New Quizzes is the next generation of assessment tool developed by Canvas. On this page we provide an overview of the main features of New Quizzes.
- The differences between Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes
In addition to a modified interface, there are several new features and distinctions which we have outlined below. You can also consult this Comparison Table created by Instructure, which goes into more detail on the differences between the old and new tool.
New Question Types
The added types of questions are Stimulus, Ordering, Categorization, and Hot Spot.Practice Quiz options
While New Quizzes does not offer an explicit practice quiz option, similar features can be approximated through settings such as "do not mark this assignment towards the final grade” and setting quizzes to 0 points. For more information, please visit our FAQ, “How do I create practice quizzes in New Quizzes?”Item Banks
New Quizzes use Item Banks rather than Question Banks. For more information on Item Banks, please visit the Item Banks topics on our FAQ page.‘Reopen Quiz’ Option
This feature, found in the Moderate Tab, will allow students back into their most recent attempt to pick up where they left off. Questions already responded to will still be recorded, and students will have whatever time was left to complete the attempt. For more on this feature and its usage, please consult the Instructure guide on moderating student quiz attempts.‘Require Time Between Attempts’ option for quizzes with multiple attempts
This function prompts students to wait an allotted period before taking their next attempt. It is beneficial for topic mastery, for example, as it encourages them to further review material. It can be found in the Settings Tab for quizzes with multiple attempts.‘Build on last attempt’ option for quizzes with multiple attempts
This feature is available for quizzes with multiple attempts and can be found in the Settings Tab. When enabled, students can retake quizzes and only view questions they answered incorrectly. All other questions are hidden. They are allowed to retry incorrectly answered questions until all questions are deemed correct or until they exhaust their allowed attempts. If all questions are answered correctly, students cannot reattempt the quiz. For instructions on enabling and utilizing this feature, please refer to this Instructure blog post that describes the 'Build on last attempt' option.Duplication of a quiz and quiz questions
New Quizzes offers a convenient one-click option to duplicate quizzes. The original New Quiz can be duplicated as many times as necessary. Additionally, upon duplication, the word 'Copy' is appended to the end of the quiz name, and subsequent copies are numbered. For further guidance on duplicating quizzes, please refer to the Instructure guide on duplicating New Quizzes. You can also duplicate an individual question inside a quiz.Answer shuffling and position locking
In Classic Quizzes, answer shuffling applies to all questions or none. In New Quizzes, you can enable this on a question-by-question basis or apply it to all quiz questions. Additionally, for multiple-choice and multiple-answer questions, you can choose to shuffle choices and lock the location of specific answers (for choices like “all of the above” or “none of the above”).More granular control over student quiz result view
In the Settings Tab under “Restrict student result view,” you will find more granular options on what to display to students when they see their results. For more information on the available options, please see our FAQ, “How do I restrict students from viewing quiz results in New Quizzes?”Added features to different question types
- For multiple answer and matching question types, you can choose to grade with partial credit or exact match.
- Essay questions can include an embedded spell checker, word counter, word minimum or maximum limit, calculator, and rich content editor. You can also include grading notes for an essay question, which will appear alongside the question to assist you when evaluating student responses. More information on the added features in essay question types can be found in the Instructure guide to creating essay questions.
- Fill-in-the-blank questions allow for open text entry, dropdown, or word bank. For open entry answer types, you can choose from the following text match options: contains, close enough, regular expression match, exact match, and specify correct answers. For the word bank option, you can allow students to drag/drop answers to blanks. Instructure has created a detailed explanation on the different configuration options for fill-in-the-blank questions.
Time Accommodations
All time accommodations are managed on the Moderate Tab. For more details on this topic, please see our FAQ, "How do I add accommodations and/or moderate quizzes for a student in my quiz?"- Quiz Details and Settings
New Quiz Example
This video guide provides a preview of a New Quiz, including each of the new question types that are available.Quiz Details Page
The initial page looks like the page in Classic Quizzes with subtle distinctions. For example, you can now edit the total points for the quiz and add a Rubric on this page. Also, instead of navigating through the “Details” and “Questions” Tabs, you'll click on the "Build" button once you've inputted your quiz details. This action will launch the New Quizzes interface, allowing you to start editing your quiz. Instructure has provided a detailed walkthrough of the quiz details page.Quiz Settings Tab
From the Settings menu, you can shuffle questions, shuffle answers, display one question at a time, require an access code, set a time limit, filter IP addresses, allow an on-screen calculator (Basic or Scientific), allow clearing selection for multiple choice questions, allow multiple attempts, and restrict student result view. If multiple attempts are allowed, New Quizzes allows you to add a waiting period between attempts or enable the build on last attempt option. An explanation of each setting can be found in the Instructure guide to managing settings in New Quizzes.- Instructional Considerations
While New Quizzes introduces innovative features, it differs from Classic Quizzes in ways that may affect how faculty members utilize it. We've outlined these distinctions below.
It is also advisable to exercise caution when considering New Quizzes for courses or departments heavily reliant on Question Banks. This is because New Quizzes and its migration process are still relatively new and sometimes produce unexpected results. These issues occur particularly in courses with an abundance of Question Banks and embedded files or images inside quiz questions.
If you won't be hampered by the tool's current differences, are creating quizzes from scratch, or simply want to experiment with the features for a quiz, consider giving New Quizzes a try.
Consulting the Instructor New Quizzes Readiness Checklist provided by Instructure is a great starting point for learning about the tool and its functionalities.
Time Accommodations
While the Quiz Extension Tool found in Instructor Tools remains functional for Classic Quizzes, this tool is not yet compatible with New Quizzes. However, time accommodations can be set for all New Quizzes within the course from within the Moderate Tab of any New Quiz. For more details on this topic, please see our FAQ, "How do I add accommodations and/or moderate quizzes for a student in my quiz?"Accessibility
Hotspot and Ordering question types present challenges for students who use screen readers or rely on keyboard navigation. If you have specific questions regarding Canvas accessibility, feel free to request a consultation with an Instructional Designer.Point totals at the quiz and question level
New Quizzes allows setting point totals at both quiz and question levels, defaulting to the assignment level for grading if totals differ. For example, if you set the points on the assignment details page to 50 and create a quiz with 10 questions each worth 1 point, the quiz has a total of 10 points, but is worth 50 points when graded. If a student answers 9 questions correctly, their quiz score is 9/10 (90%). However, their final score in the Gradebook will be 45/50 (90%).Partial credit
New Quizzes allow partial credit for Multiple Answer, Multiple Choice, and Matching question types. It does not offer this functionality for Categorization, Fill-in-the-Blank, Hot Spot, Formula, Numeric, or Ordering question types.Item Banks function differently than Question Banks
Users need to familiarize themselves with Item Banks, as they work a bit differently than Classic Quizzes Question Banks. Question Banks do not automatically convert into Item Banks. For more information on Item Banks, please see our FAQ, “How do I convert Question Banks to Item Banks?”Text (no question) question type from Classic Quizzes is unavailable in New Quizzes
There is not yet the capability to generate independent text blocks. The stimulus question type can be used as a workaround, but it must have at least one question attached to it. Therefore, when "Text (no question)" question types are migrated from Classic Quizzes to New Quizzes, they convert as stimuli, but a question must be manually added to it for it to display.No Student Analysis Report CSV
New Quizzes currently does not provide a downloadable Student Analysis report. This feature is projected to be added by the first quarter of 2025.Designer Role cannot create or edit New Quizzes
The Designer role does not have the ability to create or edit assessments made in New Quizzes. They can edit the assignment details.No option to add additional time to an active quiz.
Granting extra time for an ongoing quiz attempt is not currently possible. Instead, you will need to work with the student to either reopen their previous attempt or offer them an additional quiz attempt. This feature is projected to be added by the end of 2024.No Survey option within New Quizzes
Until this feature becomes available, we recommend using Classic Quizzes or other features outside of Canvas, such as Microsoft Forms or Google Forms, for student surveys.- Migrating quizzes from Classic Quizzes to New Quizzes
Classic Quizzes can be converted into New Quizzes individually using the "Migrate" feature. For more information on the migrating process, please see our FAQ, "How do I convert Classic Quizzes into New Quizzes?"
- The transition timeline from Classic Quizzes to New Quizzes
Canvas continuously updates the New Quizzes timeline on their website. To view the timeline, please visit the Instructure Roadmap. Please note that there is currently no timeline in place to sunset Classic Quizzes.
For more information about New Quizzes, including product updates, discussions, questions, roadmap, and feedback, please visit the New Quizzes Hub.