG, PNG, HEIC (iPhone). Single page or several pages, one image each. - **PDFs** — multi-page PDFs are split automatically. Up to 20 pages per paper. - **Maximum file size** — 25 MB per upload. If you have a stack of photos for one paper, drop all of them in one go. We'll treat them as a single multi-page paper. ## Step-by-step 1. Open [Upload](/dashboard/upload) from the dashboard sidebar. 2. Confirm the **child** is correct (top selector). 3. Pick the **subject** (e.g. English, Maths, Science, French, Spanish, Latin, Greek). 4. Pick the **school year** — defaults to the child's year, but you can override for practice papers from a different level. 5. Drag-and-drop your file(s), or click to open a file picker. Upload starts immediately. 6. Wait 30–90 seconds. The result page opens automatically when marking finishes. > There is no separate "Upload" button. As soon as you drop a file, we start uploading. If you picked the wrong file, just drop the right one — we'll cancel the previous job. ## Photographing papers (the real-world tips) Most "bad result" tickets we see come from blurry or skewed photos. A few seconds of care saves a re-upload: - **Light it well.** Daylight is best. Avoid shadows from your hand or phone. - **Lay it flat.** Curled corners or a folded page lose marks. Use a clipboard if you have one. - **Get the whole page in frame.** Pathora can cope with a bit of border, but cropped questions can't be marked. - **One page per photo.** Two pages in one shot are usually too small to read clearly. - **Hold steady.** Tap-to-focus on your phone before pressing the shutter. Pathora auto-rotates and de-skews lightly, but it can't recover from severe blur. ## What happens during marking Behind the scenes: 1. Your file is uploaded to Pathora securely (HTTPS, stored in Google Cloud Storage in the UK). 2. The marking engine extracts the questions and your child's handwritten answers. 3. Each answer is compared against the mark scheme for that year and subject. 4. Per-question feedback, marks awarded, and overall score are computed. 5. The result page opens, and the paper is added to the [Results](/dashboard/results) list. Marking typically takes **30–90 seconds**. Long papers (20+ questions) can take up to two minutes. ## Credits & limits Each successful upload consumes **one credit**. If marking fails (e.g. unreadable photo), no credit is consumed. - **Free tier** — 3 credits per month, refreshed on the 1st. - **Pro tier** — monthly grant scales with the number of children on your account. - Buying additional credits is available on the [Pricing](/dashboard/pricing) page. See [Credits & subscriptions](/userguide/credits-subscriptions) for the full breakdown. > The upload form will tell you before you drop a file. If you run out mid-month, you can either upgrade to Pro or buy a top-up pack from [Pricing](/dashboard/pricing). ### Can I upload a paper my child hasn’t answered yet? Yes — we’ll mark a blank or partial paper. You’ll see "no answer attempted" feedback for the unanswered questions. This is useful if you want to see the mark scheme breakdown before sitting down with your child. ### My phone takes HEIC photos. Will those work? Yes — HEIC is supported. We convert it server-side. If you prefer JPEGs, change your iPhone setting in _Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible_. ### Can I re-mark a paper if I think the AI got it wrong? Yes. Open the result and click **Re-mark** at the top. This consumes one extra credit but uses a fresh marking pass. If the second result still looks wrong, contact [support](mailto:info@firstexams.co.uk) with the result ID and we'll review at no charge. ## Related - [Understanding results](/userguide/results) - [Troubleshooting](/userguide/troubleshooting) --- title: section.title, description: section.summary, alternates: { canonical: `${GUIDE_PUBLIC_URL}/${section.slug}` }, keywords: section.keywords, }; # Understanding results _Read per-question feedback, examiner-style notes, marks awarded, and export results as PDF._ > **TL;DR** — Open [Results](/dashboard/results), click any paper to see per-question feedback, marks awarded, and an examiner-style commentary. Use **Export PDF** to print or share. ## The results list [Results](/dashboard/results) shows every paper you've uploaded for the currently selected child. Each row shows: - **Subject and year** - **Date marked** - **Score** — marks awarded out of total available - **Status** — Complete, Marking…, or Failed Filter by **subject** or **date range** using the controls at the top. ## Inside a single result Click any row to open the result detail page. You'll see four sections: ### 1. Header summary The top of the page shows the overall score, percentage, subject, year, and the date. A small badge tells you whether this was a Pathora-marked paper or one that has been re-marked. ### 2. Per-question feedback Each question expands to show: - **The question text** (extracted from your upload). - **Your child's answer** (extracted from their handwriting). - **Marks awarded** — e.g. "2 / 3". - **Examiner comment** — a plain-language explanation of what was right, what was missed, and how to improve. - **Mark scheme reference** — what an examiner would have looked for. > Essay-style questions show a "Read full feedback" toggle. Open it to see paragraph-by-paragraph commentary on structure, evidence, and analysis. ### 3. Strategy notes Below the per-question section is a short list of **strategy notes** — patterns we noticed across the whole paper. Examples: - "Tends to skip the second part of multi-part questions." - "Confident on calculation; weaker on showing working." - "Strong topic sentences, weaker conclusions." These are the most useful thing for revision planning. ### 4. Topic / skill breakdown A small chart shows how marks split across topics or skills (e.g. *inference, vocabulary, punctuation* in English; *number, geometry, statistics* in Maths). Click a topic to see only the questions that contributed. ## Exporting as PDF Click **Export PDF** at the top of the result page. We render a print-friendly version that includes: - The original page images - All per-question feedback - Strategy notes - Topic breakdown The PDF downloads to your device. It's safe to share with tutors or other parents. ## Re-marking a paper If you disagree with the marking on a question, you can: - **Re-mark the whole paper** — costs one extra credit, runs a fresh pass. - **Flag a question** — opens a dialog where you tell us why you disagree. Flags don't change the result but feed into our quality review and help us improve. For systematic disagreements (e.g. "the AI keeps getting Year 6 SPaG wrong"), email info@firstexams.co.uk with the result ID. We review every report. ### How accurate is the marking? Across our QA test set, Pathora marks within ±1 mark of an expert human examiner for the majority of questions. Multi-mark essay questions show wider variance — treat the score as a strong guide, not a definitive grade. The _feedback_ is generally more reliable than the exact mark. ### Can I see the original photo for a question? Yes — click the small image icon next to a question to expand the cropped page region we used for marking. Useful when you want to check that the AI extracted the answer correctly. ## Related - [Revision hub](/userguide/revision) - [Analytics & progress](/userguide/analytics) --- title: section.title, description: section.summary, alternates: { canonical: `${GUIDE_PUBLIC_URL}/${section.slug}` }, keywords: section.keywords, }; # Revision hub _Review questions your child got wrong and practise them in a focused, AI-assisted revision flow._ > **TL;DR** — Every question your child gets wrong lands in [Revision](/dashboard/revision). Open it to see them grouped by topic, and start a focused practice session with **Practise**. ## How the revision queue is built When a paper is marked, every question scoring **less than full marks** is automatically added to the revision queue for that child. The queue: - Groups items by **subject** and **topic** so you can see where the gaps are. - Tracks **how many times** each item has appeared. - Marks an item **resolved** once the child gets a similar question right in a later paper or practice session. You don't have to manage the queue manually — it builds itself. ## Practising weak topics Open [Revision](/dashboard/revision) and click any topic group. You'll see all the questions that fed into that group, plus a **Practise** button. 1. Click **Practise** on a topic. 2. Pathora generates a short practice set — 5 to 10 fresh questions in the same style and difficulty. 3. Your child answers them on screen (digital practice mode) or on paper. 4. Submit, and we mark the practice set the same way as a regular paper. 5. Topics where your child now scores well are **cleared** from the queue. > We're rolling out a per-topic mastery score (red / amber / green) that visualises how confident your child is on each topic over time. It uses the same data as the queue. The current revision page already shows the underlying counts. ## Digital practice mode In digital practice mode, your child types their answers directly into Pathora — no upload needed. This is best for: - Short-answer Maths questions - Vocabulary, grammar, and spelling drills - Multiple-choice and matching questions For longer essay-style practice, paper-and-pen is still better — your child can then upload the practice paper as a normal upload to get full essay feedback. ## When items leave the queue A revision item is automatically resolved when: - A similar question (same topic, comparable difficulty) is answered correctly in a later paper. - The child completes a practice set on that topic with a high score. You can also manually mark an item resolved using the menu on each row. ### My child got a question wrong on purpose to test the AI — how do I remove it? Open the item in the revision list and click **Dismiss**. It won’t affect future analytics. ### Does practice mode use credits? Marking a practice set uses **one credit per submission**, the same as uploading a paper. Generating the practice questions is free. ### Can I print practice questions? Yes — from the practice generation screen, click **Print** to get a paper-friendly version with answer space. ## Related - [Understanding results](/userguide/results) - [Analytics & progress](/userguide/analytics) --- title: section.title, description: section.summary, alternates: { canonical: `${GUIDE_PUBLIC_URL}/${section.slug}` }, keywords: section.keywords, }; # Analytics & progress _Track performance over time by subject, topic, and skill — and spot where to focus next._ > **TL;DR** — [Analytics](/dashboard/analytics) plots your child's score over time, splits performance by subject and topic, and highlights the trends that aren't obvious from individual results. ## What the dashboard shows The main dashboard already shows a small **score trend** chart and a list of recent results for the selected child. The dedicated [Analytics](/dashboard/analytics) page goes deeper. ### Score over time A line chart of overall percentage per paper, ordered by date. Hover any point to see the underlying paper. Use the **subject** filter to focus on one curriculum area. ### Subject breakdown Bar chart of average percentage by subject, over the chosen date range. Useful for spotting *"Maths is fine, English needs work"* — without having to scroll through every result. ### Topic mastery (rolling) For each subject, the topic chart shows your child's success rate per topic, weighted by how recent the data is. Topics in the bottom third are flagged as **focus areas** and link straight to the [Revision](/dashboard/revision) hub. ### Skills (English & Reading only) For English papers we further split marks by *skill* — inference, vocabulary, retrieval, structural analysis, punctuation, grammar. This is the most useful view for diagnosing why a child is plateauing despite hitting the topics on the paper. ## Choosing a date range The default range is **last 90 days**. Use the dropdown to switch to *last 30 days*, *this academic year*, *all time*, or a custom range. Date ranges apply across all charts on the page. ## Comparing children If you have multiple children, the analytics page shows the currently selected child only. To compare, switch children and bookmark each view — a side-by-side comparison view is on the roadmap. > The score chart tells you whether revision is working. The topic chart tells you what to revise next. Most parents check analytics weekly, not daily — trends matter more than single results. ### I only have one paper — why is the chart empty? Trend charts need at least three data points to be meaningful. Until you have three results in the chosen date range, you'll see a placeholder. Subject and topic breakdowns work from result number one. ### Can I export analytics? Not yet as a single PDF. You can right-click any chart and **Save image** for now. A full analytics export is on the roadmap. ## Related - [Revision hub](/userguide/revision) - [Understanding results](/userguide/results) --- title: section.title, description: section.summary, alternates: { canonical: `${GUIDE_PUBLIC_URL}/${section.slug}` }, keywords: section.keywords, }; # Credits & subscriptions _How credits work, what each plan includes, and how the monthly Pro grant scales with the number of children._ > **TL;DR** — Free accounts get 3 credits per month. Pro is a monthly subscription whose grant scales with the number of children. One credit marks one paper. Manage everything on [Pricing](/dashboard/pricing) and [Account](/dashboard/account). ## How credits work A **credit** is the unit Pathora uses to charge for marking. The simplest rule: - **One credit = one successful paper marked.** - Failed marks (e.g. unreadable photo) **do not** consume a credit. - Re-marking a paper consumes one fresh credit. - Practice-set marking consumes one credit per submitted set. Generating practice questions, browsing analytics, exporting PDFs, and managing children are all **free**. ## Free tier Every account starts on the free tier: - **3 credits per month**, refreshed on the 1st. - Unused credits **do not** roll over. - All marking features are available — there's no "lite" version of marking. - Up to as many children as you want; the credit pool is shared. The free tier is enough to mark roughly one paper per child per month if you have one or two children — perfect for trying Pathora. ## Pro tier Pro is a monthly subscription billed via Stripe. The grant **scales with the number of children**: - 1 child — 30 credits / month - 2 children — 50 credits / month - 3 children — 70 credits / month - 4+ children — +20 credits / additional child Pro also includes: - Higher-priority marking queue. - Full analytics history (free tier is limited to last 90 days). - PDF exports with custom branding hidden (free tier shows a small Pathora watermark). See live pricing at [/dashboard/pricing](/dashboard/pricing). > We don’t want to penalise families with multiple children. The Pro grant is sized so that each child gets a reasonable monthly allowance regardless of how many siblings are on the account. ## Top-up packs If you run out mid-month — for example during exam season — you can buy a **top-up pack**: - 10 credits — one-off purchase - 25 credits — better £/credit - 50 credits — best £/credit Top-up credits **never expire** and stack on top of your monthly Pro grant. Available on [Pricing](/dashboard/pricing) for all account types, including free. ## Managing your subscription Open [Account](/dashboard/account) → **Subscription**. From here you can: - See your current plan and renewal date. - Switch between monthly and annual billing. - Cancel — your Pro benefits stay active until the end of the billing period. - Update your payment method. All billing is handled by Stripe. Pathora never sees your card details directly. ## Credit history Open [Account](/dashboard/account) → **Credit history** to see every credit transaction: - Monthly grant deposits - Pack top-ups - Marking consumption (per result) - Refunds (e.g. for failed marks we've manually credited) Useful when you want to understand exactly where your monthly grant went. ### I cancelled — when do I lose Pro features? At the end of your current billing period. We don't pro-rate or remove benefits early. You can re-subscribe any time. ### Do top-up credits expire? No. Top-up credits stay on your account forever (or until used). Only the monthly Pro grant resets each month. ### Can I get a refund? For unused subscription periods, contact [support](mailto:info@firstexams.co.uk). We refund pro rata for clear billing errors. Top-up packs are non-refundable once any credit from the pack is used. ### My family has 8 children — is there a discount? Yes — for 5+ children we offer family pricing. Email [info@firstexams.co.uk](mailto:info@firstexams.co.uk) and we’ll set up a custom plan. ## Related - [Uploading exam papers](/userguide/uploading) - [Account & profile](/userguide/account) --- title: section.title, description: section.summary, alternates: { canonical: `${GUIDE_PUBLIC_URL}/${section.slug}` }, keywords: section.keywords, }; # Account & profile _Change your name, email, password, notification preferences, and delete your account._ > **TL;DR** — Open [Account](/dashboard/account) to update your name and email, change your password, manage notifications, view your subscription, and (if you really want to) delete your account. ## Profile Your profile is the parent-facing identity used in emails and on the dashboard. From [Account → Profile](/dashboard/account) you can update: - **Display name** — shown in the top right of the dashboard and in emails ("Hi Sarah,"). - **Email address** — used for login and notifications. Changing it sends a verification code to the new address; the change applies once you confirm. Children's names live on each child profile, not here. See [Children](/userguide/children). ## Password & security For email-and-password accounts you can: - **Change password** — requires your current password. We enforce a minimum length and basic strength rules. - **Reset password** — if you've forgotten it, use [Forgot password](/forgot-password) from the login screen. - **Sign out everywhere** — invalidates all sessions on every device. Useful if you've lost a phone. Social sign-in accounts (Google / Apple / X) don't have a Pathora password. Manage security on the provider's site. ## Notification preferences Pathora sends three categories of email: 1. **Transactional** — verification codes, password resets, billing receipts. **Cannot be disabled** — these are required for the account to work. 2. **Result notifications** — "Your paper has been marked." On by default. Toggle off if you'd rather just check the dashboard. 3. **Product updates** — new features, occasional tips. Off by default; opt in if you want them. Manage from [Account → Notifications](/dashboard/account). ## Subscription & billing [Account → Subscription](/dashboard/account) is where you view your current plan, renewal date, payment method, and switch between monthly / annual / cancel. See [Credits & subscriptions](/userguide/credits-subscriptions) for the full breakdown. ## Deleting your account > Deleting your account permanently removes every child profile, every uploaded paper, every result, and every revision item. We email you a confirmation. There is no undo and no support recovery. To delete: 1. Open [Account](/dashboard/account) and scroll to **Danger zone**. 2. Click **Delete account**. 3. Type your email address to confirm. 4. We'll log you out, delete your data within 24 hours, and email a final confirmation. If you only want to **stop being charged** but keep your historical results, **cancel Pro** instead of deleting your account. ## Data & privacy - All paper images and personal data are stored in Google Cloud regions in the UK / EU. - Children's data is treated as the parent's data — you are the data controller for your child. - Full details: [Privacy policy](/privacy). For a copy of all your data, email info@firstexams.co.uk with the subject line "Data export". ### Can I change the email on a social login account? Yes — open **Account → Profile** and update the email. After verification, future logins use the new address. The Google/Apple/X link still works for sign-in. ### Does deleting my account close my Stripe subscription? Yes — we cancel any active subscription as part of account deletion. You will not be charged again. ## Related - [Credits & subscriptions](/userguide/credits-subscriptions) - [Troubleshooting](/userguide/troubleshooting) --- title: section.title, description: section.summary, alternates: { canonical: `${GUIDE_PUBLIC_URL}/${section.slug}` }, keywords: section.keywords, }; # Troubleshooting & FAQ _Common issues with uploads, marking, billing, and what to do when something goes wrong._ > **TL;DR** — Most issues are fixed by refreshing the page, re-photographing the paper, or signing out and back in. If those don't help, email info@firstexams.co.uk with as much detail as you can. ## Sign-in issues ### I never got the verification code. Check spam, then click **Resend code** on the verification screen (60s cooldown). If still nothing, try a Gmail or Outlook address — corporate / school email filters frequently block transactional mail. ## Upload issues ### Upload finishes but marking never starts. Refresh the page. Marking happens server-side; if your browser disconnected the result still completes and will appear in [Results](/dashboard/results). If after five minutes nothing has happened, the file may be unreadable — re-photograph and re-upload. ## Marking issues ### A question I know is correct was marked wrong. Use the **Flag** action on that question in the result. For systematic issues across many results, email [support](mailto:info@firstexams.co.uk) with the result ID — we re-mark and refund the credit at no charge. ### The AI extracted my child’s answer incorrectly. Usually a photo-quality issue. Re-photograph in better light with the page flat, then click **Re-mark**. If clear photos still fail, contact support. ## Billing issues ### My card was charged but credits didn’t arrive. Refresh the page first — Stripe webhooks usually take under 30 seconds, but can occasionally take a couple of minutes. If credits still don’t appear after five minutes, email [support](mailto:info@firstexams.co.uk) with the Stripe receipt — we’ll grant manually within one business day. ### I want a refund. For unused subscription periods we refund pro rata. Top-up packs are non-refundable once any credit from the pack is used. Contact [support](mailto:info@firstexams.co.uk). ### How do I cancel? [Account → Subscription](/dashboard/account). Pro features stay active until the end of your billing period. ## Performance & display issues ### The dashboard is blank or stuck. Hard-refresh the page (`Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + R`). If still broken, sign out and back in. If still broken, try a different browser to rule out an extension. Then contact support. ### PDF export looks broken. Most often a browser extension blocking `html2canvas`. Try in an incognito / private window first. If still broken, screenshot what you see and email it to support. ## Still stuck? Email info@firstexams.co.uk. Include: - Your account email - A description of what you tried to do and what happened - The result ID (for marking issues), Stripe receipt (for billing), or a screenshot We aim to respond within one UK business day. ## Related - [Uploading exam papers](/userguide/uploading) - [Credits & subscriptions](/userguide/credits-subscriptions) ---