You can import questions from a variety of file types, including DOC, DOCX, and XML, as well as files that you export from your LMS. ExamSoft processes your imported files against all available filters. Then you can review the results and make changes as needed. Finally, you'll choose to import the questions either to an assessment or to your question bank.
Before You Begin
Prepare the file to import.- To prepare a list of questions by using:
- Word, etc., see: Enterprise Portal: Prepare a Question File to Import
- ATI: ATI: Export an Assessment and Prepare the Question File for Importing
- Blackboard: Export Test Pools from Blackboard
- Canvas: Export Questions from Canvas
- Elsevier (Evolve): Export Test Banks from Elsevier (Evolve)
- ExamView: Export Questions from ExamView
- Moodle: Moodle: Export Questions
- PARtest: Export Item Banks from PARtest
- D2L: Export Questions from D2L
- To obtain questions from your LMS, refer to the appropriate articles below.
Procedures
Complete all of these procedures to import a file, validate the questions, and finalize the process by choosing to add the imported questions either to an assessment or to your question bank.
Note: You must do all of these procedures to complete the import process.
Import Your Questions
- Select your department and course.
- Select Import Questions (near the top right corner of the screen).
- Drag and drop your file, or select Choose File.
- When the Status is Ready for review, select the file. The screen shows any filters that were able to process your file. Compare the number of questions formatted and the number of errors to determine which version you'd like to validate.
- Select the pencil icon, and then continue to the next procedure to validate and edit the questions.
Validate and Edit the Questions
If the import process identified any issues with a question, an error message appears above the question text.
Note: If there are no error messages, you can skip this section and go to the "Finalize the Import" procedure.
Overview of the Validation Process
- On the left side of the screen, select the question that you want to edit.
- Make changes as needed. Types of Changes are described below this process overview.
- Periodically save your changes by selecting the Save button near the top right corner of the screen.
Note: To navigate through the questions, select them from the list or use the Previous and Next buttons, which are in the gray bar above the editing area.
- When finished editing questions, go to the "Finalize the Import" procedure. (The import process is not completed until you do these final steps.)
You can edit every field just as you'd do when creating a question on the Question tab. You also can add question tools, rationale, attachments, and category tags.
Note: Below, we describe common tasks that you'll do when editing imported questions. If you have questions about other options on the screen, see: Enterprise Portal: Create an Assessment from Your Question Bank. That article will guide you to detailed information about creating and editing various types of questions.
- Question Type Changes: If the wrong question type was selected by the import process, you can choose another type from the list.
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Text Changes: Review the imported text and make changes if needed. For reference, you can scroll down to the How did we do section to see the original text from the imported file. If needed, you can easily copy & paste the original text into the question text or answer choices.
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Images (camera icon): If the imported file included images, you need to choose where to display them. In the text box for each question and answer choice, you'll see a camera icon, with a number beside it. The number represent the total number of images that were imported.
Depending on the imported file type, images may or may not be included with the question:
- DOC and DOCX files - images will automatically be imported with the questions.
- XML and other files - images will not be imported with the questions from the Exam-Maker's LMS portal and will have to be added manually. If any files have hyperlinks to images, the images are imported only when the hyperlink is valid and the image is publicly available.
To insert an image, click in the text where you want to place the image. Then select the camera icon. In the slide-out pane, select one or more image to add. - Correct Answer Indicator: Verify that the import process identified the correct answer choice(s). If needed, select the checkmark icon to identify the correct answer(s).
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Multiple-Answer Options: If this question has two or more correct answer choices, then additional options appear. Scroll down to the Options section to see the check boxes described below.
- Apply Partial Credit: Select this box if you want to give partial credit when the exam-takers select one (but not all) of the correct choices.
- Allow Unlimited Selections: Select this box if you want to allow the exam-takers to select as many answer choices as they like. If this box is unchecked, then the exam-takers' choices are limited. For example, if the question has two correct choices, then the exam-takers can make only two selections.
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Remove a question from the import: In the question list on the left side of the screen, select the check box for the question, and then select the X button.
Finalize the Import
- To include all of the questions, select the Import button near the top right corner of the screen.
Note: If you want to include only some of the questions, select the check box for those questions individually. Then, at the bottom of the screen, select Import. Then continue to the next step.
Note: After you select the Import button, if there are any questions with an invalid format, an error message will appear. You can select Import Remaining to import the valid questions, or select Cancel if you want to review and edit the improperly formatted question.
- In the drop-down menu, select one of these options:
- Create New Assessment: The questions are added to a new assessment, and the Create Assessment page appears. For information about the options, see: Enterprise Portal: Get Started with Assessment Options
- Save to Question Bank: The questions are added to the Question Bank. When you're ready to add these questions to an assessment, see: Enterprise Portal: Create a Question Bank Assessment