Legacy Portal: Create a Question Bank Assessment – ExamSoft

After creating your questions, follow this procedure to create a Question Bank assessment that will be delivered in Examplify.

Note: For information about Performance Grading and ExamNow assessments, see:

Procedure Overview

Select the Assessments menu (at the top).
Select Create New Assessment.
In the Select Assessment Type pop-up window, select From Question Bank.
Enter the settings on the left side of the screen.
Add questions in the main area of the screen.
As you work on the assessment, use the Save button (below the question list) to save your work.

Settings

You must enter a Title and select a Folder. You can change the exam type.

We recommend that you enter a descriptive Title that will help you and your exam-takers to identify the course and purpose of each assessment. For example, you might adopt a naming convention such as Course_Term_Description, as in Biochemistry_Spring2021_MidTerm.
After you select the Folder button, you can search for the folder where you want to store this assessment.

Blueprint

This section of the screen is filled in as you add questions that are tagged with categories. The blueprint shows you the distribution of your selected questions across the categories.

Example
In this example, we've added 7 questions from the Fine Arts Ed category (77% of all questions), 2 from Wind Instruments (22%), and 1 from Orchestra Instruments (11%).

If you have a large number of categories, it can be helpful to select View Full Blueprint. You can view the information in the pop-up window or export it to Excel.

Pre-Assessment Notices

You can enter information that will be available to exam-takers before and during the assessment. This is a great place to include an honor code or exam instructions.

Scoring Options

Default Weights: By default, each question is worth 1 point.
Assign Evenly to All: Select this option if you want to specify the total points for this assessment and give each question the same point value. After you select this option, enter the Maximum Points (at the top of the Scoring section). When you add questions, you'll see that the point values are evenly distributed among them.
Custom: If you select this option, you can enter values individually for each question in the main area of the screen.
Display Scores on Exit: If you want exam-takers to see their scores after they submit their exams, you can show the score as a percentage, as a raw score, or both.
Auto Release Results: This check box appears after you save the new assessment. Select this checkbox if you want the exam-takers to be able to view their results in the student portal after they submit the assessment. The results will be available as soon as the answer file is successfully uploaded. After you select the checkbox, you'll see a pop-up window that allows you to specify which details will be released to the exam-takers.

Notes:
- It's helpful to select the Email Results to Exam-Takers option so that exam-takers receive a reminder to check their results.
- After you post the assessment, you can no longer make changes in these options. However, you can cancel the auto-release at that point.

Security Options

These options help to ensure exam integrity.

Secure: Locks down the exam-taker’s computer completely when the assessment begins, allowing access to only Examplify during the exam. They will not be able to access any information stored on their hard drive, nor will they be able to run any programs in the background or access the internet. If an exam-taker attempts to circumvent the secure assessment by forcefully rebooting the device, the exam will reappear on the screen, and all actions will be logged for review and audit purposes. This is a good option to select for a major exam..
Non-Secure: Select this option to allow exam-takers to access information stored on their hard drive, run other programs, and access the internet during the assessment. This option is a good choice for “open book” exams and formative assignments. You can modify this setting with these additional options:
- Block Internet: Select this option if you want to allow exam-takers to access files, applications, and programs on their device, prevents them from accessing the internet during the exam. (For comparison, Secure exams always block access to the internet.)
- Suspend: This option is useful for practice exams and formative assignments. An exam-taker can suspend the exam without completing it and can return to it later. (For comparison, this option is not available for Secure exams.)
  
  IMPORTANT
  Exams with the Non-Secure and Block Internet enabled (referred to as NSBI exams) are not compatible with iPads.
Randomize Sequence: Randomizes the order of the questions for each exam-taker.
Note: If there are certain questions that always need to appear together in a fixed order, you can group them. (See: Legacy Portal: Create a Group of Questions)
Randomize Choice: Randomizes the order of the Multiple Choice answer choices for each exam-taker.
Note: If there are certain answer choices, such as "None of the Above," that you want to assign a fixed position, you can lock them in the question settings. For more information, see: Legacy Portal: Tips for Multiple Choice Questions
Time Limit: Limits the number of minutes that an exam-taker can continue with an exam. When the time limit expires, the exam-taker must submit the exam, whether it is finished or not. You can enter a number between 1 and 1000. For example, you would enter 120 minutes for a 2-hour time limit.
Universal Resume Code: This code is assigned randomly and cannot be changed. If an exam-taker's device is turned off during an exam and remains off longer than the rebooter time limit, then Examplify will prompt for a resume code. Until it is entered, the exam-taker will be unable to continue the exam. For more information about issuing resume codes during an exam, see: Legacy Portal: Resume Codes

Options to Enable

Spell Check: Allows exam-takers to use spell-check on essay questions.
Suspend: Allows exam-takers to close Examplify mid-exam and pause the timer while the application is closed (only available on non-secure assessments). This option is good for formative assessments and practice exams.
Note: In Examplify for iPad, exam-takers can leave the application on non-secure assessments without Suspend enabled; however, if Suspend is not enabled, then the timer continues to run.
Calculator: Allows exam-takers to use an on-screen calculator during the exam.
Numbering: Shows the numbers on the exam within Examplify.
Missing Answer Reminder: Displays an alert if an exam-taker attempts to close an exam that has unanswered questions.
Text Highlighting: Allows exam-takers to highlight text in the exam.
Backward Navigation: Prevents exam-takers from returning to a previously displayed question.
Force Answer: Requires exam-takers to answer each question before moving on.
Note: This option is available only if the Backward Navigation checkbox is selected.
Cut, Copy, Paste: Allows exam-takers to cut, copy, and paste within the assessment.
Find and Replace: Allows exam-takers to use find and replace within the assessment.
Show 5 Min Alarm: Alerts exam-takers when there are only 5 minutes left (only available on exams with time limit).
Assessment Printing: Allows exam-takers to print from Examplify (only available on non-secure assessments).
Notes: Provides additional window where an exam-taker can take notes during the assessment.
Feedback: When Notes is enabled, this option provides a checkbox that an exam-taker can select to request feedback about a note.

Attachments

If you have a file that exam-takers need to be able to access throughout the assessment, you can attach the file here. For more information, see: Attachment Types and Requirements

Font Override

If you select this option, the questions and the answer choices will be displayed in Examplify in the font that you specify here.
Note: This option applies only to the text when it is displayed in Examplify. It does not apply when you print or export this assessment.

Questions

In the main area of the screen, add questions, organize them, and assign points.

Add Questions
Change the Number of Questions per Screen-Page
Sort and Reorder Questions
Review Available Updates

Add Questions

Select Add Questions to Assessment.
- To search: In the search boxes near the top of the pop-up window, enter the category, question ID, question title, question text, or answer text. You can search by all question creators, or use the drop-down list to select the person who created the questions. Then select Search. For more search options, select Advanced Search.
- To browse: On the left, select the Questions by Folder or Questions by Category tab. Then explore the folders/categories that appear.
- To add a question to this assessment: In the main area of this pop-up window, select the checkbox for each question that you want to include, and then scroll down and select Add Selected to Assessment. Continue to search, browse, and add questions until you've selected all of them that you want for this assessment.
- To close the pop-up window: Select the X button in the top right corner.

Change the Number of Questions per Screen-Page

Above the question list, you can choose how many questions to see as a "page" on this screen. If you have multiple screen-pages, you can use the Previous and Next buttons to navigate between them.

Sort and Reorder Questions

As you select questions, question numbers are assigned sequentially. You can change the way that the questions are listed on the screen (sort order) and the way that the questions are listed in the assessment (question order).

To quickly change the sort order: Drag the questions up or down in the list.
To change the question numbers manually: To change a question number, enter a new number in the Order field. Then select Reorder.
Tip: You don't have to change every number. The questions will be renumbered relative to your changes. Below are a few examples.
- Let's say that you want Question #3 to become #5. Simply enter 5 in that field. When you select Reorder, that question becomes #5 and the other question numbers are adjusted automatically.
- Let's say you have several screen-pages and you find three questions in the middle that should be moved to the top of the exam. You don't have to renumber every question on every page. Instead, enter the number 1 into the Order field for all three of these questions. When you select Reorder, they will be moved to the top of the exam, becoming Questions #1, 2, and 3. All of the other question numbers will be adjusted for you.
- Let's say that you're working on page 1 and you see five questions that should be placed at the end of the exam. You can enter a high number, such as 100, for all five questions. When you select Reorder, they will be moved to the end of the exam.
To change the sort order (on the screen): Initially, the questions are sorted by the Order column. To sort by another column, click the column header. Be sure to click the text of the header, not the minus button next to it (the minus button removes that column from the screen). Notice that changing the sort order on the screen does not change the question numbers in the Order field.
Tip: If you accidentally remove a column, you can get it back by selecting the settings icon near the top right corner of the question table.
To change the question numbers based on the selected sort order: For example, let's say that you've sorted by Categories, and you want the exam to be organized in the same manner (questions in the "apples" category will come before questions in the "bananas" category.) After selecting the Categories column header, select Reorder by Sort. Now the question numbers match the displayed sort order.
Tip: After you reorder the questions in this way, it's a good idea to change the sort order back to question-number order, by selecting the Order column header. This way, if you make any further changes in the question numbers, the sort order will be numeric. It can be confusing to make numeric changes when a different sort order is in effect.

Review Available Updates

If a question in your assessment has been edited since you saved the assessment, and then you return to this page to edit the assessment, a notification will appear in a pop-up window. You can review the changes and decide whether or not to apply the changes to this assessment before you post it.

IMPORTANT

This notification does not appear for changes that were made within the assessment questions list for this assessment. You will not be prompted to review those changes.

If the Question Updates notification appears:

Read the message, and then select OK to close it.
In the question list, the updates are indicated with a refresh button and a magnifying glass. You should review the question before you make a decision about the update.
To view the question and its settings, select the magnifying glass button.
The Question page opens in a new tab, displaying the question, answer choices, and options.
Review the current version of this question.
Note: If you want to check the other versions of this question, scroll down to the History section, and then select History to see the details. You can select a number in the Rev column to view that version.
When you are finished reviewing the question, return to the browser tab for the Edit Assessment page.
Decide how to proceed:
- If you want to keep the version that is currently selected for this assessment, no action is needed. Ignore the special icons, and continue to work on the assessment as needed.
- If you want to use the latest version of the question, select the Refresh button.

Next Steps

When you're ready to post your assessment, see: Legacy Portal: Post an Assessment