How do I deploy a test in Blackboard?

You manage assessment availability on the Test Options page. There are a range of settings available that can be applied to tests, including number of permitted attempts, time limits, availability, password protection, and feedback and score release rules. Test Availability Exceptions can be used to provide different settings to individual or groups of students if they have learning contract requirements for example.

Step 1: Before you can deploy a test, you need to create the test and add it to a content area.

Step 2: (a) Use the recommended deployment options for whether you are setting up the test for:

Step 2: (b) Read the remainder of this article to learn more about the different deployment options available and choose the ones that best suit your test and conditions under which students will take it.

Step 3: Once deployed, students can complete the test. We do recommend that you try out the test as a student before your students attempt it [create link]. This will ensure that the test operates as you expect it to and get a feel for what your students will see and do. Once all students have completed the test, you can access the results in the Grade Centre.

Different deployment options and what they mean:

Make the Link Available. A new test does not appear to students until the setting is changed to Yes. Even when the link is available, you can use the Display After and Display Until options to limit the amount of time the link appears and the test is available for the students to take.

Multiple Attempts. The default is to allow a student to take a test only once. You can allow students to take a test an unlimited number of times, or specify the number of permitted attempts. By default the score from the latest attempt displays in Grade Centre to students in My Grades.

Score attempts using. Where multiple attempts are permitted you must choose which score is displayed in the Grade Centre and to students via My Grades, and used in any weighted calculations. The default is to use the score from the latest attempt (Last Graded Attempt), but you can also use the score from the first attempt (First Graded Attempt), or the highest, lowest or average grade from all attempts (Highest Grade, Lowest Grade or Average of Graded Attempts).

Force Completion. This setting ‘forces’ the students to complete the assessment the first time it is launched. As students cannot exit and resume the test, we never recommend that this setting is used especially with tests that do not allow multiple attempts. Students experiencing technical difficulties can lose their attempt, and if it is a single attempt test they won’t be able to continue until their attempt is reset by you.

Set Timer. This setting allows you to specify a time limit for finishing the test, and the time taken by each student is recorded. If you also select Auto-Submit, the test will be automatically saved and submitted when the time expires. During the test, the time elapsed is displayed to students.

Display After and Display Until. This setting allows you to automatically make the test available and/or unavailable to students at a specific date and time. You can manually control availability through the Make the Link Available option without setting specific dates. If you choose the Display After option the Make the Link Available option should still be set to Yes, otherwise the test will remain unavailable with the Display After time passes.

Password. You can optionally set and require students to enter a password to access the test. Passwords cannot be longer than 15 characters and are case sensitive.

Test Availability Exceptions. You can use the Test Availability Exceptions to select individual or groups of students and make a number of exceptions to those already applied to the test. You can use exceptions to accommodate students with specific learning contracts such as extra time without the administrative burden of creating multiple copies of the same test. Exceptions can be created for number of attempts, time allowed and the range of dates that the test is available. If conflicts in rules occur, the most permissive settings for that individual student or group of students is granted. For example, students would receive the greatest number of attempts, longest availability time.

Due Date. You can specify the date that the test must be taken by. Normally the Due Date is an indication to students when the test must be completed and any submissions made after that date are marked ‘Late’ when the attempt is viewed in the Grade Centre. You can prevent students from starting the test if the Due Date has passed, but attempts already in progress will continue beyond the Due Date.

Include this Test in Grade Centre Score Calculations. Checked, this option ensures test scores are included in Grade Centre calculations and weightings. Unchecked, this option prevents test scores being included in Grade Centre calculations and weightings.

Hide Results for this Test Completely from Instructor and Grade Centre. This option prevents you from ever seeing the students’ test scores, chosen responses or aggregated results. If you reverse this choice after the test has been taken, attempts already taken will be deleted.

Show Test Results and Feedback to Students. This setting enables you to choose when students are permitted to see results and feedback to that particular test. There are a range of rules that can be applied when you want students to see: their score, their actual attempt, only the questions they got correct or incorrect, and the feedback. You can choose to release this information at different times, including: immediately on submission of attempt, one-time only, on a specific date, after the Due Date, after the Availability End Date, or once all attempts have been graded. Further information about Show Test Results and Feedback.

Test Presentation. Use the All at Once option to present the entire Test on a single page. We recommend the All at Once setting as it enables students to look over the test and answer questions in any order that they choose as well as easily reviewing their answers prior to submission. The One at a Time option presents questions one a time with students required to navigate between questions. This can make it difficult for students to answer questions in any order or to easily review their answers. If you choose to display questions One at a Time, we advise against using the Prohibit Backtracking option as students will be required to answer the questions in the order that they are presented and they will not be able to return to any previously answered questions.

Randomise Questions. Questions will be presented in a random order for each student or each time a student takes a test where multiple attempts are permitted. If you wish to randomise the order of questions but keep sets of questions on similar topics together in the test, use Random Blocks. Further information about Question Pools and Random Blocks.

SH 13/10/22