ONLINE EXAM SERVICES

USAS provides support for transitioning paper exam content to a Canvas Quiz. Multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions can be included, and quiz questions can include images, equations, audio files and foreign languages.

In addition, our Canvas Quiz service is designed to maximize data security, as we do not require any access to your live Canvas course site. We will build your quiz in our Canvas development site, and provide a file that you can import into your course site. To request a quiz build, please complete our Canvas Quiz order form.

If your unit uses another platform for online testing, and USAS may be able to assist you with setting up exam content, please complete our contact form.

GETTING STARTED

Our team knows that you have a range of options for assessing your students’ learning. If your methods include online testing, administered through Canvas, we can help.

We will create your exam questions in our Canvas development site, and export the completed quiz to you. It will be shared via Google Drive as an export (QTI) file. After you import the quiz, you will edit the settings - most importantly to set it as “graded,” as it will be imported by default as a practice quiz. For information on how to import quizzes to Canvas, please see How to Import a Quiz to a Canvas Course Site.

We would also like to take this opportunity to encourage you to consider accessibility in your online quiz. The Keep Teaching UMN website provides an Accessible Exams Checklist.

CANVAS QUIZ OPTIONS

USAS will build your quiz according to the exam content you provide to us. Our Canvas Quiz order form will walk you through the information we need. This will include:

  • Exam/quiz questions and answers
    • Can be provided in Word, PDF, or Google document formats
    • If using PDF, please ensure the text can be copied and pasted. If text cannot be copied and pasted (e.g., a PDF of a photocopy), turnaround time may be longer than usual
  • Whether you would like shuffled answers
    • Answers are presented to test-takers in a shuffled order
    • For example, A/B/C/D might display in the order C/B/A/D for one student and B/C/D/A for another
  • Whether you would like randomized questions
    • Quiz questions will be presented to students in random order
    • For example, the order might be 2/413 for one student, and 1/3/4/2 for another
    • This option is also used to present students with a random subset of quiz questions (e.g., any 30 questions of a 40-item quiz)
  • Some indicator of the correct answer(s), such as an asterisk, bold font, or a separate answer key
  • Images, if any (with alternative text)
  • Audio files, if any
Scoring

USAS will build your quiz with default scoring, which is one point per question. If your question has one correct answer, that answer will be worth one point. If your answer has multiple correct answers, Canvas will divide the single point evenly between the correct answers. If you would like to use different point values, you will be able to modify the scoring after you import the quiz file to your course site.

Quality Assurance/Proofreading

USAS will build your quiz by copying and pasting the questions and answers you have provided, and our quality assurance process includes ensuring that what we have created matches your document. USAS will not, for example, fix an apparent typo - we could inadvertently change text that is in fact written correctly for your academic field. Therefore, please be sure to fully proofread your exam document before uploading into our request form. This is especially important for formulas, symbols, and languages other than English.

Turnaround Time

Please submit your request to USAS at least 5 days before your scheduled test administration date. If your exam/quiz contains a large number of equations, images, or audio files, or is in a foreign language, additional lead time will be greatly appreciated. If you need your quiz created very quickly, please submit your request through our standard form and also contact USAS ([email protected]) to discuss. We will do our best to accommodate rush requests.

When your quiz build is ready, we will share it with you via Google Drive as an export (QTI) file.

AFTER IMPORTING YOUR QUIZ

When a quiz is imported to a Canvas course site, by default it will be set as a practice quiz (i.e., will not count towards the course grade). You will need to edit the quiz settings and set it as graded.

Exams are processed within 24 hours of receipt during normal operations. During reduced operations on the Twin Cities campus, turnaround times may be longer. If you need to arrange for scanning on a specific day during reduced operations, please email [email protected] with details and provide as much advance notice as possible.

If needed, you will be able to modify questions and add alternative text to images.

For more information, please see What options can I set in a quiz?.

If you have questions about the USAS quiz build, please contact us. For technical assistance with your Canvas course site, you will likely need to contact your unit’s Academic Technology resource.