The instructions below apply only to multiple choice questions. Please contact Technical Support if you would like to use different question types.
Formatting Question Banks
We recommend using a simple text program such as Notepad to compose your questions. You can use Microsoft Word, but there may be some formatting code that causes errors when you attempt to upload the finished project. Save your document as a .txt file.
Formatting Rules
1. The question must be all on one line. It is acceptable if the question takes more than one line; the text cannot contain any returns or breaks.
2. Each answer option must be an uppercase letter followed by a period or a parentheses, then a space (see below for example). The answer text is placed after the space.
3. The answer line must immediately follow the last answer option, starting with “ANSWER: ” (NOTE the space after the colon). Indicate the correct answer option after the space.
4. IMPORTANT: The answer letters (A, B, C, etc.) and the word “ANSWER” must be capitalized; otherwise, the import will fail.
Formatted Example
What color is a banana?
A. Blue
B. Red
C. Yellow
D. Purple
ANSWER: C
What color is an orange?
A). Red
B) Orange
C) Blue
D) Yellow
ANSWER: B
Creating a Category to House Your Question Bank
Accessing the Categories
Locate the Administration block on your main course page. Expand the Question bank menu and click Categories.
Creating a Category
Scroll down to the Add category field. Your course should be the top entry; select Top directly below the name of your course in the Parent Category menu. Next, enter the Name of the question bank you’ll be uploading (for example, Lesson 1 Quiz). Scroll down and click Add category. You can leave the Category Info field empty.
Uploading a Question Bank
Accessing the Import Area
Locate the Administration block on your main course page. Expand the Question bank menu and click Import.
Importing Your Question Bank File
Select Aiken format in the File format field. Select the category you created in the Import category dropbox, located in the General section. Drag and drop your .txt file into the Import questions from file field, or click Choose a file… and browse to and select the file. Click Import once the file is in the outlined box. Your questions will appear in the question bank once the import is complete.
Interested in learning more about assessments and quizzes in your online course? Feel free to explore the following articles on our Center for Teaching and Learning: