Quiz & Exam Builder
This guide explains how to build a quiz or exam in Community Quiz, what every tab does, and what each setting means — in plain language, no technical knowledge needed.
Audience: Teachers, trainers, HR teams, certification bodies, and anyone creating assessments. You do not need to write code.
1. How the builder is organised
When you open a quiz, the builder is split into seven tabs that you work through in order (but you can jump between them freely at any time):
| # | Tab | What you do here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Structure | Add sections and questions — the skeleton of the assessment. |
| 2 | Blueprint | (Optional) Define the topics the exam must cover and how deep each one goes. |
| 3 | Scoring | Decide how answers turn into points, the pass mark, and grade letters. |
| 4 | Delivery | Set when learners can take it, time limits, attempts, and on-screen tools. |
| 5 | Integrity | Choose how secure the exam is (anti-cheating measures). |
| 6 | Certificate | Award a certificate when a learner passes. |
| 7 | Review & publish | Check everything is ready, then make it live. |
Working copy vs. live version (important)
- While you edit, you are changing a working copy held in your browser. Nothing is permanent until you click Save draft.
- A quiz that has been published has a separate frozen live version that learners take. Your edits to the working copy do not affect people currently taking the live version.
- Save draft stores your work but does not make it live. Publish makes it live.
- Discard changes throws away your unsaved edits (and, for an already-published quiz, returns to the live version).
The header bar
At the top you always see:
- Status badge — Unsaved, Draft, Live version current, or Unpublished changes.
- Readiness ring — a 0–100% indicator of how many "ready to publish" checks pass. Click it to see what is still missing.
- Save draft, Discard, and Publish buttons.
- Live counters for Sections and Items (questions).
Creating a new quiz
When you first create an assessment you choose a few things that set the tone:
| Setting | What it means | Choices (default) |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | The purpose. A Certification exam is scored and can issue certificates; a Practice quiz is lower-stakes; a Survey collects opinions with no right answers. | Exam / Quiz / Survey (Exam) |
| Title | The name learners and admins see. Required before you can save. | Free text |
| Category | An optional folder to group related quizzes. | Your categories (None) |
| Integrity level | The starting security posture (you can change it later in the Integrity tab). | Open / Controlled / Secure (Open) |
2. Structure tab — sections & questions
This is where you lay out the assessment. It has three columns: an outline/question palette on the left, the section canvas in the middle, and a section inspector (settings) on the right.
Sections
A section is a block of the exam. There are six types:
| Section type | What it is |
|---|---|
| Instructions | A welcome/rules page with no questions (rich text only). |
| Question set | A fixed list of questions you choose yourself. |
| Random pool | The system draws a random set of questions from a question bank — every learner gets a different mix. |
| Case study | A scenario (with optional exhibits) followed by related questions. |
| Break | A timed pause between sections. |
| Feedback | A closing page, often used to show the score and a message. |
You add a section by dragging a type onto the canvas, or from the + Add section menu. Drag the up/down arrows on a section card to reorder.
Adding questions
- For Question set and Case study sections, switch the left rail to Add question and either drag a question type onto the section or click it to add. You can also click From bank to reuse existing questions.
- Each question shows its points, type, and a status badge (approved = ready to deliver, draft = still being written). Only approved questions count towards publishing.
- Editing a question opens the Question Studio (see section 9).
Random pool settings
When a section is a Random pool, the inspector asks for:
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Question bank | Which bank of questions to draw from. | — (must choose) |
| Pool draw | How many questions to pull per attempt. | 10 |
| Difficulty filter | Only draw easy / medium / hard questions (or any). | Any |
| No repeats | Avoid showing a learner the same question across retakes. | Off |
Tip: keep your bank much larger than the draw count (about 4× or more) so retakes feel fresh and questions don't repeat.
Per-section rules (the inspector tabs)
Select a section and open its Rules tab to control:
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Section timer | A time limit just for this section (minutes; 0 = none). | 0 |
| Lock when time ends | Auto-close the section when its timer runs out. | On |
| Navigation mode | Free (jump around), Sequential (in order), or Locked (no going back). | Free |
| One question per page | Show one question at a time vs. several. | On |
| Required to finish | Learners must complete this section to submit. | On |
| Shuffle questions | Randomise question order. | On for pools |
| Shuffle answer options | Randomise the order of answer choices. | On |
The Advanced tab holds the section Weight (its share of the score, 0–100%) and the Delete section button. Per-question points can be overridden here too.
Note: "Shuffle" lives here in Structure (per section), not in the Delivery tab.
3. Blueprint tab — what the exam must cover
A blueprint is a plan for what the exam tests and how much. It is optional — skip it for simple quizzes. Use it for serious certifications where you want balanced, fair coverage across topics and repeatable exams drawn from banks.
You define domains (topic areas). Each domain has:
| Field | What it means | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The topic, e.g. "Cloud Security". | — |
| Weight % | How much this topic counts towards the final score. All weights should add up to 100%. | 0 |
| Target items | How many questions from this topic each learner should get. | 0 |
| Item bank | The question bank this topic draws from. | None |
| Difficulty split | How many of the target questions should be Easy / Medium / Hard. | 0 / 0 / 0 |
| Bloom distribution | (Optional) How many should test Remember / Understand / Apply / Analyse — i.e. thinking level. | 0s |
| Colour | A colour to identify the domain in charts. | Blue |
The tab also shows read-only health indicators: a coverage matrix, weight distribution, cognitive balance, item-pool health (how many spare questions each bank has), and a validation panel. Aim for: weights total 100%, coverage ≥ 95%, and each bank holding several times more questions than it needs.
Other blueprint settings: Total points, Parallel forms (how many interchangeable versions of the exam to generate), and a Target difficulty split (default 30% easy / 50% medium / 20% hard). You can Export spec to download the blueprint as a file.
4. Scoring tab — turning answers into a result
This tab decides how responses become points, a percentage, a pass/fail, and a grade. A pipeline diagram at the top summarises the journey: raw answers → section weights → scaled score → pass decision.
New to scoring? The Scoring Guide walks through points, partial credit, negative marking, pass marks, and grade bands in plain language, with worked examples and ready-made recipes.
Pass mark & scale
| Setting | What it means | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Scale maximum | The top of the score scale (100 behaves like a percentage). | 100 |
| Pass mark | The cut-off to pass, on that scale. | 70 |
The scoring model
| Setting | What it means | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Points source | Per item = each question is worth its own points; Equal = every question counts the same. | Per item |
| Partial credit | Give part-marks on multi-part questions (e.g. 2 of 3 correct = 2 marks) instead of all-or-nothing. | On |
| All-or-nothing items | Force full-marks-or-zero, even where partial credit could apply. | Off |
| Negative marking | Deduct marks for wrong answers (discourages guessing). | Off |
| Negative mode | (only when negative marking is on) Whole question = one penalty if anything is wrong; Per wrong part = a penalty for each wrong selection (blanks aren't penalised). | Whole question |
| Marks deducted per wrong | (only when negative marking is on) How many marks each wrong answer costs. | 1 |
| Retake scoring basis | When multiple attempts are allowed, which counts: Best, Latest, First, or Average. | Best |
Example: a 3-correct-answer question worth 3 points. With partial credit on, picking 2 correct = 2 marks. Turn on per-part negative marking with "1 mark per wrong" and a wrong extra pick costs 1 mark.
Grade bands
Optionally add letter grades. Each band has a Letter (A, B…), an optional Label ("Distinction"), a min–max % range, a Pass/Fail flag, and a colour. With no bands, the result is simply Pass or Fail.
Manual grading & review
For questions a human marks (essays, file uploads, observations), toggle the workflows you need:
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Rubric grading | Mark against criteria × levels (e.g. Clarity, Depth). | Off |
| Blind grading | Hide the learner's name from graders. | Off |
| Double marking | Two graders mark each response; big differences go to adjudication. | Off |
| Moderation workflow | Grades pass through an approval queue. | Off |
| Regrade engine | Re-mark attempts after fixing an answer key. | Off |
| Competency scoring | Map questions to skills/outcomes. | Off |
| Appeals window | How many days learners have to contest a result. | 14 |
5. Delivery tab — when and how learners take it
Controls access, timing, attempts, and the on-screen experience.
Schedule & access window
| Setting | What it means | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Opens / Closes | The date/time window the exam is available (blank = always / no deadline). Shown in the learner's timezone. | Blank |
| Timezone | The reference timezone for the schedule. | UTC |
| Duration | Total time limit in minutes (0 = untimed). | 0 |
| Registration window | Require learners to register first; reveals a registration opens date and seat capacity. | Off |
| Late entry grace | Minutes a latecomer can still start after the open time. | 0 |
| Results release | When final scores are shown. | Immediately |
Attempts
| Setting | What it means | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Attempts allowed | 1, 2, 3, or unlimited. | 1 |
| Scoring basis | Which attempt counts (First / Latest / Best / Average). | Best |
| Cooling period | Hours a learner must wait between attempts. | 0 |
| Vary questions on retake | Draw a different question set each attempt (works only with random pools). | Off |
| Resume after disconnect | Let learners continue if they lose connection. | Off |
| Autosave | Save answers automatically as they go. | Off |
Navigation & on-screen tools
Navigation: Navigation mode (Free / Sequential / No-back), Page layout (one per page / many / all), Flag for review, Review screen before submit, and Show progress.
Helper tools you can switch on: Scientific calculator, Formula/reference sheet, Highlighter & strikethrough, Text zoom / high contrast, and Language switch.
Access model & pricing
| Setting | What it means | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Access model | Free, Paid, or Members only. Paid/Members reveal Price and Currency. | Free |
Accommodations & overrides
Use Add override to give specific users or groups extra support: extra time %, extra minutes, larger text, reader mode, an alternative window, and a private note (e.g. "medical extension").
Note: answer feedback settings live in the Review & publish tab, and shuffle lives in Structure.
6. Integrity tab — keeping exams honest
Pick a security posture; higher levels automatically switch on more protections (they build on each other):
| Posture | Use for | Turns on |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Practice, marketing quizzes. | Nothing extra. |
| Controlled | Internal training. | Event logging + block copy/paste. |
| Secure | Academic / professional exams. | The above plus lockdown browser, forced fullscreen, blocked shortcuts, watermark, and consent. |
| Proctored / Test-centre | (Coming soon — not selectable yet.) | — |
You can also fine-tune each control individually:
- Lockdown controls: Lockdown browser required, Force fullscreen, Disable copy/paste, Block right-click & shortcuts, Browser event logging (logs tab-switching).
- Access controls: Exam password, Voucher/access code, Invitation-only link, IP allow-list (reveals an "allowed ranges" field), Geolocation rules, Device fingerprint, Dynamic watermark (overlays the candidate's identity to deter sharing).
- Candidate consent: require accepting a policy before starting.
- Evidence retention: how many days logs are kept (default 90).
A read-only Monitoring signals panel shows which behaviours are being logged (focus loss, fullscreen exit, copy/paste, unusual speed) based on the controls you enabled.
7. Certificate tab — rewarding a pass
Turn Issue a certificate for this exam on to award a verifiable credential. Key settings:
| Setting | What it means | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Award when score ≥ | Minimum % to earn the certificate. | The pass mark |
| Validity period | How long it stays valid (6 months / 1 year / 2 years / no expiry). | 1 year |
| CPD / CE credits | Professional-development hours printed on the certificate. | 3 |
| Require manual approval | Hold certificates until a reviewer approves them. | Off |
| Re-issue on retake | Replace the certificate if a later attempt scores higher. | On |
| Issue for prior passes | Back-fill certificates to people who already passed. | Off |
| Credential template | Which certificate design to use. | Modern – Indigo |
| Public verification page | A public link/QR anyone can use to check the certificate. | On |
Sharing & integration toggles: Open Badge 3.0, Add to LinkedIn, xAPI statement (to a learning record store), Email certificate on issue, Renewal reminder (days before expiry), Revocation (invalidate with a reason), and Watermark holder identity on the PDF.
8. Review & publish tab — going live
Readiness checklist
Five checks must pass before publishing (each links to the tab that fixes it):
- Draft state — all changes are saved.
- Structure — at least one section exists.
- Questions — enough approved questions/pool draws.
- Scoring — a pass mark / grade scheme is set.
- Integrity — a security level is chosen.
What learners see afterwards
| Setting | What it means | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Release mode | When answers/feedback appear: on submit, after the exam closes, or never. | — |
| Show correct answers | Reveal the right answer in the review. | Off |
| Show explanations | Show the author's explanations. | On |
| Per-answer feedback | Show feedback written for each option. | On |
| Conditional feedback | Show score-band messages (e.g. "Great job!"). | On |
Version control
- Lock items after publish — questions become read-only once live (edits need a new version). (On)
- Snapshot attempts — each learner is tied to the exact version they started, so later edits never disrupt them. (On)
- Version history — a timeline of every published version (each is a frozen snapshot).
Then press Publish. The exam becomes live; the readiness ring and status badge confirm the state.
9. Question Studio — writing a question
When you add or edit a question, the Question Studio opens with four tabs and a live preview:
| Tab | What you set |
|---|---|
| Prompt | The question title (a short label) and the stem (the full question text, with rich formatting/images). |
| Answers | The type-specific content — options, accepted answers, pairs, image hotspots, etc. Changes per question type. |
| Scoring | Points (how much it's worth), Difficulty (1–5, for analytics only), and an optional Override quiz scoring switch. |
| Feedback | An optional message shown after the learner answers. |
Each type also has a collapsible "How to use this type" guide with tips and how it's marked.
Per-question scoring override
Turn Override quiz scoring on to give just this question its own rules (otherwise it follows the Scoring tab): Partial credit, All-or-nothing, and Negative marking (with whole-question / per-part mode and the marks to deduct). Useful for, say, making one critical question all-or-nothing in an otherwise partial-credit exam.
The question types
Community Quiz includes 32 question types in eight groups. Auto-graded types are marked instantly; manual types go to a grading queue.
Choice
| Type | What the learner does |
|---|---|
| Single choice (MCQ) | Pick one correct option. |
| Multiple response | Pick every correct option (partial credit). |
| True / False, Yes / No | Pick one of two. |
| Audio / Video | Listen/watch a clip, then pick an option. |
| Confidence | Pick an answer and rate their confidence (which weights the score). |
| Survey | Pick an option — no right answer, just collected. |
Text
| Type | What the learner does |
|---|---|
| Fill in the blank | Type a short answer matched to your accepted list. |
| Cloze | Fill several blanks inside a passage. |
| Short answer | Type a brief phrase. |
| Essay | Write a long answer (human-graded). |
Matching
| Type | What the learner does |
|---|---|
| Match | Pair left items to right items. |
| Order | Arrange items into the correct sequence. |
| Classify | Sort items into labelled buckets. |
Interactive
| Type | What the learner does |
|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop text | Drag words into blanks in a sentence. |
| Drag-and-drop image | Drag labels onto points on an image. |
| Hotspot | Click the correct spot on an image. |
| Matrix | Answer several rows that share one set of columns (Likert). |
| Dropdown | Choose from dropdowns embedded in a passage. |
Numeric
| Type | What the learner does |
|---|---|
| Numeric | Enter a number (checked within a tolerance, with an optional unit). |
| Calculated | Solve a formula whose numbers are randomised each attempt. |
Code
| Type | What the learner does |
|---|---|
| Code | Write code, checked for required keywords. |
| SQL | Write a SQL query, checked for required clauses. |
Media
| Type | What the learner does |
|---|---|
| File upload | Upload file(s) for a human to grade. |
| Oral recording | Record a spoken response for a human to grade. |
Specialised
| Type | What the learner does |
|---|---|
| Assertion–Reason | Judge two statements and their relationship. |
| Case study / Reading | A scenario or passage that following questions refer to (not scored itself). |
| Observation / OSCE | An assessor scores the learner against a checklist of criteria. |
| Psychometric | Rate a statement on a scale that feeds a personality/attitude profile. |
See the supported question types reference for more detail on each.