Respondus Guide

Respondus is a software that helps upload test questions to Blackboard. Exams can be uploaded as Pools
or Tests, please see the differences between the two below.

Pools
When a pool is created, it can then be used to create a test or multiple tests using multiple pools.

 Questions can be randomized

 Points are not assigned to each question
 It is not included in the Grade Center
 It is not deployed in the course

Tests
 Default settings
o All questions will be randomized, answers will not be randomized, all questions will be
worth 1 point, all exams will be deployed in the first module of the learning units, all
exams will be included in the grade center.
 Randomized Questions
o By default, the questions will be randomized, meaning that the order in which the
questions appear will be randomized. If you don’t want them randomized, then please
specify.
 Randomized Answers
o Please specify if you want the order in which the answer appear to be randomized.
o Please note, however, if you some of the questions have the options “All of the above”
or “none of the above”, then it will be confusing for student if those options appear to
as the first option. Therefore, it is not advisable to randomize answers if some of the
questions have these options.
 Points
o All questions will have the same point value, 1 point each by default. If some questions
need a different point value, this will have to be fixed manually in Blackboard by the
faculty. Please note that we cannot tell Respondus that a test is worth 100 points, it can
only handle points per question not per exam.
 Deployment
o As a default, all tests will be deployed in a specific module and then they can be moved
around in the appropriate area of the course. If there are fewer than 10 tests, then the
tests can be deployed to their respective modules if you request it.
 Grade Center
o By default, the tests will be included in the grade center. If you don’t wish the test to be
included, then please specify,

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Formatting Questions

Multiple Choice
Required Elements (Multiple Choice)

Each question must begin with a question number, followed by either a period “.” or a parentheses “)”
and a space.

 Example: 3)
 Example: 3.

The question wording must follow the question number. (Note: at least one space should be between
the question number and the question wording.)

 Example: 3) Who determined the exact speed of light?

 Example: 3. Who determined the exact speed of light?

Important!! Each question needs to have a correct answer identified by an asterisk. Otherwise,
Respondus will assume that first answer option (e.g. option a ) to be the correct answer.

Each answer must begin with a letter (A-Z) followed by a period “.” or a parentheses “)”, a space, and
the answer wording.
 Example: 3) Who determined the exact speed of light?
a. Albert Einstein
*b. Albert Michelson
c. Thomas Edison
d. Guglielmo Marconi
e. Peter Coriolli
f. Ernest Fuller
g. Guillermo Casablanca

Note: There is no space between the asterisk and the letter of the correct answer. There has to be a
space between the period or parenthesis of each answer option and the answer wording.

True and False

Treat this type of question the same way as a multiple choice question. Make sure answer a is always
“True” and answer is “False”.

 Example: 1) An octopus has five hearts

A. True

*B. False

~An octopus has three hearts.

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Multiple Answers / Multiple Response
Multiple answers or multiple responses questions are also similar in formatting as the multiple choice
questions. The key difference is that before the question there needs to be a line indicating the type
(“Type: MA”). If this is missing, then Respondus will treat it as a multiple choice question and the option
with the first asterisk will be assigned as the only correct answer.

 Example:
Type: MA
1) Which of the following individuals are credited with determining the exact speed of light?
a. Albert Einstein
*b. Albert Michelson
*c. Edward Williams Morley
d. Thomas Edison

Matching
The process of importing a “matching” question is similar to what is described for importing multiple
choice questions, but there are some key differences. The first line of formatting must begin with “Type:
MT”. This is followed by the “title” (which is optional), the question number, a space, and the question
wording.

Each answer (which consists of both parts of a correct match) must begin with a letter (a-z) followed by
a period “.” or a parenthesis “)” and a space. The two parts of the match must be separated with an “=”
symbol and there should not be any hard returns or blank lines within either part of the answer. It
accepts up to 20 pairs.

 Example: Type: MT
Title: Scientific discoveries
4) Match the correct name to the discovery or theory.
a. Michelson-Morely = Speed of light
b. Einstein = Theory of Relativity
c. Marconi = radio waves

Note: Matching is treated as a single question with many options to match. A common mistake is to
make each option a separate question.

Example: Type: MT

Match the correct name to the discovery or theory.

1. Michelson-Morely = Speed of light
2. Einstein = Theory of Relativity
3. Marconi = radio waves

Note: If you want extra answers, meaning unmatched answers, you will have to add those manually in
Blackboard after uploading the quiz.

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Filling in the Blanks
Fill in the blank questions require students to enter a word, short phrase, or string of characters. Since a
computer automatically grades the answer, students must give an answer that exactly matches one of
the answers provided by the teacher. You are permitted to enter multiple forms of the correct answer.

First line of the question is Type: F

Question: Type the number, a period, a space, then the question text.

Answer: Type the letter a, a period, a space, then the answer. You can provide variations on the answer
that will be acceptable.

eg., sometimes there are variations of the correct answer (e.g. “United States of America”and “USA”).
You can include acceptable variations by simply adding each variation on a new line with a new letter

 Example:
Type: F
3. Who was president in 1983?
a. Reagan
b. Ronald Reagan
c. Ronald W. Reagan
d. Ronald Wilson Reagan

Essay / Short Answer

This question type allows a student to enter a paragraph or short phrase for the answer. A correct
answer can be entered for feedback purposes; however, the answer must still be graded manually in
Blackboard. If the “Short Answer” checkbox is selected, the size of the answer window can be specified
(up to six lines).

First line of the question is Type: E

Question: Type the number, a period, a space, then the question text.
Answer: Type the letter a, a period, a space, and then the answer to the question

NOTES:
 You do not have to include an answer for essay questions.
 Essay questions can also be short answer questions. To turn an essay question into a short-
answer question (slightly different format and presentation), you will need to edit the
question inside of Respondus and check the Publish as Short Answer instead of as Essay box

Example:

Type: E

3. How is color related to mood?

a. put the answer text here. (optional)

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General Feedback
General feedback can be imported by placing the tilde “~” symbol in front of the feedback for a correct
answer. The @ symbol can be used to indicate the feedback for incorrect answers. There must be at
least one space to the right of the ~and @ symbols and the text you want displayed for the feedback.
The feedback must appear before the answer choices.

 Example: 1) An octopus has five hearts

~Correct, an octopus has three hearts not five.

@No, an octopus has three hearts.

A. True

*B. False

To include a “title” or “feedback” with the Multiple Response questions use this format:

 Example: Type: MR
Title: Determining Speed of Light
1) Which of the following individuals are credited with determining the exact speed of light?

@ Albert Michelson and Edward Williams Morley collaborated on a series of experiments that
eventually led to the exact determination of the speed of light.

a. Albert Einstein
*b. Albert Michelson
*c. Edward Williams Morley
d. Thomas Edison

Assigning Points
You can change the default point value for all questions in the file menu (File > Preferences > Edit &
Publish > point value text box. )

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You can also add points to a specific group of questions.

Sample Questions
Multiple Choice (MC)

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 1. How many days are in a week?
*A. 7
B. 3
C. 10
D. 6

2. What is the sixth month of the year?

A. April

*B. June
C. August
D. July

3. Who determined the exact speed of light?

A. Albert Einstein

*B. Albert Michelson

C. Thomas Edison

D. Guglielmo Marconi

Matching (MT)

Type: MT

4. Fill in the Blank Directions: Complete the following 8 sentences with the phrase which best completes
the statement.

A. Senator Haynes asserted that the Union was merely a “league of nations” voluntarily held together,
while Daniel Webster asserted it was an indivisible nation during what has come to be called
__________________. = The Great Debate

B. The ______________________issued in 1863 was merely Lincoln’s way of punishing the Southern
States for not returning to the Union. = Emancipation Proclamation

C. The __________________abolished slavery across the nation. = 13th Amendment

Type: MT

5. Match the president with the year he took office.

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a. Reagan=1981

b. Nixon=1969

c. T. Roosevelt=1901

d. Lincoln=1861

Multiple Answers (MA)

Type: MA
6. Which of the following are primary colors?
*a. red
b. orange
*c. yellow
*d. blue
e. Purple
f. green

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