What are the different question types available in Blackboard?

There are 17 different question types available in Blackboard. Click on the question type to learn how to create them. Further information about each of these question types and good practice guidance when creating and using them is available: Good practice guide for Blackboard question types.

Calculated Formula.  Use this question type when you would like the variables within a formula to be randomly generated for each student. The variable range is created by specifying a minimum value and a maximum value for each variable.

Calculated Numeric. Use this question type when you would like the student to enter a number to complete a statement.

Boolean (Either/Or). Use this question type when you would like the student to respond to a statement using pre-defined answer choices of Yes/No, Agree/Disagree, Right/Wrong, True/False.

Essay. Use this question type when you would like the student to type a longer response to a question. There is no difference between an Essay and a Short Answer type question: both require the student to type a response which must be manually graded.

File Response. Use this question type when you would like the student to upload a file from their local drive containing the response to a question. We would recommend that unless this forms part of a test containing other questions, you should create an assignment [link to article on online submission/assignments] if you would like students to submit their work online.

Fill in Multiple Blanks. Use this question type when you would like the student to input one or two words into text fields representing blanks within a statement.

Fill in the Blank. Use this question type when you would like the student to input one or two words into a text field representing a blank within a statement.

Hot Spot. Use this question type when you would like the student to click on a specific area or an image, diagram or chart to answer the question.

Jumbled Sentence. Use this question type when you would like the student to complete a statement using ‘pull-down’ lists from which they can choose the correct answer.

Matching. Use this question type when you would like the student to pair items (or sub-questions) in one column to items (or sub-answers) in another column.

Multiple Answer. Use this question when you would like the student to select multiple acceptable answers from a list to a set question

Multiple Choice. This is the most commonly used question type. Use this question type when you would like the student to select one answer to a set question.

Opinion Scale and Likert. Use this question type when you would like the student to indicate their attitude or reaction to a statement or question by selecting a pre-populated answer choices of ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘neither agree nor disagree’, ‘strongly disagree’ or ‘not applicable’. As this is an opinion-based question type, it is suited to surveying rather than testing students.

Ordering. Use this question type when you would like the student to designate a hierarchy or indicate the order for a list of items.

Quiz Bowl. Use this question type when you would like the student to provide a response expressed as a question to a clue provided in the form of an answer.

Short Answer. Use this question type when you would like the student to type a short response to a question. There is no difference between a Short Answer and an Essay type question: both require the student to type a response which must be manually graded.

True/False. Use this question type when you would like the student to indicate whether a statement or question is ‘true’ or ‘false’.