diff --git a/src/pages/exam/setup/ExamTemplateSetupPage.tsx b/src/pages/exam/setup/ExamTemplateSetupPage.tsx
index 7186213..2023027 100644
--- a/src/pages/exam/setup/ExamTemplateSetupPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/exam/setup/ExamTemplateSetupPage.tsx
@@ -154,11 +154,23 @@ function bringDomainShapesToFront(editor: Editor) {
   if (ids.length) try { editor.bringToFront(ids as any) } catch { /* */ }
 }
 
+// Draw order = z-order (tldraw stacks by creation). Backdrops (boundaries, preamble bands, container frames)
+// go first/behind so the figures, responses and parts on top stay hoverable and legible.
+function zPriority(m: ExamCanvasShapeModel): number {
+  if (m.kind === 'boundary') return 0
+  if (m.kind === 'context' && m.contextType === 'preamble') return 1
+  if (m.kind === 'part' && m.isContainer) return 2
+  if (m.kind === 'part') return 3
+  if (m.kind === 'context') return 5   // figures/tables on top so their description tooltip is reachable
+  return 4                              // responses + other regions
+}
+
 function loadShapes(editor: Editor, models: ExamCanvasShapeModel[]) {
   const existing = editor.getCurrentPageShapes().filter((s) => shapeTypeToKind(s.type)).map((s) => s.id)
   if (existing.length) editor.deleteShapes(existing)
   if (!models.length) return
-  editor.createShapes(models.map((m) => ({
+  const ordered = [...models].sort((a, b) => zPriority(a) - zPriority(b))
+  editor.createShapes(ordered.map((m) => ({
     id: createShapeId(m.id),
     type: SHAPE_TYPES[m.kind],
     x: m.x,
diff --git a/src/pages/exam/setup/examCanvasShapes.tsx b/src/pages/exam/setup/examCanvasShapes.tsx
index f40bcb9..b2e8a81 100644
--- a/src/pages/exam/setup/examCanvasShapes.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/exam/setup/examCanvasShapes.tsx
@@ -184,6 +184,11 @@ function renderResponseSubstructure(shape: ExamCanvasTLShape): React.ReactNode {
     const filled = Number(b.fill ?? 0) > 0.35
     els.push(<div key={`bx${i}`} title={`option ${i + 1}${filled ? ' (marked)' : ''}`} style={{ position: 'absolute', left: pct(rel.x0), top: pct(rel.y0), width: pct(Number(rel.x1) - Number(rel.x0)), height: pct(Number(rel.y1) - Number(rel.y0)), border: '1.5px solid var(--exam-stroke)', borderRadius: 3, background: filled ? 'var(--exam-stroke)' : 'transparent', opacity: filled ? 0.5 : 0.85, boxSizing: 'border-box' }} />)
   })
+  // "tick N" instruction for multiple-choice (select_n = how many boxes to tick)
+  const selectN = Number(m.select_n ?? 0)
+  if (selectN > 0 && boxes.length) {
+    els.push(<span key="tickn" className="exam-canvas-shape__pill" style={{ position: 'absolute', left: 4, top: 2, fontSize: 10, fontWeight: 900, borderRadius: 6, padding: '0 5px', opacity: 0.95 }}>tick {selectN}</span>)
+  }
   const fal = m.final_answer_line
   if (fal && (fal.unit || fal.quantity)) {
     els.push(<span key="fal" className="exam-canvas-shape__pill" style={{ position: 'absolute', right: 4, top: `calc(${pct(fal.rel_y, 0.9)} - 8px)`, maxWidth: 'calc(100% - 8px)', whiteSpace: 'nowrap', overflow: 'hidden', textOverflow: 'ellipsis', fontSize: 10, fontWeight: 800, borderRadius: 6, padding: '0 5px', opacity: 0.95 }} title="expected final answer">{[fal.quantity, fal.unit && `(${fal.unit})`].filter(Boolean).join(' ')}</span>)
@@ -191,6 +196,29 @@ function renderResponseSubstructure(shape: ExamCanvasTLShape): React.ReactNode {
   return els.length ? <>{els}</> : null
 }
 
+// A container question is a BACKDROP, not a big box over the content: the main question (depth 0) relies on
+// its start/end boundary rules for extent and shows only a small corner tab (label + total marks); an
+// intermediate part-group (depth ≥ 1) also gets a faint dashed frame to convey nesting. Non-interactive so it
+// never blocks a hover on the figures/responses on top.
+function renderContainerTab(shape: ExamCanvasTLShape) {
+  const depth = shape.props.depth ?? 0
+  const stroke = containerStroke(depth)
+  const isAiSuggestion = shape.props.source === 'ai' && shape.props.confirmed === false
+  const marks = shape.props.maxMarks
+  const title = provenanceTitle(shape, depth === 0 ? 'Question (container)' : 'Part group (container)')
+  return (
+    <HTMLContainer id={shape.id} style={{ width: toDomPrecision(shape.props.w), height: toDomPrecision(shape.props.h), pointerEvents: 'none', overflow: 'visible' }}>
+      <style>{shapeCss}</style>
+      {depth > 0 && <div style={{ position: 'absolute', inset: 0, border: `1px dashed ${stroke}`, borderRadius: 12, opacity: 0.3, boxSizing: 'border-box' }} />}
+      <span className="exam-canvas-shape__pill" title={title} style={{ position: 'absolute', left: 0, top: -3, display: 'inline-flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 5, fontSize: 11, fontWeight: 900, borderRadius: 8, padding: '2px 7px', color: stroke, border: `1.5px solid ${stroke}`, background: 'rgba(255,255,255,0.92)', whiteSpace: 'nowrap' }}>
+        <span aria-hidden="true">{isAiSuggestion ? 'AI' : (depth === 0 ? '▣' : '▢')}</span>
+        {shape.props.label}
+        {typeof marks === 'number' && marks > 0 && <span style={{ opacity: 0.85 }}>· {marks}m</span>}
+      </span>
+    </HTMLContainer>
+  )
+}
+
 function renderShape(shape: ExamCanvasTLShape) {
   const kind = shape.props.kind
   const p = canvasShapePalette[kind] ?? canvasShapePalette.response
@@ -198,6 +226,8 @@ function renderShape(shape: ExamCanvasTLShape) {
   const isAiSuggestion = shape.props.source === 'ai' && shape.props.confirmed === false
   if (isBoundary) return renderBoundaryLine(shape)
   const isContainer = shape.props.isContainer === true && kind === 'part'
+  if (isContainer) return renderContainerTab(shape)
+  const isPreamble = kind === 'context' && shape.props.contextType === 'preamble'
   const depth = shape.props.depth ?? 0
   const stroke = isContainer ? containerStroke(depth) : p.stroke
   const darkStroke = isContainer ? containerStroke(depth) : p.darkStroke
@@ -206,7 +236,7 @@ function renderShape(shape: ExamCanvasTLShape) {
   const roleLabel = isContainer ? (depth === 0 ? 'Question: container' : 'Part: container') : `${p.label}: ${p.role}`
   const title = shape.props.description ? `${provenanceTitle(shape, roleLabel)} • ${shape.props.description}` : provenanceTitle(shape, roleLabel)
   return (
-    <HTMLContainer id={shape.id} style={{ width: toDomPrecision(shape.props.w), height: toDomPrecision(shape.props.h), pointerEvents: 'all' }}>
+    <HTMLContainer id={shape.id} style={{ width: toDomPrecision(shape.props.w), height: toDomPrecision(shape.props.h), pointerEvents: isPreamble ? 'none' : 'all' }}>
       <style>{shapeCss}</style>
       <div
         className={`exam-canvas-shape exam-canvas-shape--${kind}${isContainer ? ' exam-canvas-shape--container' : ''}`}
diff --git a/src/utils/exam-canvas/model.ts b/src/utils/exam-canvas/model.ts
index 42a9b76..a763372 100644
--- a/src/utils/exam-canvas/model.ts
+++ b/src/utils/exam-canvas/model.ts
@@ -288,7 +288,9 @@ function addCheapReviewFlags(shapes: ExamCanvasShapeModel[], pages?: CanvasPageG
     if (typeof shape.confidence === 'number' && shape.confidence < 0.7) flags.push('low confidence')
     if ((shape.kind === 'part' || shape.kind === 'question_number') && looksUncertainLabel(shape.label)) flags.push('uncertain question label')
     if (shape.kind === 'part' && (!shape.maxMarks || shape.maxMarks <= 0) && !markAreasByQuestion.has(shape.questionId ?? shape.id)) flags.push('missing marks')
-    const samePageOverlap = shapes.some((other, otherIndex) => otherIndex !== index && shape.kind !== 'boundary' && other.kind !== 'boundary' && pageForShape(shape, pages) === pageForShape(other, pages) && overlaps(shape, other) && (shape.kind === other.kind || (!contains(bounds(shape), bounds(other)) && !contains(bounds(other), bounds(shape)))))
+    // Containers are MEANT to enclose their children, so never flag them (or their children) for overlap;
+    // flag only genuine partial overlaps between non-container shapes where neither contains the other.
+    const samePageOverlap = !shape.isContainer && shape.kind !== 'boundary' && shapes.some((other, otherIndex) => otherIndex !== index && !other.isContainer && other.kind !== 'boundary' && pageForShape(shape, pages) === pageForShape(other, pages) && overlaps(shape, other) && !contains(bounds(shape), bounds(other)) && !contains(bounds(other), bounds(shape)))
     if (samePageOverlap) flags.push('overlapping shapes')
     return flags.length ? { ...shape, reviewFlags: flags } : shape
   })