diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aa9d51f..5c61899 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@
 
 ## Requirements
 
-The webserver is a python application that requires `>=python3.8` and the
+The web server is a python application that requires `>=python3.11` and the
 package installer for python `pip`. The node package management `npm` is also
-necessary in order to install the javascript libraries.
+necessary in order to install javascript libraries.
 
 ```sh
 sudo apt install python3 python3-pip npm                     # Ubuntu
-sudo pkg install python38 py38-sqlite3 py38-pip npm          # FreeBSD
-sudo port install python38 py38-pip py38-setuptools npm6     # MacOS (macports)
+sudo pkg install python py311-sqlite3 py311-pip npm          # FreeBSD
+sudo port install python312 py312-pip py312-setuptools npm10 # MacOS (macports)
 ```
 
 To make the `pip` install packages to a local directory, the file `pip.conf`
diff --git a/perguntations/testfactory.py b/perguntations/testfactory.py
index d9d98fd..93fea36 100644
--- a/perguntations/testfactory.py
+++ b/perguntations/testfactory.py
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ import random
 import logging
 
 # other libraries
-import schema
+# import schema
+from schema import And, Or, Optional, Regex, Schema, Use
 
 # this project
 from .questions import QFactory, QuestionException, QDict
@@ -41,34 +42,35 @@ def check_import_files(files: list) -> bool:
     return True
 
 
-def normalize_question_list(questions: list) -> None:
-    """convert question ref from string to list of string"""
-    for question in questions:
-        if isinstance(question["ref"], str):
-            question["ref"] = [question["ref"]]
-
-
-test_schema = schema.Schema(
+test_schema = Schema(
     {
-        "ref": schema.Regex("^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$"),
-        "database": schema.And(str, path.isfile),
-        "answers_dir": schema.And(str, check_answers_directory),
+        "ref": Regex("^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$"),
+        "database": And(str, path.isfile),
+        "answers_dir": Use(check_answers_directory),
         "title": str,
-        schema.Optional("duration"): int,
-        schema.Optional("autosubmit"): bool,
-        schema.Optional("autocorrect"): bool,
-        schema.Optional("show_points"): bool,
-        schema.Optional("scale"): schema.And(
-            [schema.Use(float)], lambda s: len(s) == 2
-        ),
-        "files": schema.And([str], check_import_files),
-        "questions": [{"ref": schema.Or(str, [str]), schema.Optional("points"): float}],
+        Optional("duration"): int,
+        Optional("autosubmit"): bool,
+        Optional("autocorrect"): bool,
+        Optional("show_points"): bool,
+        Optional("scale"): And([Use(float)], lambda s: len(s) == 2),
+        "files": And([str], check_import_files),
+        "questions": [{
+            "ref": Or(str, [str]),
+            Optional("points"): float
+        }],
     },
     ignore_extra_keys=True,
 )
 # FIXME: schema error with 'testfile' which is added in the code
 
 # ============================================================================
+def normalize_question_list(questions: list) -> None: # FIXME: move inside the class?
+    """convert question ref from string to list of string"""
+    for question in questions:
+        if isinstance(question["ref"], str):
+            question["ref"] = [question["ref"]]
+
+
 class TestFactoryException(Exception):
     """exception raised in this module"""
 
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