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
- Add Text (i.e. instructions)
- Add a File
- Adding Questions
- Add a page break
- Allow students to add content at end of assessment
- Blackboard AI Design Assistant
- Bulk edit options
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 from the contextual menu.
On the right side Create Item panel select Test.
The test canvas will open.
Add the test name in the top left-hand field, 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 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 Questions to a Test
Hover over the purple plus sign to open the add content menu.
You can create new questions or add (reuse) questions from tests on the course or Question Banks.
Create new questions
To create a new question to your test select any of the question types from the list.
- Multiple Choice Questions
- True/False Questions
- Essay Questions
- Matching Questions
- Fill in the Blank Questions*
- Hotspot Questions
- Calculated Formula Questions
- Calculated Numeric Questions
- Jumbled Sentences
For details on each question type please see the Blackboard Help guides on Question Types.
For details on the optional settings for each question see our guide Blackboard Question Settings. (Includes, editing points, extra credit, partial credit, automatic feedback and question meta data options.
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 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 (presentation options section) it is possible to randomise pages, with the option to keep the first page the same for all students.
Allow students to add content at end of assessment
Once you have added some content to your test you will be able to toggle the “Allow students to add content at end of assessment” on and off. It will provide an additional text box at the end of the test.
This is an additional feature, which may be confusing to students unless you have a specific use for it and clear instructions to students.
Blackboard AI Design Assistant
Anthology Blackboard have developed AI design assistant tools that give you the option to quickly generate activities and their accompanying instructions , based your course’s title and description. The output can be tailored by selecting specific course content or adding a description prompt. The generated test questions are editable, and will only be added to your course if you choose to ‘Save’ it. For more information, please read our Blackboard AI Design Assistant – AI Tests and Question banks guide
Bulk edit actions
The three dot menu at the top of the test canvas allows the bulk actions:
- Edit points
- Print Test
Guide last updated on April 28, 2026