Create Classic Quizzes & Question Banks

Introduction

A quiz is a type of assignment in Canvas with unique features and options. This page includes activities and resources to help you create quizzes and question banks in your Canvas course.

NOTE: In case you missed it, see Intro to Assessment Tools and Practices for an overview of the different types of assignments and quizzes available in Canvas and how to choose the option that's best for you!

On This Page:

    1. Learn about the four types of Canvas quizzes
    2. Create a new quiz
    3. Select and create different types of quiz questions
    4. Create and use a question bank
    5. Customize quiz availability
    6. Create a new video quiz with Kaltura
    7. Use the Pollock Testing Center (University Park only)
    8. Accessibility: Moderate a quiz and provide individual accommodations

 

Learn about the four types of Canvas quizzes

There are four types of quizzes available in Canvas. Learn about each type with the resources below:

 

Create a new quiz

Follow the steps in the text or video tutorial to create and manage a quiz in your course:

Quizzes Overview video, 4m 36s

The variety of possible quiz settings used to customize the way a quiz is presented to students may be confusing. Use the following tutorials for guidance as you select the appropriate settings for your quiz:

 

Select and create different types of quiz questions

IMPORTANT: Whenever you create or edit questions in a Canvas quiz, it is very important to click the Update Question button for each question before clicking the Save button at the bottom of the page. Clicking Save without clicking the Update Question button will not save your changes to individual questions.

Download this Designing Assessments guide (created in collaboration with the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence) to help select the quiz question types most suitable for your needs:

For more in-depth information about designing effective quiz questions, visit our quiz questions mini-site:

Improve your quiz questions with a validity and reliability analysis. Ensure your questions are better understood by students and reducing grading disputes. Please visit the Penn State Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence to learn more and to arrange a consultation on improving your quizzes:

Email: site@psu.edu

Follow the steps in this text tutorial to create your individual quiz questions, including multiple choice, true/false, and formula/algorithmic problems:

 

Create and use a question bank

Question banks are not required for creating a quiz, but some instructors find it helpful to create question banks for a variety of reasons. The following tutorials can help you learn the steps for creating and managing your question banks:

 

Customize quiz availability

If you would like to limit students' access to a quiz in your course, consider the following options:

Publish/Unpublish

  • When an item is unpublished in your course, it is completely invisible to students.
  • Publishing is a manual process, and it overrides all other availability settings.

Lock/Unlock

  • You can lock a quiz manually by selecting the option to "lock this quiz now" via the quiz settings button, or automatically by date using the availability dates on the quiz settings page.
  • When a quiz is locked using either of these methods, students will not be able to complete the quiz or access the quiz questions, but they will still be able to see the quiz title, description, and due date via the Gradebook, calendar, and wherever the quiz appears in your course (e.g. in a course module).

 

Create a new video quiz with Kaltura

You can use the Kaltura integration in Canvas to create and manage media in your course.

Canvas

In Canvas, faculty and students can use Kaltura to:

  • Create in-video quizzes
  • Connect a video quiz to the Gradebook
  • View video analytics

To learn more about using Kaltura in Canvas, visit the Kaltura Learning Path: For Canvas Users

MediaSpace

You can also use Kaltura's MediaSpace Links to an external site. (outside of Canvas) to add, create, and manage media.

In MediaSpace­, Penn State faculty, staff and students can:

  • Upload and create digital media
  • Share publicly or privately
  • Collaborate on content via channel permissions
  • Browse public channels and galleries (public channels and galleries are also available to the general public)

To learn more about using Kaltura outside of Canvas, visit the Kaltura Learning Path: For MediaSpace Users

 

Use the Pollock Testing Center (University Park only)

Read the following tutorial to learn how to administer your Canvas quiz or exam through the Pollock Testing Center:

 

Accessibility: Moderate a quiz and provide individual accommodations

Read the following tutorial to learn how to monitor student progress and customize quiz availability for individual students:

Read the following tutorial to learn how to assign a different due date for individual student(s) or course sections:

 

Additional Resources

While this page contains some of the most important resources to help you get started with Canvas quizzes, there are dozens of other tutorials on this topic in the Canvas Guides. Visit the quizzes section of the instructor guide here Links to an external site. to learn more.