How to Use NeuraGeek’s AI Live Solver

Past-paper practice is most useful when the attempt feels like an actual attempt, not a PDF that you keep switching away from whenever you need to write something down. NeuraGeek’s AI Live Solver lets you solve supported exam questions directly on screen, using a mouse, finger or stylus, while keeping the question, writing tools, timer, mark scheme and AI help inside the same workspace. It is especially useful on an iPad or other touch device, but the same workflow also works on a computer. Live Solver is currently available from supported Past Papers, Topical Papers and Test Builder activities, so you can move from finding a question to actually working through it without printing the paper first.

1. Open your practice material and choose Solve on screen

Start inside the NeuraGeek subject you want to practise. Open a supported Past Paper, Topical Paper or Test Builder activity and load the question set in the normal paper viewer. The question paper and mark scheme can still appear side by side before you begin. At the top of the viewer, select Solve on screen to launch Live Solver. This is different from Answer on paper, which is a separate workflow for students who prefer to complete the work away from the screen. Live Solver is specifically the on-screen workspace. For revision, it is usually better to open the exact paper or topic you intended to practise before launching the solver. That way the workspace begins with the correct question context already loaded rather than turning the session into a general note-taking page.

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2. Understand the Live Solver workspace before you start writing

Once Live Solver opens, the paper moves into a focused solving view. The current question appears in the centre and the question navigator sits on the far left. If the activity contains several questions, that list expands so you can move directly between them instead of scrolling through one long document. The top bar keeps the main attempt controls available: the timer, save status, Ask AI, Mark scheme, Finish and Mark it. At the bottom of the screen is the writing toolbar. The save indicator matters more than it looks. On-screen practice can take a while, especially when you are working through calculations, diagrams or longer written answers. The workspace saves your progress while you work, so you can focus on the attempt rather than repeatedly exporting or taking screenshots of what you have written.

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3. Write, type, highlight and annotate the paper

The bottom toolbar is designed to cover the main things you would normally do on a printed paper. Write lets you draw directly onto the question with a mouse, finger or stylus. Type is useful when a response is easier to enter as text. Highlight can be used to mark command words, values or parts of a question you want to return to. Rub out removes handwritten marks, while Move lets you reposition the page without accidentally drawing on it. A ruler is also available for questions where you need a straight guide. You do not need to use every tool in every session. For a calculation-heavy science paper, a stylus and Write may feel closest to working on paper. For a short theory response, Type may be quicker. The point of the toolbar is to let the attempt happen on the question itself instead of forcing you to keep a separate notebook or drawing app open beside NeuraGeek.

4. Set up the writing controls for your device

Open the settings control at the end of the bottom toolbar before you begin if the default writing setup does not suit your device. Pen thickness can be changed between Thin, Medium and Thick. Paper colour can be switched between White, Warm, Dimmed and Dark, which is useful if you are studying at night or simply find a lower-contrast page easier on your eyes. The Draw with setting is particularly useful on touch devices. Automatic lets the workspace handle the input method for you, while Finger and Stylus only give you more control when you want to prevent accidental marks. You can also move the tool buttons to the right or left side of the screen. On an iPad, that means the controls can be kept away from the hand you naturally write with rather than sitting underneath it.

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5. Use the timer when you want the attempt to feel like an exam

The timer is available from the top bar, so you can turn a normal practice session into a timed attempt without leaving the solver. This is useful when the problem is not understanding the content but completing it quickly enough under exam conditions. Set the time you want to work for and keep the paper in front of you while the countdown runs. When you want a stricter session, AI help can also be blocked during the timed attempt. That creates a cleaner test of what you can actually produce without hints. A useful progression is to practise a topic with the tutor available first, then repeat a similar question with the timer running and AI help blocked. The second attempt tells you much more about whether the method has actually stuck.

6. Ask AI about the exact question without leaving the paper

If you do get stuck, Ask AI opens the subject tutor alongside the question you are currently solving. Because the tutor is launched from the Live Solver, it already has the question context. In a topical set, the relevant question can be selected from the question control inside the tutor, which is useful when the set contains several questions from different sessions. You can ask what a command word means, request a hint, ask why a step is needed or get an explanation of the concept while the original question remains visible. Try not to use Ask AI as the first move. Attempt the question far enough to identify what you are actually stuck on, then ask about that point. A specific question such as why a particular graph step is needed is much more useful for revision than asking the tutor to complete the entire answer for you.

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7. Open the mark scheme after you have made a genuine attempt

The Mark scheme control is available from the top bar, so you do not need to leave the solver and search for a separate PDF when you are ready to review your work. Use it after you have attempted the question. For a one-mark item, compare the exact point the scheme required with what you wrote. For a longer response, look for the individual marking points or stages that were missing rather than only checking whether your final answer looked similar. This is also where the combination of the mark scheme and Ask AI becomes useful. The mark scheme tells you what earned credit; the tutor can help explain why that point is correct when the wording alone is not enough. Keeping both inside the same attempt makes it easier to turn a mistake into a revision task immediately.

8. Use Mark it when you are ready for feedback on the attempt

When you have finished the question, select Mark it. Live Solver can then review the work you completed on screen and return a fuller marking report instead of leaving you to judge the attempt only from the mark scheme. Use that report to identify where marks were gained, where the response was incomplete and what needs another attempt. The most useful part comes after the result. Do not stop because the question has been marked. If the report shows that one step, definition or piece of reasoning was weak, return to that topic, fix the specific problem and then attempt another question that tests the same idea. Live Solver is most valuable when the marking becomes the start of the next practice decision.

A practical Live Solver workflow

If you are not sure how to use all of the controls together, keep the session simple:

1. Open a Past Paper, Topical Paper or Test Builder activity that matches what you want to practise.
2. Choose Solve on screen and move to the exact question you want to attempt.
3. Set the pen, paper colour and input method so the page feels comfortable on your device.
4. Use the timer if you want to practise exam pace, and block AI help when you want a stricter test.
5. Attempt the question yourself before opening Ask AI or the mark scheme.
6. Use Ask AI only for the specific point you cannot resolve, then return to the attempt.
7. Open the mark scheme after the attempt and compare the marking points with your response.
8. Select Mark it for the full feedback report, then practise the weakness the report exposes.

Do not turn Live Solver into another place to watch the answer

The advantage of solving on screen is not that the AI, mark scheme and tools are always one click away. The advantage is that they are available at the right moment without breaking the revision flow. If you open the mark scheme before thinking, or ask the tutor to solve every question, the paper may look complete while your own exam ability has barely changed. Treat the screen like the real paper first. Write, calculate, cross things out, use the timer and make a decision. Then use the support tools to analyse the attempt.

Put it into practice

Open a weak topic in NeuraGeek and launch a topical question with Solve on screen. Set the writing controls for your device, give yourself a realistic time limit and attempt the question without opening the mark scheme. If you get stuck, ask the tutor about the exact step rather than the whole answer. When you finish, check the marking points and use Mark it for the full report. Then move to the next question in the set and try to correct the same weakness immediately. That is the real purpose of Live Solver: keeping the entire attempt, feedback and retry cycle in one place.