Create a New Quiz - Brightspace Instructor Help

To create a new Quiz, go to Assessments > Quizzes and click on New Quiz.

Grace Period
Initial Settings
Availability Dates and Conditions
Timing & Display
Attempts & Completion
Evaluation & Feedback
Preview the Quiz

Initial Settings

Name

Enter a descriptive name for your Quiz. Example: “Week 1 Quiz: Naming a Quiz”.

Turnitin recently introduced an AI tool designed to assist instructors in detecting AI-generated content in student submissions. This tool potentially analyzes writing styles and may detect anomalies that could possibly indicate the use of generative AI. However, while this technology represents a significant step forward, caution is advised in its application. It’s important to recognize that the tool is not infallible and may not catch every instance of AI-generated content. Instructors should not rely on the AI tool to detect AI generated content, but rather, use it as one of several strategies in a comprehensive approach to uphold academic standards and encourage genuine student learning and creativity.

Grade Out Of

As you add questions with point values, the total number of points will keep updating here automatically.

Link to Grade Book

The grade item dropdown menu will default to “Not in Grade Book.” Click this menu to change it.

Edit or link to existing grade item (recommended): if you’ve already added a grade item for this quiz in your gradebook, you can use the drop down to connect the quiz to the grade item.
Create and link to a new grade item (not recommended): It is recommended that you go to My Tools and Grades to create new grade items first and then link to the existing grade item. This will prevent problems with the overall weightings in the gradebook, as well as allow you access to more gradebook functionality than is available in quizzes. However, if you do decide to create a grade item from the quiz, please go to your gradebook later, check that your gradebook is weighted correctly (it should add up to 100%), and adjust all the settings for the grade item.

Note: A quiz that is linked to a grade item will be indicated with a Ribbon Icon on your Manage Quizzes page. Hovering your cursor over the Ribbon Icon will show the name of the associated grade item.

Due Date

Due dates are not the same as start and end dates which specify an availability window for the quiz (see section on Availability Dates & Conditions). You can leave the due date blank if you plan to specify start/end dates; however you may want to use due dates if there is no availability window (i.e. the quiz is always available) and you would like students to complete it by a certain date. Due dates will appear in the course calendar.

Note: due dates will still allow a student to take a quiz past the deadline, but it will be marked late. End dates do not allow a student to take an exam past the availability window. An end date will override a due date when it comes to students’ access to an exam.

Description

The description appears in the table of contents and tells the student what the quiz is about before they click into it. Providing a brief overview of the quiz and quiz topics will help students determine if they are ready to take the quiz, or whether they need to review a particular topic that it includes; you can include images, videos or hyperlinks. Use the Description field to provide instructions, including text, images, or videos, that students see before they start the quiz.

Note: Formerly, you had to turn the description to “on” to have students see any instructions; now, anything entered into the Description field will automatically be visible to students. Do not include notes for yourself that you don’t want students to see.

Questions

Add Existing (Recommended)

Add questions already in your Question Library to your Quiz.

Click Add Existing > Browse Question Library
Click the Source menu to choose where to import questions from
From the list that appears below, check the box next to a question, section, or question pool you want to add to your Quiz
Click Import

Create New

Create New Question (Not Recommended)

To create a new question in the Quiz:

Note: While it is possible to create a question directly in the Quiz, this is not recommended because then it will not be immediately available for use in other Quizzes. These questions will need to be imported to the Question Library to be available for other Quizzes, Surveys, or Self Assessments.

Click Create New > New Question
Choose the type of question you want to create
Edit your question, and click Save

Create New Section (Folder)

To create a new Section (folder) in the Quiz:

Click Create New > Section
Choose a Section Title (by default, this title is visible to students: click “Hide Section Title from Learners” to hide it
Enter Section Text, which will be displayed at the top of the Section
Choose whether to hide section text from students, or whether to shuffle questions within the Section
Click Save

Create New Question Pool (Randomized Section)

Question Pools allow you to create a folder of questions and give each student a randomized given number from the pool.

To create a new Question Pool:

Click Create New > Question Pool
Enter a Question Pool Title
Choose a Number of Questions to Select (this is how many questions from the pool each student will receive)
Choose how many points each question will be worth (this is the same for all questions in a Question Pool)
Click Browse Question Library to add questions to the Question Pool

Note: If you have already added a question to the Quiz, you cannot add it a second time.

Availability Dates and Conditions

To access the availability settings, click the arrow on the top right box. Available settings include start/end dates, release conditions, and special access.

Start Date and End Date

This is also known as the quiz availability – the window in which the students can start the exam. Choose a Start Date and End Date. These dates define the period during which a student can start the quiz.

Note: Quiz time limits are specified separately in the “Timing & Display” tab. Saying there is a 2-hour window of availability for the exam means that there is 2 hours within which they can begin their exam and has nothing to do with how long they will have to complete it once they begin.

Note: To have the availability dates show in the calendar, check the box beside Add availability dates to Calendar. If you use start/end dates, you don’t need to use the due date setting on the main page; however, if you do specify both, make sure that the due date and the end date don’t conflict. The end date will override a due date for quiz access. Note: if there’s only a due date, students can take the quiz past the due date but it will be marked late; end dates block access to a quiz.

Release Conditions

Release conditions are actions that need to be taken before students will be able to access the quiz.

Click on Add Release Condition, and then select to create a new condition or add an existing one.

Most tasks in Brightspace can be made a release condition. For example, you can require students to access specified content, get a minimum score on a previous quiz, submit an assignment, post in a discussion, or complete a survey or checklist before a quiz will be “released” for them to access. A common release condition is an academic integrity checklist asking the student to agree – by clicking a checkbox – that they will do their own work, not access resources to look up answers, and not help others, etc.

Please note that checklists must be added to a Content module before students will be able to find and complete them to satisfy the release condition for a quiz.

Special Access

To give accommodations, such as alternate availability windows, to specific students select the “Manage Special Access” button.

“Allow selected users special access to this quiz” will enable you to modify some settings to fit a specific number of users, but the quiz will still be visible to all the students in the class. This setting would be used, for example, if some students are assigned an alternate availability window to take the quiz.

“Allow only users with special access to see this quiz” will make this quiz visible only to specified students, This may be used, for example, when designated students are given access to a separate make-up quiz while the rest of the class takes the regular quiz.

If a student has an accommodation that grants them extra time on every exam, that should be adjusted via the Classlist. this is because adjusting time limits via Special access will need to be done for every exam, whereas using the Classlist changes the student’s time limits for all quizzes within the course.

The special access settings allow you to change the following: due date, availability, timing, and attempts. Specify whatever applies to this student and then click the box next to the student’s name in the “Users” list and then click Save at the bottom of the screen:

You can confirm that special access has been successfully applied when you save and return to the main availability panel.

To edit or remove special access for a student, click Manage Special Access again and click the appropriate icon to the right of their name.

Password

If applicable, add a password students must enter to start the Quiz. You will need to provide this password to students before they can start the Quiz.

IP Restrictions

IP Restrictions are not recommended, as the information they provide is unreliable.

Timing & Display

By default, no time limit is set on new quizzes.

Set Time Limit

Click Set Time Limit to add a countdown clock to the quiz. If this box is left unchecked, no time limit will be set.

Time Limit determines how much time students are given to complete the quiz once they have started it.

Note: Set Time Limit does not, on its own, enforce the time limit – only shows a countdown clock for the student. For this, see Timer Settings.

Timer Settings

Made available once “Set Time Limit” is checked. Click on Timer Settings to control how a quiz behaves once students exceed the time limit.

Automatically submit the quiz attempt

This is the default on all new quizzes if the “Set Time Limit” box is checked. Quiz auto-submission automatically hands in quizzes on enforced time limit quizzes at the end of the set time.

Flag as “exceeded time limit” and allow the learner to continue working

This option allows the student to continue working, but adds an “exceeded time limit” notation to the quiz when submitted.

Do nothing: the time limit is not enforced

The countdown clock is made available to students, but no time limit is enforced.

Changes from Legacy Quiz Timing Options

On July 28th, 2023, the following changes will be applied to all existing and new quizzes.

Grace Period

This option has been removed. A quiz that previously had a grace period now uses the time limit set on the quiz.

Legacy Time Limit Options

No Time Limit

No time limit was imposed on the quiz. This is now the default if the “Set Time Limit” box is not checked.

Recommended Time Limit

This option shows the amount of time recommended for completing the quiz before students begin, but will not stop students from continuing to work once time has expired. Check “Show Clock” to show a countdown timer while students are working.

Enforced Time Limit

Imposed a time limit on the quiz, with associated Exceeded Time Limit Behaviours. These options are now found under Timer Settings.

Legacy Exceeded Time Limit Behaviours

The following options will be changed to their new versions on existing and in-progress quizzes on July 28th, 2023.

Previously Available Option New Behaviour
Prevent the student from making further changes Automatically submit the quiz attempt
Allow students to continue working but automatically score zero Automatically submit the quiz attempt
Allow the student to continue working Flag the attempt as exceeded time limit and allow the learner to continue working
A quiz that has a grace period Grace period is removed. Quiz will now use only the time limit set

Old Timing & Display View

New Timing & Display View

There are also improvements for students:

Warnings will let students know when they have five minutes and one minute remaining for timed quizzes.
Option to review quiz instructions and details without leaving the quiz.
Option to show or hide the timer during quiz taking, this may help reduce anxiety.
Note: Once the student sets their preference, the setting saves across all quizzes.

Paging

Controls how many questions appear on each page. By default, all questions are displayed on one page.

This option lets you restrict the number of questions displayed within a page. You can choose from the following options to set paging restrictions:

Use legacy paging
All questions displayed together
1 question per page
5 questions per page
10 questions per page
Add a page break after each section

If you want to prevent students from moving back to previous questions, check the box that says Prevent going back to previous pages.

Shuffle Quiz

Shuffles questions and sections at the top level of the quiz only. Will not shuffle questions within sections or question pools.

Note: This option is not recommended if you have questions or sections you want appearing in a specific order, like an academic integrity statement.

Display

Choose whether to allow students to see hints you have provided while setting up questions, or whether they will have access to the Email tool, or Instant Messages and Alerts while writing the Quiz.

Note: “Disable Email, Instant Messages, and Alerts within Brightspace” is not recommended if you have students with a disability accommodation, as this setting can interfere with screen reader software.

Header and Footer

Enter text that will appear at the top and bottom of the Quiz.

Attempts & Completion

Attempts

How many attempts students will get to complete and submit the Quiz.

Notification Email

Choose email addresses that will receive a notification whenever this Quiz is attempted.

Evaluation & Feedback

Controls interaction between completed attempts and the gradebook, and what students see when they submit a Quiz.

Gradebook Interaction

“Auto-publish attempt results immediately upon completion” – Marks a Quiz attempt as “Published,” and may push score and feedback to the gradebook and display whatever detail you have chosen to students viewing their attempt (depending on settings under “Customize Quiz Results Displays”)
“Synchronize to grade book on publish” – pushes quiz score and feedback to gradebook if Quiz feedback has been Published (depending on settings under “Customize Quiz Results Displays”)

Quiz Results Display (previously Submission Views)

Note: If you make no changes from the defaults in this section, students will see only:

their score (for questions the system is capable of auto-grading)

a message reading “Your quiz has been submitted successfully.

Any other details must be specifically chosen for each quiz. The followng options are available to choose from when making questions and answers visible to the students after their attempt.

Under When published, display to learners –
- Attempt Grade – Check this box to make the user’s score on a quiz, both auto-graded questions and manually-graded questions visible to them.
- Question detail dropdown menu – Choose what detail, and the level of detail, students see for Quiz questions when viewing an attempt (by default, no question detail is shared). If you want to make the questions and answers visible, please choose from the options:
  - Incorrect questions only, with correct answers
  - Incorrect questions only, without correct answers
  - All questions, with correct answers
  - All questions, without correct answers
Customize Quiz Results Displays
This shows a summary of what detail you have chosen to display to users viewing their Quiz attempt and allows the addition of an “Additional View,” wherein you may choose advanced settings like
- Display date – Date quiz detail will be displayed (if you choose any option other than “no detail,” the default is “immediately”)
- Message – The message students will see immediately upon submitting the Quiz
- Grade – whether or not students can see their total Quiz score on an attempt
- Questions – whether to show questions at all or if you choose to display questions, what level of detail students will see
- Statistics – whether to display class statistics when students are viewing their attempt

Default and Additional View
Submission views are set up in terms of a default view and an additional view. The default view enables all students, for instance, to see their final quiz score immediately after submitting the quiz. You could edit the default view and show questions answered incorrectly, show questions answered correctly, show all questions without user responses, or show all questions with user responses. Displaying a detailed submission view to all learners immediately after submitting a quiz would work if all learners took the quiz at the same time.

However, if learners are completing the quiz at different times, and you want to ensure that students do not share the answer key with other students, you may choose to create an additional submission view. This additional view only appears to students when you publish the feedback on a quiz attempt. You must create one additional view with a start date that shows questions and answers. If you want the students to stop seeing the questions and answers at a certain time, then please create a second additional view with a start date from which it does not show questions.

Note: No score, or level of question detail, will be displayed to students until a Quiz’s feedback has been marked as “Published,” either manually (E.g. if you chose not to auto-publish attempt results, for example if the quiz contains Written Response questions you want to grade before students saw their score), or via auto-publish.

By default, students only see their overall score in a quiz. If you want students to see how they did on individual questions, you will need to go to the Evaluation and Feedback Settings and access the dropdown under When published, display to learners.

Note: You need to make questions visible to make feedback visible. Neither attempt (overall) feedback nor feedback for individual questions are visible unless questions are visible.

Once the questions are made visible, they will stay visible indefinitely until the published view is manually reset to the default of No questions. If you set questions to visible, you will need to remember to come back to the edit quiz page and turn the question display back to the default. You may also want to consider the following suggestions:

Communicate a specific and limited amount of time that the questions will be visible. Students who are unable to access the quiz results during that period could arrange an alternate time, such as during office hours.

Schedule the “views” (see below) which removes the need to manually turn off the question view later.

Scheduling results views

You can schedule results views using Customize Quiz Results Displays. This will allow you to:

schedule a date/time to activate a view that will show questions;
and then schedule a date/time to revert back to the default view of ‘no questions’.

To schedule results views:

Click on Customize Results Displays
Click on + Additional View
Create the view to ‘turn on’ questions (and feedback) visibility.
- Provide the date/time that the view is activated
- Select from the view options.
- Click Create.
Optional: Add a custom view message.
Create the view to ‘turn off’ the question visibility.
- Click +Additional View again
- Provide the date/time to turn off the questions
- Select from the view options.
- Click Create.
Confirm that the view settings are correct and then click OK.

View available for a limited time after submission

If the quiz can be reliably auto-graded, is low or no stakes, and the results are set to be published upon submission, you have the option to set up only one additional view and specify the length of time the questions will be visible to each student after they submit. Make sure the display date is the earliest possible date/time that students could submit a quiz.

Learning Objectives

Connect the Quiz with a Learning Objective.

Preview the Quiz

If you want to see the Quiz as students will see it, go to Assessments > Quizzes, open the dropdown menu next to the Quiz, and click Preview. Make sure to check the box labeled “Bypass Restrictions” if the Start Date of the Quiz has not yet passed.

Watch the following video for a demonstration of the Quiz preview feature.

Previously Available Option	New Behaviour
Prevent the student from making further changes	Automatically submit the quiz attempt
Allow students to continue working but automatically score zero	Automatically submit the quiz attempt
Allow the student to continue working	Flag the attempt as exceeded time limit and allow the learner to continue working
A quiz that has a grace period	Grace period is removed. Quiz will now use only the time limit set