Quizzes Best Practices
Canvas Quizzes are great for specific assessments, such as; multiple choice and short answer questions. There are many types of Assessments within Canvas if the Quiz function doesn't address your objectives.
NOTE: The Classic Quiz will remain available (create/edit) in Canvas until the Summer - June 30, 2024. Classic Quizzes will work (no edit/no new) after June 2024.
WARNING: ONLY use the File Upload question type when asking students to upload files in a quiz. If you do not, students are unable to add files in other question types due to only having 54 MB of User Storage. Graded files should never be in User Storage.
Best Practices for Quizzes | Classic VS New Quizzes | Support/How to
What you should you do before giving a Quiz...
- Make sure that the files linked within the Quizzes are available for your students with the permissions that work best for you and your students' needs. This also includes images you may have in the questions - make sure they are published (including the folder - if added to one).
- Make sure to provide secure and effective quizzes.
- Understand the Quiz: Time Limit VS Due/Available/Until dates.
NOTE: Until times can interfere with Accommodations. - Make sure your students have the Canvas Guides for using and taking Quizzes. Students can also email canvassupport@calpoly.edu for support (M-F | 8-5).
Best Practices for Quizzes
What are the Quiz settings that help create a successful student experience?
To learn more, please see the Canvas community page.
- Create a Quiz for practice to allow the student to try out the tool and work on any bugs before the actual exam. Learn more about quiz types.
- Institute an honor code with your students. Add a True/False question at the end "I swear on my honor that I have neither given nor received aid on this exam."
- Do not curve exams since it may be an unfair advantage over students who follow academic integrity.
- Before the quiz is available, set the Grading Policy to Manual. This is helpful when you are grading essay questions and you want to hold ALL the quiz grades until you are done.
NOTE: If you want students to see Quiz results (answers) after they/everyone takes the quiz...you need to choose the "results" settings before anyone takes it. You cannot change these settings after. Then use the Manual Grading Policy to hide the grade/results until you Post. - Time limit gives the students a set amount of time to answer the questions. An open-book exam would be harder if unprepared. Learn more about Quiz Options / New Quiz Settings. The difference between Quiz & New Quiz.
- Set the quiz to show one question at a time.
- Only let students see their quiz responses (quiz settings) after a set date or their last attempt.
- Use Question Banks, to randomize questions for each student. The more question options, the higher ability to provide a different quiz for each student.
How to Create a Randomized Quiz with Question Banks. - Provide DRC students the additional time they need to take the exam: Quiz & New Quiz.
- You can also choose to hide the correct answers. An office hour can be created to discuss quiz results if needed.
Secure Settings for Quizzes and Grades
How can I hide the quiz results from students until I can grade all the essays?
You can change the settings for students to view the response or when they can see the correct answers within the Quiz settings.
NOTE: students still can see their score/points with this setting.
classic quiz
new quiz
How can I prevent students from seeing the score/points until after everyone has taken the activity?
Within the Gradebook, set the Manual Grade Posting Policy for your published Quiz, Assignment or Graded discussion activity before students complete. If you select a manual posting policy, activity grades remain hidden from student view by default until you post grades for the assignment. If you select a manual course posting policy after activity grades have already been entered, the policy will not apply retroactively and any posted grades will remain visible.
You can also hide or post activity grades within the SpeedGrader that already has student submissions.
Faculty can choose to review student quiz data (not NEW Quiz) if they are concerned about student access. Quiz logs can be reviewed after the quiz has been taken, but ONLY if you go to Settings > Feature Options > Quiz Log Auditing in each course before the quiz is taken. 
Creating & Copying Question/Item Banks
Creating a question in the quiz does not add the question to a Bank. If you want the question in a bank, it is best to start in the Question (Classic Quiz) or Item (New Quiz) Bank first.
You can Export a Quiz and Import the Quiz (QTI) into a Bank. This would move questions from a Quiz to the Bank.
NOTE: Make sure to choose Content Type "QTI .zip file"
If you wanted the questions to be in a NEW Quiz - Item Bank, choose the option to "Import existing quizzes as New Quizzes".
NOTE: Once you change a Classic Quiz to a New Quiz it can not be changed back. Keep the original Classic file for future needs.
Classic Quiz OR New Quiz: Which one should I use?
Canvas - Instructure has released the New Quiz tool. We have made it available to choose. The New Quiz offers new features and question types but is missing many features of the Classic Quiz. The Classic Quiz will remain available (create/edit) in Canvas until the Summer - June 30, 2024. Classic Quizzes will work (no edit/no new) after June 2024.
The New Quiz tool in Canvas is a choice, but before you make that choice - please be aware of ALL the PROS and CONS of the New Quiz.
Classic Quiz vs New Quiz Comparison
- New Quiz will not UPDATE grades if you change points/questions after students take it.
- Question banks created in the Classic Quiz, can not be directly migrated to the New Quiz. It is important to create question groups that are not linked to an item bank. There is, however, a new item type called a stimulus type that allows a group of questions to be associated with a block of content.
- New Quizzes will NOT Copy to / Import or Export/Import with questions. Faculty would have to re-add the questions to the New Quiz from the Item Banks. 1st - make sure to ADD your questions to the Item Bank every time you create a question in a New Quiz.
- New Quizzes does not work with 3rd party tools (publishers, TurnItIn, MatLab..).
- New Quiz does NOT use the New RCE that is available throughout your course.
- New Quizzes do not support partial credit for some questions.
- New Quizzes can not build true surveys (correct answer only).
- New Quizzes do not have an option to download student results or submitted files for backup.
- You can not revert a New Quiz to a Classic Quiz.
Because New Quizzes is in active development, now is the perfect time to provide feedback. If you have experience with New Quizzes, sharing your experiences and suggestions with the greater Canvas community will help shape the tool before the New Quizzes is the only option.
Support
Classic Quiz
Canvas Guides for Classic Quiz
Canvas Video for Classic Quiz
Regrade: Options / MC, MA, and T/F questions / Other questions: Fudge Points
New Quiz
Canvas Guides for New Quiz
Canvas Video for New Quiz
Canvas: New Quiz User Group
How to Grade a New Quiz
Regrade: MC, MA, and T/F questions /manually adjust grades
