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How do I add assessment questions using markup text or cut and paste?

If you have created an assessment in a word processing program or text editor such as Microsoft Word or Notepad, you can use the markup text option to copy and paste your text and create assessment questions from it.

Note: In order to create an assessment using markup text, you will need to format questions per the instructions provided on the Create Assessment/Question Pool page where you enter the question text.

Start creating your assessment.

Screenshot of Add Assessment page showing Create using markup text selected.

Follow the steps to create an assessment from scratch with the Create using markup text option enabled.

Edit the assessment's Name or Description (optional).

On the Create Assessment/Question Pool page, you can edit the Name and Description of the assessment by entering text in the appropriate field.

Refer to formatting instructions.

Your questions must be written in a specific format. Under Instructions & Examples, there are links you can select to display the correct formatting for each type of question you can add with markup text. Pictured above is the instructions list with the Multiple Choice, single correct question instructions expanded.

Note: Some question types, for example file upload and student audio response questions, cannot be authored using markup text.  However, you can author these questions in markup text as if they were short answer/essay questions, and edit the questions to change their type after the assessment is created.

Tip: Write your questions in advance.

You may find it convenient to prepare questions in advance. Following the required formatting shown in the Instructions & Examples on the Create Assessment/Question Pool page, author your questions in a word processing program or text editor such as Microsoft Word or Notepad. Then, copy and paste the questions into the Questions text box on the Create Assessment/Question Pool page.

Enter your questions.

  1. Type or paste your questions into the Questions box.
  2. Select Next.

Check your questions.

On the Validate Assessment/Question Pool page, check that your questions meet your expectations.  The questions will display in a table indicating the following:

  • The question number,
  • Text of the Question,
  • The question's Type (e.g. multiple choice, short essay),
  • The question's Points,
  • Discount points - For multiple choice, single selection or true false questions only, discount indicates the amount of points the students will get deducted from their total assessment score if they select an incorrect answer,
  • The Answers (for automatically-graded questions such as multiple choice or fill in the blank),
  • Any Feedback you added while authoring the question.
  1. If everything looks correct, select Create Assessment to create a new assessment.
  2. Alternatively, you may select Create Question Pool to create a new question pool instead of a new assessment.

Continue editing your assessment.

Edit the assessment to confirm that the questions were created with the desired settings, change their question type and/or add question settings that are not available when authoring using markup text.  Make further changes as described in How do I add a new question (with the assessment builder)?

Tip: Remember that you will need to publish your assessment before students can view and submit it.