Classic Quizzes v. New Quizzes 

Quizzes in Canvas are assignments that can be used to assess student understanding and comprehension of course material. The quiz tool is used to create and administer online quizzes and surveys. Quizzes can also be used to conduct and moderate exams and assessments, both graded and ungraded. 

Canvas is currently in a transition from “Classic Quizzes” and “New Quizzes.” Ultimately, all schools will move to New Quizzes in the coming years; however, New Quizzes is still in development, so it is temporarily missing some key features that some of our faculty need. With this in mind, we encourage you to review the documentation below and see if New Quizzes meets your needs right now. If you need features that are only supported in Classic quizzes, then build in Classic Quizzes for now. In the future, there will be robust tools to migrate classic quizzes to new quizzes. 

Important 

Canvas has four different types of quizzes: 

  1. A graded quiz is the most common quiz and rewards students points based on their quiz responses. 
  2. A practice quiz is a learning tool to see how well users understand course material without providing a grade. 
  3. A graded survey rewards students with points for completing a survey but grading is not based on right or wrong answers. 
  4. An ungraded survey obtains opinions or other information without providing a grade. 

How does Canvas differ from Blackboard? 

  • Canvas does not have these four question types: Jumbled Sentence, Quiz Bowl, Hot Spot and Ordering 
  • In Classic Quizzes, individual question responses cannot be randomized at a question level.  This setting is only at the quiz level and applies to all questions.  Exams with questions including responses like “all of the above” or “none of the above” should not have the “SHUFFLE ANSWERS“ option selected in the quiz settings. 
  • All quizzes will display the score to students are part of the feedback 
  • Once a quiz is published, you cannot change a question and re-grade. 
  • Canvas has a new question type called Multiple dropdowns. 
  • Canvas has the ability to assign a grade to students who completed a survey. 
  • It is easy in Canvas to adjust the quiz availability for different sections in a combined course. 

How to use – Canvas instructions 

Guides 

Creating and Deploying New Quizzes

323 – New Quizzes Overview from Instructure Canvas Community on Vimeo.

Classic Quizzes

304 – Quizzes Overview from Instructure Canvas Community on Vimeo.

Best Practices and Accessibility 

Canvas enables instructors to apply accommodations for students.