How do I create an assessment in Tests & Quizzes?

The following steps are required to create an assessment and make it available to students:

  1. Begin creating the assessment, or import an assessment from a file.
  2. Add at least one question to your assessment.
  3. Configure assessment settings.
  4. Publish the assessment.

This article discusses the first step above: creating or importing an assessment.

Go to Tests & Quizzes.

Select Tests & Quizzes from the tool menu in your site.

Select the Add tab.

Create or import an assessment.

You may create a new assessment or import an assessment from a file saved on your computer. Select one of these options:

  1. Create from Scratch - By default, the option to create a new assessment is selected.
  2. Import from File (XML or ZIP) - If you have a format-compliant assessment file that was exported from a UVACollab site, provided by a textbook publisher, or authored in another learning management system such as Blackboard or Moodle, you may be able to use the import feature to import it into your site for editing and use. Skip to the steps for importing an assessment.

Create from Scratch

Enter a title.

The first step in creating a new assessment is to enter the Assessment Title in the box provided.

Note: You cannot have more than one assessment with the same title.

Select to use the assessment builder or markup text.

Choose your preferred method of adding questions to your assessment:

  1. Create using assessment builder - Select this option to add questions individually, or create an assessment with questions copied from a question pool.
  2. Create using markup text - Select this option to type or cut and paste text into a single text box to create basic questions.

Note: The types of questions you can create with markup text include:

  • Multiple choice questions with a single correct answer (students select an answer with a radio button),
  • Multiple choice questions with multiple correct answers (students select answers with checkboxes),
  • Fill in the blank with one blank,
  • Short answer/essay,
  • True false,
  • Numeric response (fill in the blank with numbers).

Tip: You can start creating an assessment using markup text, then Edit the assessment and its questions after they are created. While editing, you can add advanced scoring settings, such as partial credit or extra credit, to the questions, or other types of questions such as fill in the blank with multiple blanks or matching.

Select Continue.

At the bottom of the page, select Continue.

Start adding questions.

After selecting Continue, you will be taken to a page where you can start adding questions. The page where you will go depends on whether you chose the assessment builder or markup text option.

Questions page

With the default option, Create using assessment builder selected, you will be taken to the Questions page. For the next step in creating your assessment, see How do I add a new question (with the assessment builder)?

Create Assessment/Question Pool page

With Create using markup text selected, you will be taken to the Create Assessment/Question Pool page, where you will enter your questions in a text box. Questions must be formatted in the same way as the examples provided on this page. For steps, see How do I add assessment questions using markup text or cut and paste?

Import from File

Select Import from File (XML or ZIP).

Screenshot of Add Assessment page with Import option selected. Graphic link opens modal with larger image. Press Escape to exit modal.

Select the Import from File (XML or ZIP) radio button to display the options for importing assessments.

Select the file to import.

  1. Select Choose File or Browse (the button text depends on the internet browser you are using) to find the file on your computer and open it.  Once selected, the file name will display next to the button.
  2. Select the radio button indicating the file's source:
    • If your assessment has been exported from a UVACollab site or another university's Sakai system (opens new window), use the default option, Export from this (or other Sakai) system.
    • If your questions or assessment were provided by a textbook publisher or authored in a learning management system other than Sakai, for example in Blackboard or Moodle, use the Export from Respondus option.
View your assessment.

In the Working Copies tab of Tests & Quizzes, the imported assessment will be available.  (It will have the title of the downloaded assessment, not the name of the XML or ZIP file you imported.)

You may select the Actions menu, then Edit to review and revise the assessment questions, or Settings to change the title and other settings.

Note: Assessments that contain multiple choice, multiple selection questions with All or Nothing selected do not retain this setting on import. To remedy this, after import, edit these questions before publishing to reset the selection back to All or Nothing.