Assessment Creation & Publishing with Respondus

Create exams for print or for publishing in your BrightSpace course.

Overview of Steps

Create Questions in MS Word using specified formatting below
Import the questions into a new Respondus assessment file
Select the settings for online publishing, exporting to MS Word, or Printing
Publish the assessment to a quiz, exam, or survey in BrightSpace or to MS Word.

Creating Questions in MS Word

Question format must be followed exactly in order for Respondus to recognize correct answers. These formats are listed below for multiple choice, true or false, essay (long answer), fill in the blank (short answer), and multi-select questions. Each question type has requirements and optional components.

Multiple Choice Question

Example:

3. Who determined the exact speed of light?

@ This is optional feedback for the question using the @ symbol after the question wording

a. Albert Einstein

*b. Albert Michelson

c. Thomas Edison

d. Guglielmo Marconi

@ This is optional feedback for this individual answer

Question wording: must begin with a question number, followed by either a period “.” or a parentheses “)” and then at least one space. A question mark is not required.

Each answer: must begin with a letter (a-z) followed by a period “.” or a parentheses “)”.

Correct answer: is indicated with an asterisk * before the answer choice. You cannot have a space between the asterisk and answer choice. If you don’t specify an answer then the first answer is marked as the correct answer and you can then shuffle the answers afterwards.

Optional feedback can be used after each answer choice or for the question in general using the @ symbol.

True or False Question

Example:

3. Albert Michelson determined the exact speed of light?

@ This is optional feedback for the question using the @ symbol after the question wording

a. True

*b. False

@ This is optional feedback for this individual answer

Question wording: must begin with a question number, followed by either a period “.” or a parentheses “)” and then at least one space. A question mark is not required.

Each answer: must begin with the letters a and b followed by a period “.” or a parentheses “)”. The “True” (or “T”) answer choice must be listed prior to the “False” (or “F”) answer choice in order for Respondus to recognize it as a true or false question type. (If “False” appears first in the list, the question will be imported as a “multiple choice” question).

Correct answer: is indicated with an asterisk (*) before the answer choice. You cannot have a space between the asterisk and answer choice. If you don’t specify an answer then the first answer is marked as the correct answer and you can then shuffle the answers afterwards.

Optional feedback can be used after each answer choice or for the question in general

Essay Question (Long Answer)

Example:

Type: E

4. How is the Michelson-Morley experiment related to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity?

@ This is optional feedback for the question using the @ symbol after the question wording

a. In 1887, Albert Michelson and Edward Morely carried out experiments to detect the change in speed of light due to ether wind when the Earth moved around the sun. The result was negative. They found the speed of light is always the same regardless of Earth’s motion around the sun. Scientists…

@ This is optional feedback for this individual answer

Question wording: must be preceded by a line that contains ‘Type: E’ and then begin with a question number, followed by either a period “.” or a parentheses “)” and then at least one space. A question mark is not required.

Answer: must begin with the letter ‘a’ followed by a period “.” or a parentheses “)”. These questions are not automatically graded in BrightSpace and therefore the answer is a guide for the grader.

Optional feedback can be used after the answer or for the question in general using the @ symbol.

Short Answer Question

Example:

Type: S

5. Who is known as the “father of television”?

@ This is optional feedback for the question using the @ symbol after the question wording

a. Zworykin

b. Vladimir Zworykin

c. Vladimir Kosma Zworykin

Question wording: must be preceded by a line that contains ‘Type: S’ and then begin with a question number, followed by either a period “.” or a parentheses “)” and then at least one space. A question mark is not required.

Possible answer forms: must begin with the letters (a-z) followed by a period “.” or a parentheses “)”. You can import only one correct answer per question, but it is possible to enter multiple forms of that answer that will be correct.

Optional feedback can be used for the question in general

Fill in the Blank Question

Example:

Type: FMB

5. A [rose, red flower] by any other [name] would smell as [sweet, good].

@ This is optional feedback for the question using the @ symbol after the question wording

Question wording: must be preceded by a line that contains ‘Type: FMB’ and then begin with a question number, followed by either a period “.” or a parentheses “)” and then at least one space. A question mark is not required.

Correct answers: are indicated by surrounding answers with square brackets []. Single answers as well as multiple accepted answers can be indidcated by separting them with commas inside the brackets.

Optional feedback can be used for the question in general

Matching Questions

Example:

Type: MT

4. Match the correct name to the discovery or theory.

@ This is optional feedback for the question using the @ symbol after the question wording

a. Michelson-Morely = Speed of light

b. Einstein = Theory of Relativity

c. Marconi = radio waves

@ This is optional feedback for this individual answer

Each answer: must begin with a letter (a-t) followed by a period “.” or a parentheses “)”.

Each matche: is separated from the its pair using an equals symbol =. Spaces before or after the = are optional.

Ordering Question

Example:

Type: ORD

5. Put the following presidents in order of service?

@ This is optional feedback for the question using the @ symbol after the question wording

a. George Washington

b. John Adams

c. Thomas Jefferson

d. James Madison

e. James Monroe

@ This is optional feedback for this individual answer

Question wording: must be preceded by a line that contains ‘Type: ORD’ and then begin with a question number, followed by either a period “.” or a parentheses “)” and then at least one space. A question mark is not required.

Each answer: must begin with a letter (a-t) followed by a period “.” or a parentheses “)”.

Correct answer order: is indicated by listing the answers in the correct order

Create or Open the Respondus File

From the Start tab select create to enter a name and a description for your assessment.

A Respondus file can contain all the assessment settings and questions that you will eventually publish. This file is saved in the default location for Respondus files. This default can be changed by going to File | Preferences | General tab.