Building and Using a Question Bank

The Question bank is an organized repository for all the questions in your course, separate from any quiz activities that might use them. It is good practice to create categories to organize your questions. This makes it easier to find questions and it also allows you to use random questions as well as reuse questions in later quizzes.

Process:

1. Create question categories in Moodle for all of the types of questions you want to have in your test (eg. 1 category for Multiple Choice Questions, 1 category for True/False questions, 1 category for Short Answer questions). The category name should include the course number/semester, the test name and type of questions (eg. HHSC-101Winter2025-Quiz1-MC)

2. Add your questions to their category. You can either add them one by one manually, or contact your CTLT Instructional Designer or ctlt@unbc.ca – we can batch upload questions quickly from a word document. Let us know the correct answers by putting a * beside it in the word document.

3. Add questions to your test. Using Categories (also known as Question pools) can enable you to use randomization – presenting students with a subset of randomly chosen questions from the question pool).

To find the Question Bank in your course, click on the “More” tab and select “Question Bank” from the drop-down menu.

From the left-hand drop down menu, select “Categories”

Click on “Add Category” button.

Type in the name of the question category you wish to create.

Create question categories in Moodle for all of the types of questions you want to have in your test (eg. 1 category for Multiple Choice Questions, 1 category for True/False questions, 1 category for Short Answer questions). The category name should include the course number/semester, the test name and type of questions (eg. HHSC-101Winter2025-Quiz1-MC)

After you are done naming the category, click on “Add category” button to save.

Your category will now appear in the list of categories for your course. Click on the category name to view it.

Now you can add questions to the category. You can either add them one by one manually, or contact your CTLT Instructional Designer – we can batch upload questions quickly from a word document.

To add a new question manually, click on the “create a new question” button.

Choos

Choose the question type you wish to add.

Type in the question name  (this is hidden from students and just for your reference)

Type in the Question Text – this is the question shown to students. You can also include images or even video here.

Since this is a multiple choice question, you can add in possible answers under Choice 1, Choice 2, Choice 3, etc. For the one that is the correct answer, choose “100%” from the Grade drop down menu to tell Moodle to grade that answer as the correct one.

Click “Save changes” to save the question & return to the question pool.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I edit questions?

To edit quiz questions:

1. While in edit mode, click on the More menu item at the top of your course, then select Question bank

2. Select Categories the drop-down list.

Click on the category the question is in.

3. Select the Edit link for the question you want to edit and select Edit question

Make your desired changes to the question, and click “Save changes”

Can I preview questions?

To preview questions:

1. Click on the “Edit” menu beside the question
2. Select “Preview” from the drop down menu

Can I move questions to another category?

Yes, you can move questions from one category to another. To move questions:

1. While in edit mode, click on the More menu item at the top of your course, then select Question bank

2. Select Categories the drop-down list.

Click on the category the question is in.

3. Select the questions you want to move and select Move to at the bottom of the screen.

4. Select the category you want to move the questions to from the list:

5. Click the “Move to” button to move the questions.

Is there a quicker way to add multiple choice questions to the question bank?

Yes, we recommend you use the Aiken format. The Aiken format lets you create multiple-choice or true-false questions using a simple, human-readable format that you can save as a plain text file and import into a Moodle course.

Creating Your Questions

The most important things you need to know about using this format are:

• You must create a .txt file. We recommend you use Notepad or Notepad++ for Windows or TextEdit on Mac.
• You must save your file in UTF-8 format (you will be prompted to choose upon saving the file). Special characters will cause errors, so use simple quotation marks and avoid formatting like bold or italics. You can add formatting in once the questions are uploaded.
• All answer letters and the word answer MUST be capitalized. See example.

What are the tallest trees on Earth?
A. Coast Redwood
B. Coast Douglas Fir
C. Giant Sequoia
D. Sitka Spruce
ANSWER: A

What is the world’s most venomous fish?
A) Scorpion fish
B) Lion fish
C) Stonefish
D) Toadfish
ANSWER: C

Notice the following details:

• You do not number the questions.
• You can follow the answer letter with a ) or a . but you must be consistent within your question set.
• There is a single space after the ) or . and before the response.
• ANSWER must be followed with a : and a single space.

Issues of spacing and capitalization must be attended to for the format to work.

Importing the File

Once you have formatted the document correctly:

1. While in edit mode, click on the More menu item at the top of your course, then select Question bank

2. Select Import the drop-down list.

3. Upload your file.  Once the process is complete you will find your questions in your course’s question bank.