Make sure to review these important settings each time you create a Quiz. The Canvas Instructor Guide includes additional information on Quiz settings.
In light of some recent technical issues with Quercus Quizzes, make sure to never make edits to a live quiz (a quiz that students are currently taking).
Quiz Settings | Some thoughts… |
Shuffle Answers– This is a checkbox option under quiz settings and will randomize the order of multiple-choice answer choices. | If your quiz question includes an “All of the above/below” or, for example, “Answers A & C” options, either do not shuffle answers or change the wording of the answer option to “All of the other answers”. |
You can shuffle the order of questions themselves by creating a question group. | This is a great way to improve the security of your quiz. You can also create multiple question groups clustered around certain topics. e.g. A question group on topic X consisting of 5 questions, 2 of which will be delivered to students. |
Time limit– This is a checkbox option under quiz settings and limits the amount of time students will have to complete the quiz. Here’s what to do if a student needs extended test time. | If you are using a “File Upload” question type, bear in mind that students will need to upload and submit their file within the bounds of the time limit. Once a quiz ends there is no way to upload a file into it. If file uploads are important for your quiz, you may choose to create an assignment instead. |
Allow Multiple Attempts – This is a checkbox setting that allows students to have multiple attempts to take a quiz. Instructors can decide which quiz score to keep: Highest, Latest, or Average. | Note this refers to attempts at taking the quiz from the beginning, not attempts at individual questions within the quiz. |
Let Students See Their Quiz Responses – You can choose to allow students to view their answers, any automatic feedback generated by the quiz for correct or incorrect answers, and which questions they got wrong. | Quizzes default to this option, so if you do not want students to see their quiz responses, deselect the checkbox. This may be useful in instances where students are writing at different times and releasing correct answer information would allow information to leak between quiz sittings. |
Assigning a Quiz to individual Student – You can assign a quiz to an individual student. Click here for more information | Test & Exam Services may contact you about a student writing with accommodations. If you grant T.E.S. access to your course page they will make the necessary arrangements in this area of the quiz setup. |
Due/From/Until fields -
- Due Date:
the date and time that the Quiz is due. - Available From: the date and time when the Quiz will become available for students to take the quiz
- Until: the date and time when students can no longer take the quiz
| It is suggested to leave the Until field blank as it causes some confusion with students with the difference between Due Date and Until. The date put into Until is a hard deadline and will close the Quiz. The Due Date does not impact the closing date and time of the Quiz. |
Quiz Instructions text box – Sensitive exam/assessment information should NOT be included in the assessment description text box. Here is a breakdown of the circumstances in which students will be able to view the information you enter in the description text box:
Published State of the Quiz | “Available From” State of the Quiz | Quiz Instructions Visible to Students? |
NO | Past date/time | NO |
NO | Future date/time | NO |
NO | Left blank | NO |
YES | Past date/time | YES |
YES | Future date/time | NO (msg: This quiz is locked until date/time) |
YES | Left blank | YES |