Teachers can import quiz questions from files downloaded from a publisher's test bank, manually created question lists or exported from other iLearn classes.

Publisher test banks

Many publisher provide files in various types of formats that may be compatible with iLearn. If you are working with a publisher, it is recommended to ask them if their test banks come in Moodle, Blackboard or GIFT format. These are known formats that iLearn can accept imports from.

Manually created question list

Many teachers have question lists they have curated over years of teaching and/or used for old paper quizzes. Commonly these question lists are saved in Microsoft Word files. With some manipulation, these question lists can be imported into iLearn.

This is called the AIKEN format and it allows the import of multiple choice questions from a text file. In order for an AIKEN file to be imported successfully, all the questions must be properly formatted as seen below. This includes capitalization of certain items.

Aiken example

What type of animal is the SFSU mascot?
A. Flamingo
B. Alligator
C. Dolphin
D. Matador
ANSWER: B

What is the name of the SFSU mascot?
A. Karl the Fog
B. Emperor Norton
C. Cassandra Craft
D. Alli the Gator
E. Bob the Builder
F. The mascot has a name?!?!
ANSWER: D

Important notes on formatting:

• The question text must be all on one line.
• The answer choices (A, B, C, etc.) and the word "ANSWER" must be capitalized as shown.
• Each answer line must have a single uppercase letter, followed by a period '.' and a space.
• There is an empty line between the answer line and the question line of the following question.

Once your question list has been formatted correctly, save the file as a text file (.txt) with UTF-8 encoding. If you are unsure of how to do so, you can contact the iLearn Support Services team (ilearn@sfsu.edu).

Import test bank or question list

After you have obtained a publisher's test bank or created and formatted a manual question list, you can import the question file into iLearn.

1. From the course page, in the upper right corner, select the Edit icon (⚙) and select More...
2. On the Course administration tab, in the Question bank section, select Import.
3. In the File format section, select the type of file you will be importing.

   Note: If you are following the instructions from the Exporting questions guide, you will select Moodle XML Format. If you are importing a publisher's test bank or a manually created question list, you'll want to select the file type you have.

4. In the General section, in the Import category field, select the category you would like to add the questions to.

   Note: See the Create question categories support guide for more information on creating question categories.

5. Drag and drop the file containing the questions into the Import field.

   Note: If you are unable to drag and drop a file into that specific area, you can select the Choose a file/browse button to use the file picker to upload your file instead.

6. Select the Import button.

For additional assistance, contact Academic Technology: (415) 405-5555, at@sfsu.edu, LIB 80