Managing the Question Bank

Published on: 2026-01-04 by Edufide

The Question Bank is a powerful central repository for all your quiz questions. Build your question library once and reuse questions across multiple quizzes, courses, and semesters. With support for Moodle-compatible question formats and advanced features like AI-powered essay grading, the Question Bank makes quiz creation efficient and scalable.

🌟 Question Bank Highlights
  • Reusable Questions: Create once, use in multiple quizzes—updates sync automatically.
  • Moodle Compatible: Import questions directly from Moodle XML or MBZ backup files.
  • Category Organization: Group questions by topic, chapter, difficulty, or any structure you prefer.
  • AI Essay Grading: Automatically grade essay responses with customizable AI rubrics.
  • Advanced Math Support: STACK questions with full computer algebra system integration.
  • Rich Content: Questions support images, formatted text, equations, and multimedia.
Contents:

Accessing the Question Bank

From the Online Quiz dashboard, click on the Question Bank tab. This opens your question repository where you can create, edit, organize, and import questions.

The Question Bank interface shows:

  • Category Tree: Navigate your question categories on the left side
  • Question List: View questions in the selected category
  • Search: Quickly find questions by name or content
  • Action Buttons: Create new questions, import files, or manage categories

đź’ˇ Tip: The Question Bank is shared across all quizzes in the same activity. Any question you create can be added to multiple quizzes, and edits to a question automatically update all quizzes using it.

Adding New Questions

Creating questions in Assign2 is straightforward. Each question type has a specialized editor tailored to its needs.

1.

Click the Create new question button (+ icon) in the Question Bank toolbar.

2.

Select the question type you wish to create from the popup menu. Each type is designed for different assessment needs.

3.

Fill in the question details using the rich editor:

  • Question Name: An internal identifier (students see the question text, not this name). Use descriptive names like “Ch5-Q3-Photosynthesis” for easy organization.
  • Question Text: The actual question students will see. Supports rich text formatting, images, equations (using LaTeX), and embedded media.
  • Default Mark: The point value for this question. Can be adjusted when adding to individual quizzes.
  • General Feedback: Optional explanation shown to students after submission (based on your review settings).
  • Answers/Choices: Define possible answers with their grades (e.g., 100% for correct, 0% or negative percentages for incorrect).
4.

Configure feedback options—you can provide specific feedback for each answer choice to help students understand why an answer is correct or incorrect.

5.

Click Save changes to add the question to your bank. It’s immediately available to add to any quiz.

ℹ️ Pro Tip: Use the question preview feature to see exactly how students will view your question before adding it to a quiz.

Supported Question Types

Assign2 supports a comprehensive range of question types, all fully compatible with Moodle’s question format. This means you can import existing questions from Moodle and they’ll work seamlessly.

Multiple Choice

The most versatile question type, supporting both single-answer and multiple-answer variations.

  • Single answer: Students select one correct answer from several options
  • Multiple answers: Students select all correct answers (partial credit possible)
  • Answer choices can be shuffled to prevent cheating
  • Supports images and formatted text in both questions and answer choices
  • Grading: Automatic—instant feedback available

True/False

A simplified multiple choice with exactly two options.

  • Quick to create—just enter the statement and select whether it’s true or false
  • Great for testing factual knowledge
  • Can include feedback explaining why the statement is true or false
  • Grading: Automatic

Short Answer

Students type a word or short phrase that’s compared against your model answers.

  • Supports multiple acceptable answers (e.g., “colour” and “color”)
  • Wildcards available for flexible matching (e.g., “photo*” matches “photosynthesis”, “photography”)
  • Case sensitivity can be enabled or disabled
  • Partial credit possible with different answers having different grade percentages
  • Grading: Automatic

Essay

Open-ended questions where students write longer responses. This is where Assign2 really shines with its AI Grading capability.

  • Supports plain text or rich text editor for student responses
  • Optional file attachments (e.g., for submitting diagrams or documents)
  • Configurable minimum/maximum word counts
  • Response templates can provide structure for students
  • Grading: Manual review OR AI Grading with customizable rubrics (see below)

Description

Not a question—informational content inserted between questions.

  • Display instructions, reading passages, or context for subsequent questions
  • Include images, tables, or embedded content
  • Useful for grouping related questions under a common scenario
  • Grading: N/A—no student response required

STACK (Advanced Mathematics)

Sophisticated mathematical questions powered by a computer algebra system (CAS).

  • Students enter mathematical expressions that are evaluated algebraically, not just textually
  • Recognizes equivalent forms (e.g., “x+1” equals “1+x”)
  • Supports randomized variables for unlimited question variants
  • Detailed feedback based on the mathematical properties of the answer
  • Ideal for calculus, algebra, physics, and engineering courses
  • Grading: Automatic via computer algebra system

💡 Migrating from Moodle? All question types above are fully compatible with Moodle’s question format. Import your existing question banks and they’ll work immediately.

Importing Questions

Already have questions in Moodle or another compatible system? Import them directly into Assign2 to save hours of manual recreation.

Supported Import Formats

  • Moodle XML (.xml): Export from Moodle’s Question Bank → Import directly to Assign2
  • Moodle Backup (.mbz): Full course or quiz backups with all questions and categories intact

How to Import

1.

Click the Upload button (📤 icon) in the Question Bank toolbar.

2.

Select your .xml or .mbz file from your computer.

3.

The system processes the file automatically, extracting:

  • All questions with their complete content
  • Category structure (folders and organization)
  • Answer options and feedback
  • Images and embedded media
4.

Review the imported questions in your Question Bank. They’re ready to add to quizzes immediately.

ℹ️ Note: Large MBZ files with hundreds of questions may take a few moments to process. You’ll see a progress indicator during import.

💡 Exporting from Moodle: In Moodle, go to Question Bank → Export → Select “Moodle XML format” → Choose your questions → Download. The resulting XML file is ready for Assign2 import.

AI Grading for Essays

One of Assign2’s most powerful features is AI-assisted grading for Essay questions. Instead of manually reading and scoring hundreds of essays, let AI handle the initial evaluation while you maintain full control over final grades.

Why Use AI Grading?

  • Save Hours: Reduce grading time by 80% or more for essay-heavy assessments
  • Consistency: AI applies rubric criteria uniformly across all submissions
  • Instant Feedback: Students receive detailed feedback immediately upon submission
  • Scalability: Grade 10 or 1,000 essays with the same effort
  • Instructor Control: Review, adjust, and override any AI-assigned grade

Setting Up AI Grading

1.

When creating or editing an Essay question, scroll to the Grading Options section.

2.

Select AI Graded from the grading method dropdown menu.

3.

Define your AI Grading Rubric. You have two options:

  • Write your own: Enter specific criteria, point distributions, and expectations
  • Auto-generate: Click Generate Rubric and the AI will create a rubric based on your question text
4.

Review and refine the rubric. A good rubric should include:

  • Clear criteria (what makes a good answer?)
  • Point allocations for each criterion
  • Examples of excellent, acceptable, and poor responses
5.

Save the question. When students submit their attempts, the AI automatically:

  • Evaluates responses against your rubric
  • Assigns a suggested grade
  • Generates detailed feedback explaining the score

Reviewing AI Grades

AI grades are suggestions, not final scores. You maintain full control:

  • View AI-suggested grade and reasoning for each submission
  • Accept the suggested grade with one click
  • Adjust the grade up or down as needed
  • Add your own comments alongside AI feedback
  • The final grade is only recorded after your approval

đź’ˇ Best Practice: Review a sample of AI-graded essays (especially early in the semester) to ensure the rubric produces grades aligned with your expectations. Refine the rubric as needed.

Organizing with Categories

Categories help you keep your question bank organized as it grows. Think of categories like folders on your computer.

Creating Categories

  • Click Add Category in the Question Bank sidebar
  • Name your category (e.g., “Chapter 1”, “Midterm Questions”, “Easy”, “Hard”)
  • Create nested subcategories for more detailed organization

Organization Strategies

  • By Topic: “Photosynthesis”, “Cell Division”, “Genetics”
  • By Chapter: “Chapter 1”, “Chapter 2”, etc.
  • By Difficulty: “Easy”, “Medium”, “Hard”
  • By Assessment: “Midterm Pool”, “Final Exam”, “Practice”

Moving Questions

Questions can be moved between categories at any time without affecting quizzes that use them. Select questions in the list and use the “Move to…” option.

ℹ️ When importing: Questions imported from Moodle XML/MBZ files retain their original category structure, making migration seamless.