Blackboard Tests can be used as formative and summative assessment on your course. It is the instructors responsibility to create the test and ensure that it appears correctly to students. Programme Administrators will ensure the test settings are correct.
Create a Test
Go to the place on the course Content where you would like the Test to be. Click on the Plus button and select Create.
On the right side panel select Test.
The test canvas will open.
Name the test, it will save automatically.
You are now ready to add questions, text, files or page breaks to your test.
To add a question Pool please see our guide Using Question Banks and Pools in your Ultra Test.
Once you have added your questions you can close the canvas and it will appear in your course content. Either,
- set the settings and make available to students or
- let your Programme Administrator know the Test is ready and they can make the relevant changes to the settings and student visibility.
Add Text
It is possible to add some text to your test. Perhaps you would like to add some instructions, please be aware that this text will only appear to students once they have opened the test and the timer has started.
To add text click on the plus sign icon and select Add Text from the menu.
A full text editor will appear, allowing you to add text as well as insert files, images and videos.
Add Questions to a Test
Select the question types you wish to use. Here you can add new questions or reuse questions from previous tests or your course question bank.
Question Types
There are several question types in Blackboard Tests.
- Multiple Choice Questions
- True/False Questions
- Essay Questions
- Matching Questions
- Fill in the Blank Questions
- Hotspot Questions
- Calculated Formula Questions
- Calculated Numeric Questions
For details on each question type please see the Blackboard Help guides on Question Types.
Reuse Questions
The Reuse Questions function allows you to select questions from any Tests on the course, or from a Question Bank.
Select Reuse Questions from the plus menu.
- In the Reuse Questions window sources are listed as Assessments (a) or Question Bank (b).
- When a source is selected the questions available will appear in the main screen (c).
- Select the questions you wish to reuse in the test you are creating, click copy questions.
NB* the same questions could be in Test and Question banks, check you are not copying duplicate questions.
The screen will return to the Test you are creating where your additional questions will now appear. Use the Edit option to check that the question settings are correct for this test.
Add local File
It is possible to add a file to your test. Use the plus content menu and select Add local File.
The file will appear on the test and can be opened within the test screen. You have the options of where to make it view only, download only or view and download.
Add a Page Break
It is possible to add a page break in your test to separate different sections of the Test such as MCQ section and Essay questions section.
- Go to the place where you would like to add the page break.
- Click on the purple plus sign.
- Select Add Page Break.
NB* Please let students know when there are more than one pages in a test so they know to click the “next page” button.
In the test settings it is possible to randomise pages, with the option to keep the first page the same for all students.
Guide last updated on September 27, 2024
