Ormskirk medical student’s revision aid iPad app becomes a hit

Nov 1 2012 by Rob Pattinson, Ormskirk Advertiser

A MEDICAL student from Ormskirk has created an innovative iPad app that allows students to create and share multiple choice questions to aid exam revision.

James Gupta came up with the idea with his flatmate, Omair Vaiani, after the pair used multiple choice questions to test each other in their first-year exams at Leeds University.

And the MyCQs app has proved a hit since its release two weeks ago – even being featured on the Guardian's “30 Best Apps This Week” column. Former Ormskirk School pupil James, 21, from Altys Lane, said: “The app lets students create their own multiple choice question tests and then share them with their friends. Sharing a test earns points for the student, which can then be spent on tests created by others. They also receive points when someone else downloads or 'likes' their test. It’s about getting away from rote learning and creating new ways for people to revise.

“Thinking up the wrong answers to make the questions challenging adds a bit of fun.”

Now the pair are hoping to widen the reach of the product to make it available for teachers to use with pupils, and are in discussions with a number of educational organisations about marketing it further.

And James added: “While neither of us are computer science students, we’ve always had an interest in computers and this is something that has really taken off. We both still plan to go on and become doctors, but it’s exciting to see where this takes us in the meantime.

“There’s nothing else like this on the app store at the minute and we’ve had really positive feedback so far.”