Creating an Assessment from a Pool

1. Select the Course Tools section in the Control Panel, then click Tests, Surveys, and Pools on the expanded menu.

Courses tools menu

2. Depending on the type of assessment being created, click either the Tests or Surveys link on the Tests, Surveys, and Pools page. Tests will be used for this example.

Tests link

3. Click the Build Test button.

4. Assign the test name, along with a description and instructions, as needed. Hit Submit to continue to the Test Canvas.

5. Click the Reuse Question button. Here you can choose between selecting which questions to use from a pool, or to create a random block. When using a random block, the system will randomly pull a set number of questions from the pool for each attempt, potentially creating unique exams for all users.

Reuse questions menu

First, we will examine the steps required to manually select questions from a pool.

  • Choose Find From a Pool or Test from the Reuse Question menu.
     
  • Select the pool or test to search for questions.
     
  • Select the question types to choose from. You can select all types, or specify question types, as desired.
     
  • Assign a point value for all questions. You can also choose to use the point values already established within a test, if you choose to reuse questions from a test.  

    Blackboard does not allow for assigning points to questions in a pool. You see the “Use the point values currently assigned to the questions’ option under section 3 of the Search Pools and Tests page, since you can also reuse questions available in another test within the same course, which most likely have a point value assigned to them already.
     
  • Click the Search button to select the questions to include in the assessment.
     
  • Select the checkboxes for any questions to be used in the test. When all appropriate questions have been selected, click the Add Selected button. The pool questions will now be listed on the Test Canvas.

Adding questions from the pool

Now we will cover the process of adding a random block.

  • Choose Create Random Block from the Reuse Question menu.
     
  • Select the Pool from which questions will be drawn.
     
  • Select the question type to search. You can select all types, or specify question types, as desired.
     
  • Designate the number of questions to import. For example, if you choose to import 30 questions from a 40 question pool, each test attempt will draw 30 questions from the pool at random, with no questions repeated within any individual attempt.
     
  • Assign a point value per question.

    Random Block
     
  • Click the Import button to create the random block and return to the test canvas. The random block will be listed, including such information as the source pool, question types drawn, number of questions drawn, and the point value per question.

Random block displayed in Test Canvas