Creating a Test in Blackboard
Adding a Test in Test Manager Adding a Multiple Choice
Question
Access the Control Panel of your class. Under
“Assessment”, click on “Test Manager”.
“Test Manager” displays all of the tests you have created and shows where any deployed tests are located.
Click on “Add Test” to create a new test.
“Name” is the only required field on “Test Information”. The “Name” will display in the content area when the test is made available (deployed) to students and in the gradebook. You can modify the deployed test and the gradebook to change the name if needed.
The “Description” of the test will display in the content area beforethe student begins the test.
Any important information a student needs before beginning the test should be included in the description.
The “Instructions” display in the test window afterthe student has opened the test.
The “Test Canvas” is where you will add, remove, re-order or edit any questions.
You can also change the “Name”,
“Description” and “Instructions” for tests which have not been deployed.
Do NOT click on “OK” at this time. Only click on “OK” when you are ready to leave the “Test Canvas”
It is a good idea to check the “Creation Settings” of the Test Canvas before adding questions to a test.
Click on “Creation Settings”
If you would like feedback options for each answer in a question, select this option. You will always have the option of providing feedback for each question. This just allows for more customized feedback.
If you will need to create questions with images (Art History, for example) select these options.
By default, all questions include the options for categories, difficulty levels, and keywords so that you can create questions to meet specific learning outcomes.
If you do not wish to create categories, difficulty levels, and keywords you will need to remove the checkmark from this option.
If most questions on the test you are creating have the same points possible, setting a default point value can make test creation simpler. You can always change the default point value when creating an individual question.
“Specify default point value for questions” is especially important when importing questions from a test bank as it can take a great deal of time to manually change the point value of every question.
If you allow partial credit for test answers, you will need to select “Specify partial credit options for answers”. Only when this box is checked are you given the option to allow partial credit.
Two of the options under “Display” allow you to change the
“look” of a test.
“Specify the horizontal or vertical display of answers” will allow you to choose the orientation of the answers on every question. When this option is un-checked, all answers are vertical.
“Specify numbering options for answers” will allow you to choose the “outline” style in which the answers are displayed. A, B C; or a, b, c; or 1. 2. 3, etc.
The third option under “Display” is “Specify random ordering of answers”. When this option is checked you will be given the option of creating test questions with answers that “re-order”
themselves.
Each student will receive the same question, with the same answer options. However, the correct answer for student 1 will be “C” and the correct answer for student 2 will be “A”.
Which allowing “random order of answers”, it is a good idea to avoid questions with “all of the above as an answer.
The “Test Creation Settings” receipt displays all of the options you have chosen.
Click “OK”
Back at the “Test Canvas” you are now ready to add questions. There are 20 question options available in the
“Add Question” dropdown menu.
Select “Multiple Choice” from the “Add Question” menu.
Click “GO” to begin creating the multiple choice question.
Enter the question in the “Question Text” box. You can always copy and paste out of your word processor.
If you specified a “default point value” in “creation settings”
that value will be entered into “Point Value”.
If you did not specify a “default point value” you must into a
“Point Value” as this field is required.
You are not required to change any of the settings under
“Options”. These options are available only when selected under “Creation Settings”.
The default “Number of Answers” for a multiple choice question is 4. You can add more answers by selecting a larger number from the drop-down.
If you need fewer than 4 answers, click “Remove”.
Enter the answers in the text boxes.
Click on the radio button to indicate the correct answer.
If you wish to give feedback for the question, enter the feedback in the text boxes.
Categories, Levels, Topics and Keywords are used in conjunction with Learning Outcomes and Course Objectives.
Click “Submit” to save add the question to the Test Canvas.
Continue to add questions until you have completed the test.
Questions added from the “Add” dropdown and the “Go” button will be added as the last question on the test. You can re-order the questions later if needed.
You can add questions to specific locations in the question list by clicking on “Add Question Here”. The question type added will be the question type displayed in the “Add” dropdown.
Click “OK” when you have added the questions to the Test Canvas.
