Formatting your Microsoft Word Assessment for Transition to Blackboard (How-to)

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In order to have your written assessment transferred from a Word document into an online assessment using Respondus 4.0, you need to follow some formatting guidelines based on the question type (multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and essay questions). Additional instructions are linked to the right.

Once you have your document ready to be transferred to Blackboard, you'll submit a Word to Blackboard Assessment Conversion request.

For Multiple Choice Questions

1. Required Formatting

  1. Each question must be numbered, followed by either a period or a parentheses.
    • Example: 3) or 3.
  2. The question wording must follow the question number and include one space between the question number and the wording.
    • Example: 3) Who determined the exact speed of light? or 3. Who determined the exact speed of light?
  3. The answers must be lettered, followed either by a period or a parentheses
    • Example: a) Albert Einstein or a. Albert Einstein

2. Optional Elements

  1. A title can be imported with each question. If a title is not provided, the first 20 characters from the question wording will be used as the title. It must start with Title:
    • Example: Title: Speed of Light
  2. Correct answers can be indicated by either an asterisk * right before the correct option or by a list at the end of the assessment. 
    • Example: *b) Albert Michelson or at the end of the assessment with Answers:
  3. Feedback on correct or incorrect responses can be given. For correct responses use the tilde ~ and for incorrect ones, the @ symbol.
    • Example: ~ Yes. Albert Michelson won the Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the exact speed of light. or @ No. The correct answer is Albert Michelson, who won the 1907 Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the exact speed of light.

For True/False Questions

1. Required Formatting

  1. Each question must be numbered, followed by either a period or a parentheses.
    • Example: 3) or 3.
  2. The question wording must follow the question number and include one space between the question number and the wording.
    • Example: 3) Who determined the exact speed of light? or 3. Who determined the exact speed of light?
  3. The answers must be lettered, followed either by a period or a parentheses
    • Example: a) Albert Einstein or a. Albert Einstein

2. Optional Elements

  1. A title can be imported with each question. If a title is not provided, the first 20 characters from the question wording will be used as the title. It must start with Title:
    • Example: Title: Speed of Light
  2. Correct answers can be indicated by either an asterisk * right before the correct option or by a list at the end of the assessment. 
    • Example: *b) Albert Michelson or at the end of the assessment with Answers:
  3. Feedback on correct or incorrect responses can be given. For correct responses use the tilde ~ and for incorrect ones, the @ symbol.
    • Example: ~ Yes. Albert Michelson won the Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the exact speed of light. or @ No. The correct answer is Albert Michelson, who won the 1907 Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the exact speed of light.

For Fill in the Blank Questions

1. Required Formatting

  1. Each question must be numbered, followed by either a period or a parentheses.
    • Example: 3) or 3.
  2. The question wording must follow the question number and include one space between the question number and the wording.
    • Example: 3) Who determined the exact speed of light? or 3. Who determined the exact speed of light?
  3. The answers must be lettered, followed either by a period or a parentheses
    • Example: a) Albert Einstein or a. Albert Einstein

2. Optional Elements

  1. A title can be imported with each question. If a title is not provided, the first 20 characters from the question wording will be used as the title. It must start with Title:
    • Example: Title: Speed of Light
  2. Correct answers can be indicated by either an asterisk * right before the correct option or by a list at the end of the assessment. 
    • Example: *b) Albert Michelson or at the end of the assessment with Answers:
  3. Feedback on correct or incorrect responses can be given. For correct responses use the tilde ~ and for incorrect ones, the @ symbol.
    • Example: ~ Yes. Albert Michelson won the Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the exact speed of light. or @ No. The correct answer is Albert Michelson, who won the 1907 Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the exact speed of light.

For Essay Questions

1. Required Formatting

  1. Each question must be numbered, followed by either a period or a parentheses.
    • Example: 3) or 3.
  2. The question wording must follow the question number and include one space between the question number and the wording.
    • Example: 3) Who determined the exact speed of light? or 3. Who determined the exact speed of light?
  3. The answers must be lettered, followed either by a period or a parentheses
    • Example: a) Albert Einstein or a. Albert Einstein

2. Optional Elements

  1. A title can be imported with each question. If a title is not provided, the first 20 characters from the question wording will be used as the title. It must start with Title:
    • Example: Title: Speed of Light
  2. Correct answers can be indicated by either an asterisk * right before the correct option or by a list at the end of the assessment. 
    • Example: *b) Albert Michelson or at the end of the assessment with Answers:
  3. Feedback on correct or incorrect responses can be given. For correct responses use the tilde ~ and for incorrect ones, the @ symbol.
    • Example: ~ Yes. Albert Michelson won the Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the exact speed of light. or @ No. The correct answer is Albert Michelson, who won the 1907 Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the exact speed of light.
NOTE: More detailed information on these question types and more can be found in the instructions attached to the right.
 
 

Details

Details

Article ID: 109556
Created
Wed 6/10/20 10:04 AM
Modified
Thu 11/13/25 12:32 PM

Related Services / Offerings

Related Services / Offerings (1)

Word to Blackboard Assessment Conversion
Request conversion of a Word-formatted assessment into a Blackboard test. (Faculty/Staff only)

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Instructions for formatting Word Assessments.docx Computer

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