Enterprise Portal: Create an Assessment Blueprint

A blueprint is an assessment design approach that helps to ensure that your assessment meets your content requirements. For example, you might set up a blueprint that requires five questions from each category in Bloom's Taxonomy, or you might set up a blueprint that requires an equal distribution of multiple choice, true/false, and fill-in-the-blank questions.

Note: For a less structured approach to assessment creation, see: Enterprise Portal: Create an Assessment from Your Question Bank

Before You Begin

This procedure is part of a multi-part workflow. Before using the procedures in this article, complete these tasks:

1. Complete the basic steps to create an assessment and select an assessment type. See: Enterprise Portal: Get Started Creating an Assessment
2. If this assessment is for Examplify, enter the Assessment Options (not required for ExamNow assessments), and then select Save & Continue. See: Enterprise Portal: Get Started with Assessment Options

If you've completed those procedures, then you're ready to begin.

Procedure Overview

1. Select the Blueprint Option.
2. Set Up Your Content Areas.
3. Add Questions to Each Content Section.
4. Review Update Notifications or View the Version History.

Select the Blueprint Option

After saving your Assessment Options, you'll see a message that asks if you want to use a Blueprint.

1. Select Yes.
2. When the confirmation message appears, select Continue.
3. Go to the "Set Up Your Content Areas" procedure.

Set Up Your Content Areas

Within your blueprint, you can design your content areas by using categories or by taking a free-form approach. You can mix these approaches. For example, you can start the exam with a category-based content area, add two free-form areas, and end with another category-based area.

• Category-Based Content Area
• Free-Form Content Area

Category-Based Content Area

With this approach, you design each section of the assessment by selecting a category. You then add the desired number of questions from each sub-category. For example, let's say that we want to design this part of the assessment by using Bloom's Taxonomy. We want to include five knowledge questions, three application questions, and two synthesis questions. 

1. Select Create New Content Area.

   

2. Select the Categories toggle bar to activate it (as shown below), and then select a category from the list. 

   

3. Select Create.
4. Under Add A Category, select Browse All.
5. When the category selection page appears, select the plus button for the first category that you want to add, and then select Save.

   

6. Under Number of Questions, enter the number of questions that you want from the selected category.

   

7. Select Create. 
8. (Optional) Use the Add a Category box to add more categories to this part of the assessment.
9. (Optional) Add more content areas to the assessment.
10. Go to the "Add Questions to Each Content Section" procedure.

Free-Form Content Area

With this approach, you design the assessment based on the question types. For example, let's say that we want this content area to start with five multiple-choice questions, continue with three fill-in-the-blank questions, and end with one essay question. We could create a section called Module 1 (for example). Within it, we would add the question types that we want to include.

1. Select Create New Content Area.
2. For this approach, do not select the Categories toggle bar.
3. In the Content Area Name box, enter a word or phrase to identify this part of the exam, and then select Create. 

   

4. Under Add a Section, enter a word or phrase to identify this section.

   

5. Under Number of Questions, enter number of questions to include in this section. 

   

6. Select Create. 
7. (Optional) Use the Add a Section box to add more sections to this part of the assessment.
8. (Optional) Add more content areas to the assessment.
9. Go to the "Add Questions to Each Content Section" procedure.

Add Questions to Each Content Section

1. Select Add Questions.

   

2. In the pop-up menu, find existing questions or create new questions by selecting the question type.
   • To find existing questions: Select Find Questions. When the question list appears, select the plus button for each question to include in your assessment. If you need to remove a question, hover over it and then select the X button. When finished, select Save (in the top right corner of the page). 
   • To create a new question: Select the type of question, and then enter the question and options. 

     Tip: For how-to information about the various question types, use these links:

     • Enterprise: Tips for True/False and Multiple Choice Questions
     • Enterprise Portal: Tips for Fill in the Blank Questions
     • Enterprise Portal: Tips for Essay Questions
     • Enterprise Portal: Tips for Hot Spot Questions
     • Enterprise Portal: Tips for Drag-and-Drop Questions
3. Continue to add questions until you have the required number, as indicated in the top right corner of the section header.

   Until you've added the required number of questions, the screen displays an error message, such as 0/5 Questions.

   

   When you've added the required number of questions, you'll see a message such as 5/5 Questions.

   

   Notes: 

   • If you need to change the section name or the number of questions, select the ellipsis button (...), which is on the right side of the Add Questions button.
   • If any of the selected questions are revised before you post the assessment, a message will appear below the Assessment Stats. Select Review to display the version history for the question. You can select the appropriate version to use for this assessment.

     

Review Question Updates or Version History

If you select a question for this assessment and it is later edited in the question bank, a notification will appear near the top of the Build Assessment page. 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 on the Build Assessment page. You will not be prompted to review those changes. 



If the Question Updates notification appears:

1. Select the Review button.

   On the left side of the slide-out window, you'll see the Version History, which indicates the current version that is in use for this assessment and the latest version from the question bank for the course.

   

2. Select the version that you want to view.

   The question, answer choices, and settings will appear in the main area of the window.

3. Compare the versions.
   • If you want to keep the version that is labeled Active for this Assessment, no action is needed. Select Go Back.
   • If you want to use the version that is labeled New - Active for this Course, select Accept This Version. Then select Accept & Save.

     

1. Select the question.
2. Near the top of the slide-out window, select Version History (below the question title).
3. Compare the versions.
   • If you want to keep the version that is labeled Active for this Assessment, no action is needed. Select Go Back.
   • If you want to use the version that is labeled New - Active for this Course, select Accept This Version. Then select Accept & Save.

Next Steps

You are now ready to select the Post Assessment settings. See: Enterprise Portal: Post an Assessment