How to Create your Quizzes or Exams in Canvas

Canvas Quizzes are ideal for checking understanding, giving low-stakes practice, or delivering formal assessments. You can build simple or complex quizzes with a mix of auto-graded and manually graded questions. Follow the steps below to create your first quiz.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Go to Your Course

From your Canvas Dashboard, click the course where you'd like to create the quiz.

Click “Quizzes” in the Course Navigation Menu

Or navigate to Modules, click the + button, and select Quiz to add one directly into a module.

Click “+ Quiz”

Select “Classic Quizzes” (recommended for now unless your course is fully transitioned to New Quizzes).
- Classic Quizzes are easier for basic exams and commonly used at Trulaske.

Enter a Clear Title

Example: Week 3 Knowledge Check: Consumer Behavior

Add Instructions in the Rich Content Editor

Let students know:
- How many questions
- Time limit (if any)
- Whether they can retake the quiz
- Any specific expectations or allowed materials

Adjust Quiz Settings

Shuffle Answers – Randomizes multiple choice options (recommended).
Time Limit – Optional. Good for higher-stakes quizzes or exams.
Multiple Attempts – Enable if you want students to retry.
- Use for practice quizzes or mastery-based learning.
Let Students See Their Responses – Control feedback visibility.
- Uncheck for high-stakes exams to protect answers.
Quiz Restrictions – Optional. You can require an access code or restrict IP addresses for added security.

Set Grading Options

Select Graded Quiz
Choose an Assignment Group (e.g., Quizzes, Exams, Practice)
Decide how the score is displayed (points, percentage, complete/incomplete)

Add Questions

Click the “Questions” tab to build your quiz. You can:
- Add questions manually (multiple choice, true/false, essay, etc.)
- Use question banks for randomized questions
- Assign point values to each question

Set Due and Availability Dates

Due Date – When the quiz is due.
Available From / Until – When students can access the quiz.
- This controls visibility and enforces deadlines.

Save and Publish

Click “Save & Publish” to make the quiz live.
Click “Save” if you’re not ready to publish yet.

Considerations

Use low-stakes, auto-graded quizzes early to build confidence.
Limit attempts or restrict results for summative assessments.
Preview your quiz as a student to catch formatting or logic issues.
Reach out to the Trulaske Instructional Technologist for help with quiz banks, academic integrity, or accessibility.