A LaTeX document class (BHCexam.cls) for automated exam typesetting, supporting answer toggle, multi-column layout, automatic MCQ option alignment, space reservation, and question group numbering control.

How to install and get started?

Online: Use the Overleaf example project. Locally: Install via 'tlmgr install bhcexam' or download from GitHub releases, place BHCexam.cls in texmf or the same directory as your .tex file, then compile with 'xelatex example.tex'.

How to generate teacher/student versions?

Add the 'answers' option to the document class to generate a teacher version with answers; remove this option and recompile for the student version. Both versions share the same source file, with answer visibility controlled by the \key command.

What is BHCexam's licensing?

BHCexam is licensed under the LaTeX Project Public License 1.3c (LPPL), which is completely free for non-commercial use. If you plan to use BHCexam for commercial purposes (such as paid courses at educational institutions, commercial publications, etc.), you need to obtain a commercial license. Please contact charles@mathcrowd.cn for details.

What are the common document class options?

Common options include answers (show answers), twocolumn (A3 double-column layout), and list (list format). Font and spacing options like zihao, fontset, and linestretch are also available. Unrecognized options are automatically passed to the article class.

How to handle multiple-choice questions and alignment?

BHCexam provides \threechoices through \sixchoices commands to automatically handle alignment for 3-6 options. The system automatically arranges options in columns based on their length and adapts to the optimal grid layout.

How to write solutions and scoring points?

Use the solution environment to write answer content, which is displayed only in the teacher version. For questions requiring step-by-step grading, use the \score command to mark the points for each step and cumulative points.

How to integrate with a question bank for automatic exam generation?

The integration workflow includes: exporting question data from the database, generating corresponding LaTeX commands based on question types, and finally concatenating them into a complete .tex file and compiling to PDF. For detailed integration solutions, please refer to the database integration chapter in the documentation.

BHCexam.cls | Automated Exam Typesetting Infrastructure

BHCexam.cls

Automated Exam Typesetting Infrastructure

Stop formatting manually. BHCexam.cls handles the tedious LaTeX internals—MCQ alignment, dual-version generation, and grading counters—so you can focus purely on the content.

Live Demo on Overleaf

tlmgr install bhcexam

Powering the Mathcrowd Problem Database

BHCexam.cls is the core typesetting engine behind Mathcrowd, generating professional exam PDFs for massive question banks.

Maintaining excellence in automated exam typesetting for over 13 years (since 2011).

Visit Open Problem Database

The Old Way vs. The BHCexam Way

Traditional LaTeX

Manually calculating space for fill-in-the-blanks; fighting with tabular to align A/B/C/D options; maintaining two separate .tex files for students and teachers.

BHCexam.cls

Modularized Functions: Content entry is decoupled from formatting logic.

Automated Layout: Algorithms handle the spacing and alignment instantly.

Efficiency: Write once, export anywhere.

Core Features

Intelligent Layout Engine

Forget about manual spacing. BHCexam makes your layout look professional automatically.

Auto-Aligned MCQ Options

Automatically detects option lengths and aligns them to a grid (one, two, or four columns).

Smart Fill-in-the-Blank

The underline width automatically adjusts based on the length of the answer content.

Flexible Page Layouts

Native support for A3 double-column (exam standard) and A4 single-column formats.

Dual-Version Workflow

Manage your question bank with a "Single Source of Truth".

One File, Two Outputs

Generate a Teacher Version (with answers, analysis, and marks) and a Student Version (clean layout) from the same .tex source.

Answer Visibility Control

Globally toggle the visibility of answers and scores with a simple config.

Space Reservation

Automatically reserve blank space for subjective questions in the student version.

Structured Question Management

Built for complex exams, not just simple quizzes.

Automated Scoring

Handles point distribution, displaying or hiding marks per question group.

Nested Logic

Supports sub-questions and even nested sub-questions within short-answer problems.

Numbering Control

Choose to restart numbering for each section or use continuous global numbering.

Alignment Modes

Support alignment by question number or by decorative dot (.).

Frequently Asked Questions

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OpenSource Community & Compatibility

License
LaTeX Project Public License 1.3c (Open Source & Free)
Compatibility
Works with standard TeX Live distributions and Overleaf
User Group
Join the user QQ group to discuss with other users
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Issue Tracker
Submit issues or feature requests on GitHub
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Automated Exam Typesetting Infrastructure

Powering the Mathcrowd Problem Database

The Old Way vs. The BHCexam Way

Traditional LaTeX

BHCexam.cls

Core Features

Intelligent Layout Engine

Auto-Aligned MCQ Options

Smart Fill-in-the-Blank

Flexible Page Layouts

Dual-Version Workflow

One File, Two Outputs

Answer Visibility Control

Space Reservation

Structured Question Management

Automated Scoring

Nested Logic

Numbering Control

Alignment Modes

Frequently Asked Questions

OpenSource Community & Compatibility

License

Compatibility

User Group

Issue Tracker

Acknowledgment