Considerations

To create quizzes in Canvas using the Quizzes tool that give questions in a random order (or give students different sets of questions from a larger question pool randomly), it is necessary to put all of your questions into Question Banks first, then use those banks to populate your quiz. You can have multiple question banks in your course, and you can pull from multiple question banks on a single test. When you use a question bank to randomize questions or serve random questions from a larger pool, each randomized group has the same point value. So, if you have questions with different point values, we recommend making separate banks to house them.

You can create new questions right in a question bank, or you can move questions between banks. If you have quizzes already in Canvas but have never used Question Banks before, every question from those quizzes exists in a Question Bank called Unfiled Questions. To move one or more of those questions into a new bank in order to use them for randomizing, follow the second workflow below. Questions can only exist in one bank at a time.

Multiple choice tests with randomized questions in Canvas (with new questions)

Go to Quizzes in your Course Menu (1). Click on the three vertical dots (a.k.a. snowman icon) in the top right-hand corner (2). Click on Manage Question Banks (3).

Click on +Add Question Bank.

Give your new Question Bank a name and click ENTER on your keyboard.

Click on your new Question Bank to open it.

Click the +Add a Question button to create a new question in your new question bank. For more information on Quiz questions and how to create them, visit the Canvas Community page. 

Once you’ve updated all your quiz questions, go to your Quizzes tab (1). Click on the +Quiz button in the top right-hand corner (2).

In your quiz, go to the Questions tab (1) to add new questions. Click on the +New Question Group button (2). Click on Link to a Question Bank (3).

Click on the bank that you just created (1). Click on Select Bank (2).

Type in the number of questions that are in the bank (1) (or fewer if you want randomly pulled questions that are different for each student). Click on Create Group (2).

Repeat these steps if you are using multiple groups.

Once you are done, Click Save or Save & Publish if you’re ready to publish your quiz.

Multiple choice tests with randomized questions in Canvas (with questions taken from other quizzes)

Go to Quizzes in your Course Menu (1). Click on the three vertical dots (a.k.a. snowman icon) in the top right-hand corner (2). Click on Manage Question Banks (3).

Click on +Add Question Bank (1). Give your question bank a name (2). Click on Unfiled Questions (3).

Click on Move Multiple Questions.

Choose the questions you want to move/copy (1). Choose the question bank you want to put them in (2). Click Move Questions (3).

Once you’ve updated all your quiz questions, go to your Quizzes tab (1). Click on the +Quiz button in the top right-hand corner (2).

In your quiz, go to the Questions tab (1) to add new questions. Click on the +New Question Group button (2). Click on Link to a Question Bank (3).

Choose the bank you previously created and moved questions to. Click Select Bank.

Type in the number of questions that are in the bank (1) (or fewer if you want randomly pulled questions that are different for each student). Click on Create Group (2).

Repeat these steps if you are using multiple groups.

Once you are done, Click Save or Save & Publish if you’re ready to publish your quiz.