Bb - Assessments - Upload from Word

Good practice suggests setting the default point value for questions then modifying the few questions with different point values.

How Default Point Values function in Assessments

Instructors must set the Default Point Value before creating questions for it to be effective. If the default point value is changed, only questions created after it is modified will have the new point value. Questions created before the modification will have the old point value. For example, set the Default Point Value to ten then create questions in the Assessment. These questions will have a point value of ten. Next, change the Default Point Value to 15, and create additional questions in the Assessment. These new questions will have a point value of 15, but the questions created initially will still have a point value of ten.

Instructors may import files containing questions into an Assessment.

The questions in the uploaded file must match a specific file structure, which is explained below. The file may include Essay, Ordering, Matching, Fill in the Blank, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer and True/False questions, or any combination of these.

When questions are imported they automatically default to the point value set in Creation Settings. If a default value has not been chosen in Creation Settings questions will automatically have a point value of ‘0’ and Instructors must enter a point value for each question.

Finding the Upload Questions page:
Step 1 Select Add Test, complete the Add Test page and select Submit.
Step 2 Select Upload Questions in the Add Question: drop-down list and click Go.
Questions in the file must conform to a specific structure in order to be uploaded to an Assessment successfully. Each field in the file is separated by a tab.

• Multiple Choice questions are structured as follows: 'MC’ tab <question text> (tab <answer text> tab ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’)
  --Text within () may be repeated for each of the answers that are part of the Multiple Choice question. The maximum number of answers is 20.
• Multiple Answer questions are structured as follows:
  ‘MA’ tab <question text> (tab <answer text> tab ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’)
  --Text within () may be repeated for each of the answers that are part of the Multiple Answer question. The maximum number of answers is 20.
• True/False questions are structured as follows:
  ‘TF’ tab <question text> tab ‘true’ or ‘false’ Essay questions are structured as follows: ‘ESS’ tab <question text> tab [<rubric text>]
  Text within [] is optional. The Instructor may choose to add a sample essay question or leave this blank.
• Ordering questions are structured as follows:
  ‘ORD’ tab <question text> (tab <answer text>)
  --Text within () may be repeated for each of the answers that are part of the Ordering question. The maximum number of answers is 20.
  -- The order entered in the file is the correct order. The system will randomly order the answers.
• Matching questions are structured as follows:
  ‘MAT’ tab <question text> (tab <answer text> tab <matching text>)
  --Text within () may be repeated for each of the answers that are part of the Matching question. The maximum number of answers is 20.
  -- The system will randomly order the answers and their question.
• Fill in the Blank questions are structured as follows:
  ‘FIB’ tab <question text> (tab <answer text>)
  --Text within () may be repeated for each of the answers that are part of the Fill in the Blank question. The maximum number of answers is 20.

This information was copied from the Knowledge Base at http://support.blackboard.com - SCC instructors are encouraged to login and search the help files here. Download the Acrobat document Assessment handout on preparing tab delimited files for uploading tests.

Sacramento City College
3835 Freeport Boulevard · Sacramento, California 95822
This page was last updated: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 at 12:04:17 PM