Test Options Explained

After you create a test or quiz, you must "deploy" the test so that your students may take it. To do so, you will need to review the Test Options available to you.

Create or Select the Test to Deploy 

1. When you have finished adding all the questions to the course, click Okay. 
2. Navigate to the location, or Content Area, in the course where you want your students to access the test. 
3. Click Assessments. 
   1. Choose Test.
      
      
      
      
4. Choose the name of a test you have already created or click Create to create a new test. 
5. Click Submit. 

Test Options 

Test Information 

1. Leave the Name field as is. 
2. If desired, enter a description of the test in Content Link Description. This description will display underneath the test link to students. 
3. Leave the Open test in new window option set to No. 
   
   
   

Test Availability 

1. Click Yes for Make the link available. Students will not be able to access the test unless you select Yes. If you are not yet ready for your students to see the test, you can manage the dates that it is available to students later. 
2. To notify students that a test has been added to the course, click Yes for Add a new announcement for this test. 
3. If you want to allow your students to take a test more than once, click Multiple Attempts. 
   1. If you want to allow students to take the test more than once, but only a set number of times, click Number of Attempts and type the total number of attempts students will be allowed. 
   2. If you want to allow students to take the test an unlimited number of times, click Allow Unlimited Attempts. 
   3. If you allow students more than one attempt to take a test, you must select an option from the Score attempts using list. This option tells Blackboard which of a student's scores is entered into the Grade Center for the test (e.g., their first attempt, their latest attempt, their highest score, etc.). 
      
      
4. Leave the Force Completion option unchecked. When enabled, students will have to complete the test in one sitting. They cannot close their browser and come back to complete the test. However, if a Blackboard outage or a momentary lapse in the student’s internet connection occurs, they will be removed from the test and you will have to manually reopen the test for them. 
5. If desired, you can set the length of time students have to complete a test by checking the Set Timer option. If the student encounters any technical issues or accidentally exits the test, the timer continues to count down, but students can reopen the test and continue. 
   1. Click Set Timer to enable the option.
   2. Type the number of minutes students have to complete the test. 
   3. If desired, click ON to enable the Auto-Submit option. This automatically submits the exam, whether students have completed it or not, at the end of the time you have set. When Auto-Submit is set to OFF, students can continue taking the test beyond the end of the time you have set. Both you the student and you will be notified that the student has gone beyond the time allowed for them to take the test. For tests that are automatically graded, a student’s extended attempt will show up in Needs Grading for your review. 
      
      
6. If desired, choose the date and time window during which your students can access the test. Note: The Make link available option when set to No will override your Display After and Display Until settings. 
7. If your students are required to complete an exam in a proctored setting, click Password and type an alphanumeric password for the proctor to use to open your test. Provide the password to the Testing Center. 

Test Availability Exceptions  

Use Test Availability Exceptions to provide student accommodations or to add or extend attempts for students when needed. For more information, see Blackboard Help's Test Availability Exceptions section.

Due Date 

Due Dates in Blackboard help keep students on track via the Calendar and Notifications features in Blackboard Learn and the Blackboard App. If you allow students to take a test past the due date, the Blackboard Grade Center will mark the submission as late. 

1. Click Due Date to enable the Due Date feature.  
2. Click the Date Selection Calendar to choose a date. 
3. Click the Time Selection Menu to choose a time. 
4. To prevent students from taking a test after the due date has passed, click the Do not allow students to start the Test if the due date has passed option. Note: You can also manage student access to a test with the Display After / Display Until options.
   
   
   

Self-Assessment Options 

1. Keep the Include this Test in the Grade Center score calculations option checked if you want student test scores to be included in the Grade Center. 
2. If the test is for practice only, you can select the Hide results for this test completely from the instructor and the Grade Center option. If you select the option to hide the results, you will never be able to see student attempts, nor will you be able to see their scores.  Important note: You will not be able to go back later and change this option without clearing out all student attempts.  

Show Test Results and Feedback to Students 

In the Show Test Results and Feedback to Students section, you can decide whether students are able to see the results of their test and when. You can allow students to see the answers they submitted, answers to all questions, answers to the questions they got wrong, and additional options. This is also the place to make any feedback you included in the test visible to students. For more information about each of the options, review Blackboard Help's Results and Feedback Options section.

Test Presentation 

1. In the Test Presentation section, it is recommended that you choose All at Once. The One at a Time can negatively  affect students using a slow internet connection as they will have to wait for each question to load in Blackboard. This can significantly cut down on the amount of time a student has to take the test. If you do decide to display questions to students one at a time, you may also choose to check Prohibit Backtracking which prevents students from going back to look at previous questions, or to change their answers. 
2. Check the Randomize Questions option to present the questions in a random order to each student to help maintain integrity. If you have provided students multiple attempts, the questions will be in a different order each time they take the test. 
3. Click Submit to save your selections and deploy the test.