Blackboard Test Settings Explained
These instructions will explain the test options that are presented to you when you deploy a test to a course content area or when you wish to update the test options for a test that has already been deployed.
Test Information
Name - This is the title of your test.
Content Link Description - This is the text students will see in the learning unit where you place the link to the test. Be sure you include all information students need to know before they sit down to begin the exam, such as whether they are allowed to use notes/books, how much time they will have, etc. You may also want to use this space to recommend that they ensure they are on a secure, stable internet connection before beginning the exam.
Open Test in New Window - This setting will open the test in a new browser window. The recommended setting for this is “No”.
Test Availability
Make Available to Students - If this is set to “No”, students will not be able to see the link to the exam. You can manually change this to “Yes” at any time. If you want to only allow students to have access to the exam during a certain time period you can change this to “Yes” and then use the “Display Dates” to manage the time frame it should be available (see below).
Add a new announcement for this test - This option will create a new announcement informing students that a new test has been created. The recommended setting for this is “No”.
Multiple Attempts - Use this setting if you wish to allow students multiple or unlimited test attempts. If you check the Multiple Attempts box, you should also update the “Score Attempts Using” area below it. This area allows you to select how the grading should be done when students have more than one test attempt.
Force Completion - Force completion prevents the student from navigating back out of the test. Attempting to navigate out of the test will cause the test to auto-submit.
Warning: Force completion can cause complications if a student is on an unstable internet connection. If the internet connection is interrupted the exam will auto-submit and the score will be based on the questions the student has already completed. Students cannot resume a test attempt that has been submitted.
Timer - Use this setting to set a time limit for the test.
Auto-Submit - When a time has been set, Auto-Submit will automatically submit the test when time runs out and the score will be based on the questions the student has already completed. The student will not be able to make changes. If Auto-Submit is not checked, when the timer runs out the student will still be able to continue with the test and make changes, but the instructor will see that they went over-time.
Display Dates - Display dates can be used to limit when the link to access the test is available to students. When using this setting, we recommend making the link available one hour before and one hour after when the test is set to be taken.
Important! Display Dates and times are Eastern Time Zone. They do not auto-adjust for a student’s local time. For example, if you set the test to be available beginning at 11AM, this is 11AM Eastern Time. A student in California will not see that test available until 2PM PT.
Password - You can set a password on the exam that students must use in order to access it. This is also a good way to control when students can access the exam if you don’t want them to gain access until a certain time. Instructors can set a password and not provide that password until the day of the exam.
Test Availability Exceptions
Test availability exceptions can be used for students who require special accommodations such as multiple attempts, double time, or a different testing window than the other students. You can create exceptions for individual students or for entire groups (if groups have been set up in your course).
Due Date Settings
Set a due date for the test. This date will appear to students on the course calendar and on their personal devices if they sync the course calendar to their devices.
If you don’t want students to be able to take the test after the due date has passed, select the box “Do not allow students to start the Test if the due date has passed”.
Important! Due Dates and times are Eastern Time Zone. They do not auto-adjust for a student’s local time. For example, if you set the test to be due by noon, this is noon Eastern Time.
Self-Assessment Options
Include this Test in Grade Center score calculations - If this test is graded and counts toward the course total and final grade, make sure this box is checked. If this test should be graded, but only for learning purposes and does not count toward the course total and final grade, you can uncheck this box.
Hide results for this test completely from the instructor and the Grade Center - if this test is entirely for self-assessment purposes and you wish to ensure students know the results are private, you can check this box to hide the results from all instructors. Selecting this box will automatically uncheck the option to include the test in the grade center calculations.
Test Results and Feedback Settings
This area controls what feedback students see and when. There are two feedback time options so you you can choose to show students different feedback at different times. An example of this would be to show them the questions they got wrong (but not the correct answers) when they complete the test and then to make the correct answers available after all test attempts have been graded.
When - You can choose to show students the question specific results of their test when they complete the test, at a particular date and time, when access to the test has ended, or after all tests have been submitted and graded.
Score per Question - This setting allows the students to see every question they were presented with in their test and whether they scored correctly or not.
All Answers - This option will show students all possible answer choices for each question.
Feedback - This option will show students the feedback text for each question. This is only useful if the instructor has added a correct answer and/or incorrect answer feedback response in each question.
Show Incorrect Questions - This question will show students the questions that they did not answer correctly.
Test Presentation
This setting controls whether students see all questions on the same page (scrolling down to see the next question) or whether they are presented with questions one at a time. For tests that contain questions that take up a lot of screen space, such as those presenting a case study or image, or for essay question tests, it is recommended that you select “One at a Time”.
Select the “Randomize Questions” box if you wish to randomize the order of all test questions.
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