How do I import multiple choice questions from Word or another text editor into OnCourse?
Step-by-step guide
The Aiken format is a very simple way of creating multiple choice questions using a clear human-readable format in a text file.
Requirements:
- The question must be all on one line.
- Each answer must start with a single uppercase letter, followed by a period '.' or a bracket ')', then a space.
- The answer line must immediately follow, starting with "ANSWER: " (NOTE the space after the colon and all capital letters) and then giving the appropriate letter.
Important Notes:
You have to save the file in a text format. Importing as a Word document will not work.
Non-ASCII characters like 'quotes' can cause import errors. To avoid this always save your text file in UTF-8 format (most text editors, even Word, will ask you).
- The answer letters (A,B,C etc.) and the word "ANSWER" must be capitalized as shown below, otherwise the import will fail.
Examples:
What is the correct answer to this question?
A. Is it this one?
B. Maybe this answer?
C. Possibly this one?
D. Must be this one!
ANSWER: D
What color is the sky?
A) Blue
B) Red
C) Green
D) Purple
E) Black
F) Orange
ANSWER: A
Saving in .TXT or UTF-8 File Formats:
- Complete the questions using Microsoft Word, following the directions above.
- In Word, choose File, Save As.
- In the “Save as type” drop down menu choose “Plain Text.”
- In the “File Conversion” pop-up box choose “Other encoding” and Unicode (UTF-8).
- Press OK.
Hints:
- To add these questions to a quiz, use the “+ from Question bank” option in the Add menu of the quiz. Directions can be found here: Importing Quiz Questions into OnCourse
Resources:
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