Introduction

Bb Learn lets you upload test questions as a formatted plain text file (tab-delimited). 

In other words, you can put test questions and answers in Microsoft Excel, follow a certain format for the questions and answers, and to save the file as text file that can be imported..

As of yet, we do not know how to properly format: Quiz Bowl, Jumbled Sentence, or Fill in Multiple Blanks

A Tip

If you are creating a test from scratch, it's easier to just input your questions and/or answers into Bb Learn directly.

See Bb Learn Tests -- Creating.

Also, if you do not like this method of uploading test questions, there is an alternative method, but only for Windows users. See Respondus 4.0 Campus-Wide -- Test Import from Microsoft Word Tool

Instructions

1. Click the 2 links below,  and download the 2 examples properly formatted tab-delimited text (.txt) file. 
      (a) text_upload_format_example.txt
      (b) text_upload_format_example2.txt

2. Use Microsoft Excel to edit one of the above text files to include your desired questions and/or answers.
      (a) If you prefer another spreadsheet application, or to use a plain text editor application or another application for this, go for it.
      (b) We'll cover how to use Microsoft Excel to do this here.
      (c) Open Microsoft Excel, and click the "Open" folder icon on the left.
      (d) Navigate to the file you downloaded in step 1, and open it in Excel.
               i.  If a "Text Wizard" window opens, click "Next," select "Tab," then click "Next" again, and click "Finish."
      (e) Widen and/or click the "Word Text" option in Excel as needed to view the full text in each row and column.
               i.  Don't see "Word Text"? Click the "Home" link/tab.
               ii. Widen some columns and try clicking "Format" and then "AutoFit Row Height."
      (f) Review the spreadsheet.
               i.  If you do not know what a question type is, refer to the following Bb Learn support webpage. 
                      1.  https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Tests_Pools_Surveys/Question_Types
      (g) Note that TAB or Tab key characters in text files mark the lines between columns in spreadsheets like Excel.
      (h) Delete rows with question types and example questions that you do not need.
      (i) Copy and/or insert rows and columns, modify text of questions and answers.
               i.  Just remember to save your file in the tab-delimited text file format.
               ii. Click "File," click "Save As," choose a location, click the "File Format" drop-down menu to choose "Tab-Delimited Text (.txt)", and click "Save." (Or something very similar on a Mac.)
3. In your Bb Learn course shell, click to expand "Course Tools" in the left-hand navigation panel (course menu) and under the "Control Panel."
4. Click "Test, Surveys, and Pools."
5. Click "Tests."
      (a) The "Test" webpage here shows test templates that can be used and reused to create multiple tests.
6. Click "Build Test."
7. Enter "Imported Qs Test" for the "Name", and click "Submit."
8. Click "Upload Questions."
9. Select the file you downloaded in step 1 and upload it.
10. Set the "Points Possible" for each question, and click "Submit."
       (a) This can be modified later, and modified so that questions have different point values (if desired).
11. Scroll down, and review what the questions and answers look like.
       (a) Hover over a question, click the circled down arrow next to the question title, and click "Edit" to see additional settings and information. Click "Cancel" to return to the list of all questions for this test. Click "Submit" to save changes.
       (b) To delete all questions, click the "All" link above the first question, click "Delete," and click "OK."
       (c) To delete one or more questions, select the one or more questions, and click "Delete," and click "OK."
12. Scroll all the way down and click "OK."
13. If you wish to delete this new test template on the "Tests" webpage, hover your mouse pointer over it's name, click the circled-down arrow, click "Delete," and click "OK."
14. You may have some skipped lines or lines not as you wish. Delete the test and re-upload it, or edit the newly uploaded test in Bb Learn to resolve these issues.
       (a) Edit individual questions on the "Test Canvas" webpage to see more information about what was uploaded.
       (b) After modifying your test file, it can be useful to delete all questions on the "Text Canvas" webpage before uploading the text file again.
       (c) Blackboard Learn's public "Upload Questions" support webpage 
                i.  https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Tests_Pools_Surveys/Reuse_Questions/Upload_Questions
                ii. Note that TAB characters in text files mark the lines between columns in spreadsheets like Excel.
       (d) Also, click "More Help" in the "Upload Questions" webpage description in a Bb Learn course shell when you are uploading a text file with questions.
                i.  Again, note that TAB or Tab key characters in text files mark the lines between columns in spreadsheets like Excel

Seeing What Students Will See

The easiest way to see what students will see is to "deploy" a test template as an actual test somewhere in your Bb Learn course shell.

Then click on the test submission link, and start taking the test yourself.

• Instructor and Teaching Assistant test results are not kept anywhere.
• But you can see how the test questions will appear to a typical student.

Or use Bb Learn Student Preview to take the test. If you do not delete the Student Preview user, you can see the test results, and even grade them.