# Math questions

> Students type formulas with a math keyboard, and answers with the same value, such as 1/2 and 0.5, are marked right automatically.

URL: https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/math · Updated 2026-11-11

A **Math** question gives students a formula box instead of a plain text box. They can type fractions, powers, square roots and symbols, and see them properly typeset as they write. You list the answers you accept, and LearnWorkly marks the answer automatically.

Use it for simplifying expressions, solving equations, fractions and surds. For a plain numeric answer with a margin or a unit, **Number** is simpler.

## Add a math question

1. **Choose the type** In the editor, click **Add question** and choose **Math**.
2. **Write the question** Type it in **Type your question…**. Click **Formula** to put typeset maths in the question, for example "Simplify 2(x + 3) − x".
3. **Add the accepted answers** Under **Accepted answers**, type an answer in the formula box, then click **Add answer** or press Enter. Add every form you accept, up to 20.
4. **Set the points and extras** Type the points in the **points** box (default 1), add skills, and open **Hint and explanation** if you want them.

*[Screenshot: The math editor with the question "Simplify 2(x + 3) − x" and x + 6 as a typeset accepted answer in a green tag]*

## What students see

Students see a large formula box. On phones and tablets a math keyboard opens when they tap it; on a computer they type directly, and the keyboard button next to the box opens the math keyboard too. A note reminds them: "Type / for a fraction, ^ for a power. The keyboard button has more symbols."

*[Screenshot: A student’s screen showing "Simplify 2(x + 3) − x" with a formula box and the math keyboard open below it]*

## How it is marked

| Kind of answer | What counts as right |
|---|---|
| A number, fraction or root, such as 1/2 | Any answer with the same value: 1/2, 0.5 and ½ all match |
| An expression with letters, such as x + 6 | The same expression as one of your accepted answers. Spaces do not matter, and × and · count the same |

A right answer gets full points, any other answer 0. Without accepted answers, you mark the question yourself in the live view. In the live view you see each student’s answer typeset, and you can change an automatic score.

## Add each order of an expression

> **Add each order of an expression:** Expressions with letters are compared as written, not simplified. For "Simplify 2(x + 3) − x", add both x + 6 and 6 + x as accepted answers, or a student who writes 6 + x is marked wrong.

## Check the method as well

> **Check the method as well:** Put a **Drawing** question before the math question for the working, such as "Show how you expanded the brackets." You see the method while the final answer is marked automatically.

## Frequently asked questions

**Do students need to know LaTeX?**
No. They type with the keyboard or the math keyboard, and the formula is typeset as they go.

**Is 0.333 the same as 1/3?**
No. Values must be equal, not just close, so 0.333 does not match 1/3. Add a rounded value as another accepted answer if you want to accept it.