It is always longer than you think it should be and I agree. There are lots of variables but they have managed to get this time down to around 15-20 minutes for large classes. Load on the server WILL affect this time also. Like when 2000 math students are all trying to log on and check their exam scores.
Yes and no. Let's start with no - there is NO way in Quest to simply select via some option or check box that you want a Bond Energy Table or any other kind of data. They have simply NOT implimented this and it is not a high priority.
Now the yes part. You can put anything you want in the assignment preamble. That preamble DOES use TeX and will format accordingly. So if you know TeX, you can do a LOT in that preamble.
Think of it as a mathmatical typesetting language. And while you're educating yourself here, the name TeX rhymes with tech (not "Tex" like the big guy at the state fair). And to further impress you, the author of TeX (Donald Knuth) says that the name really rhymes with blecchhh. It is THE defacto standard for mathmatical manuscripts. LaTeX is like a beefed up version of TeX with styles and the like. Knowing what TeX is can help you understand some of the coding that goes on for our questions.
YES! As long as you are happy typing in plain words with no formatting, you CAN create what is called a "simple" question in Quest. The more "fancy" you want to get, the more TeX you will have to learn. The good news is that you can learn whatever amount you are comfortable with - or none at all.