This article explains how to take quizzes in the LMS and describes each question type you may encounter. It also provides a reference for administrators configuring quiz activities.
What is a Quiz?
The Quiz activity lets administrators and course creators assess learner knowledge through a variety of question formats. Quizzes can be used for formal assessments, knowledge checks, surveys, and practice exercises.
Quizzes support automatic grading for most question types, a flexible question bank, timed attempts, and detailed reporting for managers and administrators.
Question Types Overview
The LMS supports the following question types. The table below summarises each type and whether grading is automatic or requires manual review by an instructor.
| Question Type | Description | Grading |
| Multiple Choice | Select one or more answers from a list | Automatic |
| True / False | Choose whether a statement is true or false | Automatic |
| Short Answer | Type a word or short phrase | Automatic |
| Numerical | Enter a number, with optional tolerance range | Automatic |
| Essay | Write a free-text response | Manual |
| Matching | Match items in one list to items in another | Automatic |
| Drag and Drop | Drag items onto an image or into correct positions | Automatic |
| Select Missing Words | Choose words from drop-downs to complete a sentence | Automatic |
| Calculated | Answer a maths question with randomly substituted values | Automatic |
Multiple Choice
| Multiple Choice | Automatic Grading |
Multiple choice questions present a question or statement alongside a list of possible answers. Depending on how the question has been configured, learners may need to select one correct answer or multiple correct answers.
- Single answer: Options appear as radio buttons (circles). Selecting a new option automatically deselects the previous choice.
- Multiple answers: Options appear as checkboxes. Read the question carefully — it will usually indicate if more than one answer applies.
- Partial marks may be awarded for selecting some but not all correct answers, or marks may be deducted for incorrect selections, depending on how the quiz has been set up.
Example: "Which of the following are data protection principles under UK GDPR? (Select all that apply)"
☑ Lawfulness, fairness and transparency
☑ Storage limitation
☐ Unlimited retention
☑ Data minimisation
True / False
| True / False | Automatic Grading |
True/False questions present a statement and ask the learner to indicate whether it is true or false. This is the simplest question type and always has exactly two options.
- True: Select if the statement is correct.
- False: Select if the statement is incorrect.
- The learner must make a selection before moving on — there is no option to leave this blank.
Example: "A fire extinguisher labelled with a red label contains water." ( ) True ( ) False
Short Answer
| Short Answer | Automatic Grading |
Short answer questions require the learner to type a word, phrase, or brief response into a text box. The system compares the answer against a list of acceptable answers set by the question author.
- Spelling must usually be exact, unless the question has been configured to accept common variations.
- Capitalisation may or may not matter — check the question for any guidance.
Example: "What term describes the process of converting data into a coded format to prevent unauthorised access?"
Answer: Encryption
Numerical
| Numerical | Automatic Grading |
Numerical questions require the learnerto enter a number as their answer. The question may include units and may allow a tolerance range so that answers within a certain margin are still accepted as correct.
- Enter only the number — do not include units unless the question specifically asks for them.
- Use a decimal point (not a comma) for decimal numbers, e.g. 3.14 not 3,14.
- If a tolerance is applied, values within that range will receive full marks.
Example: "A room measures 6 metres by 4.5 metres. What is its area in square metres?"
Answer: 27
Essay
| Essay | Manual Grading |
Essay questions require the learner to write a longer free-text response. Because the answer is open-ended, essay questions cannot be graded automatically — an instructor or assessor must review and grade their response manually.
- A rich text editor may be provided, allowing the learner to format their response with headings, bullet points, and bold or italic text.
- Some essay questions may allow the learner to attach files (e.g. a PDF or Word document) in addition to, or instead of, typed text.
- The learner's quiz score will be marked as pending until the essay has been graded. They may receive a notification when grading is complete.
- It is good practice for the question to give guidance on word count or specific instructions about what the response should cover.
Matching
| Matching | Automatic Grading |
Matching questions present a list of items in the left column, each paired with a drop-down list of possible matches on the right. The learner's task is to correctly match each item on the left to its corresponding answer on the right.
- The drop-down options on the right are the same for every row — the learner must choose the correct one for each item.
- The same answer may be used more than once, or some answers may not be used at all, depending on the question setup.
- Each correctly matched pair is worth a portion of the total marks for the question.
Example: "Match each fire extinguisher colour to its contents."
Red label --> [Water]
Black label --> [CO2]
Cream label --> [Foam]
Drag and Drop
| Drag and Drop | Automatic Grading |
Drag and drop questions ask the learner to drag labelled items from a bank and drop them into the correct position on an image, diagram, or into marked drop zones within text. There are two common variants:
- Drag and drop onto image: The learner is shown an image with highlighted zones. Drag labels or images from a panel and drop them onto the correct part of the image.
- Drag and drop into text: A sentence or paragraph is shown with blank spaces. Drag words or phrases to fill the correct gaps.
- If the learner drops an item in the wrong place they can simply drag it again to reposition it.
- On touch-screen devices, the learner should tap and hold an item before dragging it to the correct location.
- Unused items in the bank are not automatically incorrect — some questions include distractor items.
Select Missing Words
| Select Missing Words | Automatic Grading |
Select missing words questions display a sentence or paragraph with one or more gaps, each replaced by a drop-down menu. The learner's task is to select the most appropriate word or phrase from each drop-down to complete the text correctly.
- Each drop-down is independent — changing one selection does not affect others.
- Marks are awarded for each correctly filled gap.
Example: "Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, it is the responsibility of the [employer] to ensure a safe working environment for all [employees]."
Calculated
| Calculated | Automatic Grading |
Calculated questions are similar to numerical questions, but the values within the question are randomly generated each time. This means each learner — or each attempt — may see different numbers, even though the underlying formula or method being tested is the same.
- Read the question carefully — identify what formula or approach is needed, then substitute the values shown.
- A tolerance range is usually applied, so minor rounding differences are typically still accepted.
- Use a decimal point for decimal values, e.g. 4.75 rather than 4,75.
- Learners should not include currency symbols or units in their answer unless specifically instructed to do so.
Example: "A worker earns £13.50 per hour and works 37 hours per week. What is their gross weekly pay?"
Answer: 499.50(Values vary per attempt — this is an example only)
Results and Feedback
Once a learner has submitted their quiz, the LMS will display a results page. What they see depends on how the quiz has been configured by the administrator:
- Marks / Score: Their score, often shown as a percentage and/or as marks out of the total available.
- Pass or Fail: If a passing grade has been set, learners will see whether they have passed or need to reattempt.
- Question review: Depending on settings, they may be able to see which questions they answered correctly or incorrectly, along with the correct answers and any feedback.
- Overall feedback: A general message may appear based on their grade band.
Multiple attempts
If the quiz allows more than one attempt, learners can start a new attempt from their quiz page after reviewing their results. The grade recorded in their course may reflect their highest attempt, their average, or their most recent attempt — this is set by the administrator.
Key Quiz Settings
This section is for course administrators and managers configuring quiz activities in the LMS.
| Setting | Description |
| Time limit | Set a countdown timer for the attempt. When time expires, the attempt is auto-submitted. |
| Number of attempts allowed | Set to Unlimited or a specific number (1–10). Controls how many times a learner can attempt the quiz. |
| Grading method | When multiple attempts are allowed: Highest grade, Average grade, First attempt, or Last attempt. |
| Shuffle questions | Randomises the order of questions each time the quiz is attempted. Useful for reducing answer sharing. |
| Shuffle within questions | Randomises the order of answer choices within individual questions (applies to multiple choice and matching). |
| How questions behave | Controls interaction style: Deferred feedback (standard), Immediate feedback, Interactive with multiple tries, etc. |
| Review options | Determines what learners can see after submission: marks, correct answers, specific feedback, and general feedback. |
| Pass grade | Set a minimum percentage required to mark the quiz as passed. Integrates with course completion criteria. |
| Question bank | Questions can be drawn from a shared question bank and randomised per category, allowing each attempt to present a unique set. |
| Safe Exam Browser | Optionally enforce use of Safe Exam Browser (SEB) for controlled assessment environments. |