Tests & Quizzes
View answers to frequently asked questions asked by NIU faculty and staff.
Tests and Quizzes: Graded assessment tool; scores are automatically added to the Blackboard gradebook. Faculty have several options for creating tests, including typing into the question-by-question format provided by Blackboard, copying and pasting questions into the Blackboard format (which allows one to work offline and take advantage of the word processor's spell check), and uploading questions in a pre-established format. The term "test" is used in Blackboard to refer to any graded assessment (formative or summative) consisting of more than one question.
Creating a Test
- In the Control Panel, click Assessment and then click Test Manager
- Select Add Test
- Provide test name, description and instructions. (These can be modified later).
- Submit.
- Select your first question type:
- Select number of answers needed:
- Provide point value for question.
- Question Types:
- Multiple Choice allows for one correct answer while Multiple Answer allows more than one correct choice.
- Ordering:
- Type answers in correct order when entering.
- Press Continue.
- Change display order when prompted.
- Matching:
- Fill in the questions and answers in any order.
- Press Continue
- Match questions and correct answer
- Fill in the blank:
- Words must match exactly
- Not case sensitive.
- Variant answers can be listed (example: President Lincoln, Abe Lincoln, Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln)
- Responses for correct and incorrect answers can be provided for each question.
- Submit each question when prompted.
- Questions are automatically saved after submission.
- After each question added, you have options to Modify or Remove
- Tests can be created, modified and deleted from Test Manager in the Control Panel
Using the "Upload Questions" Feature
Tips:
Use a word processing program with the automatic controls turned off (those features that automatically wrap lines and add numbers and letters in outlining) OR use NotePad, which has no formatting features. (NotePad is available on most PCs with Windows - Click Start, Click All Programs and click Accessories). If using Word or WordPerfect, save the file as a text file. OR, type and spell check in Word, save the file as a back up and copy and paste question format into Word Pad
The upload feature relies on TAB delineation. Remember that tabs are preset spaces; sometimes the tab might skip fewer spaces, sometimes more. The number of spaces skipped depends on where the cursor is on the line. The key to success in the upload format is to trust the tab key and use it after each question and answer as directed.
Notepad sample file: click here
Directions for formatting questions: When entering text, do not type the < >; press the TAB key when <tab> is indicated.
- Multiple Choice: begin line with MC<tab>question<tab>answer 1<tab>"correct" or "incorrect"<tab>(continue with other answers).
- Multiple Answer: MA<tab>question<tab>answer 1<tab>"correct" or "incorrect"<tab>(additional answers).
- True/False: TF<tab>question<tab>either "true" or "false"
- Ordering: ORD<tab>question<tab>answers in correct order separated by <tab>
- Can have up to 20 items, each separated by <tab>
- System will randomize the order.
- Matching: MAT<tab>question<tab>answer 1<tab>match 1<tab>(other answers and matches separated by <tab>)
- Can have up to 20 matched items, each separated by <tab>
- Must have same number of answers and matches.
- System will randomize the order
- Fill in the Blank: FIB<tab>question<tab>answer 1<tab>(continue with each of the answers allowed, separated by <tab>)
- Maximum number of acceptable answers is 20.
- Essay: ESS<tab>question<tab>suggested answer
- Must provide a suggested answer
- Answer may be abbreviated
- Save the document periodically. When you are ready to upload questions:
- In the Control Panel, click Assessment and then click Test Manager and click Add Test
- Name and describe test and provide instructions
- From the pull-down menu, select Creation Settings
- Select the appropriate setting. Adding a point value at this juncture will save considerable time later. If you do not assign points here, you will need to go into each question separately to add points. If one selects a creation setting, the chosen options will appear as fields in each question.
- Submitsettings.
- Select Upload Questions and press GO
- Browse for the file and Submit.
- You will be able to modify and remove questions in this uploaded assessment just as in a Blackboard-created exam.
Adding Questions from Existing Exams or Pools
Questions can be added from existing exams or pools. One does not have to create a pool in order to use questions from another assessment.
- Select From a Question Pool or Assessment under question type.
- Choose the assessment or pool that contains the questions to copy, from the provided list.
- Blackboard will allow the Faculty to select types of questions, all questions or individual questions.
- Submit choices.
Making Tests Available to Students
Faculty Members set test availability in the appropriate content area.
- Control Panel > (Content Area of choice) click +Test
- Select appropriate test from menu of available exams
- Submit then OK in the next two screens
Setting Test Options
After the test is added to a content area, the next step is to set test options. To modify the actual test, select Modify the test. To dete0-[r'rmine how the test will be displayed to students, Modify the test options.
- There are four sections of options. Experiment with the various delivery methods to determine which works best for your purposes.
- Test Information: important selection - decide whether the test will launch in a new window or be displayed in the right-hand frame of the Blackboard screen
- Test availability:
- set link visibility (do you want students to see a link to the test now?)
- number of attempts: one time only or multiple times
Note: If multiple times option is selected, only the results of the latest attempt will be saved by Blackboard.
- set time limits when test is available
- set password for exam
- Test Feedback: how much information do you want students to have?
- Test Presentation
If choosing to deliver one question at a time, students need to click on the arrow 
to advance to the next question. Clicking OK submits the test and removes them from the quiz.
Note: Please review the documentation on recommended settings to reduce testing errors.
- Grading the exam: Exam questions (with the exception of essays) will be automatically graded with scores placed in the gradebook. See gradebook documentation for more information.
Exams from Pools
To deploy an exam it must be in the form of an assessment rather than a pool. To create an assessment from a pool or series of pools:
- In the Control Panel click Assessment then click Test Manager and click Add Test , use a name and describe and choose questions from an existing pool
Questions from several different pools can be combined to make one assessment. Create the assessment with questions from one pool (or other assessment) and then modify the exam and add questions from additional pools.
Suggestions for Students and Faculty to Minimize Test Problems
I. Optimizing Test Taking in Blackboard: Reminders for Students:
Before taking the quiz:
- Do not take the quiz until ready.
- Close down all other programs running on the computer. Having multiple programs open may cause problems that result in loss of quiz data.
- Use Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher to take the quiz. Other browsers can cause problems.
- Do not resize or refresh the screen after loading the quiz; make sure it is the size you want before going into the quiz. Most browsers refresh the page when you resize the screen. This means it will try to reload the quiz and may prohibit you from taking the test.
- Do not wait until the last minute to take the quiz. If something goes wrong there won't be enough time to resolve the issue.
During the Quiz:
- When entering the quiz, click the link only once. Sometimes it takes a while to load the quiz. If you click twice, you will get a message saying you already took the quiz and will be prohibited from completing it.
- Do not use the back and forward buttons while taking a quiz. Instead, use the arrow keys to navigate.
- Do not click on the Submit button until you are either done or have run out of time.
- Click Submit only once; it may take a few moments to receive confirmation of successful submission.
- Fill-in-the-blank questions are case sensitive. Your Faculty will review these types of questions and manually award points accordingly.
- If you are working at home on a dial-up connection, make sure your ISP time-out settings are set to the maximum allowed time.
II. Suggestions for Reducing Problems with Blackboard Tests: Test Creation Procedures
Before delivering a graded assessment, create a simple practice quiz containing question formats you will be using during the term. If the quiz does not count for a grade and students can take it multiple times, they will quickly become acclimated to test taking in Blackboard. This will help them understand and overcome any technical problems and questions before taking a graded assessment. Other suggestions we offer for improved testing in Blackboard include:
- ORDERING-type questions are frequently misgraded. If you include questions of this type in your test, be certain Blackboard has correctly graded them. If Blackboard has made an error, you can override their assigned points.
- It is NOT recommended that you change point values, or add or delete questions after you've deployed a quiz. Doing so my cause problems with the grade book and the changes will not be reflected in the exams already taken.
- After deploying a test, use the following settings to greatly reduce the number of submission errors:
- Do NOT launch item (test) in new Window
- Select FORCE COMPLETION so students are prompted to complete and Submit the test.
- Display questions all at once (rather than one at a time)
- Do NOT randomize questions (this can be done in the Test Manager)
III. Strongly Recommended Back-up Procedures:
We encourage you to download your gradebook after each major assignment (or several times during the semester) so you have a back-up copy of recorded grades. Downloads can be opened in Excel and other spreadsheet formats.
As is true with any technology, there are occasional problems with the Blackboard system. For this reason, we strongly advise all faculty using the system for major assessments to have a back-up plan for delivery and collection of exams, should Blackboard experience problems during the exam period.
Find more answers...
Are you looking for more information related to Blackboard assessment tools? Review the answers to frequently asked questions regarding online assessment tools in Blackboard. Also, consider attending one of the upcoming Blackboard workshops.
Last Updated: 09/05/2007
