Creating Question Banks Using a Test Generator | Blackboard Ultra | Seneca Polytechnic

A common recurring issue is the inability to export and share tests and/or question pools with other instructors in Blackboard Ultra.

There is an alternative method using an external tool called “Blackboard Test Generator,” developed by Oklahoma Christian University. This tool can be used to create and “Download Question Pool” and import the .zip file into Question Banks in Blackboard Ultra.

If you have created your test questions using Excel (.txt), please read our related article "What to Do With Questions Created in Excel?" for a temporary solution using Blackboard Original to copy directly into Question Banks in Blackboard Ultra. 

• Alternatively, you can upload .txt files into an individual test. See instructions from Blackboard Ultra's Help Page, and an article from Teesside University that includes screenshots. You can then create a new Question Bank in Blackboard Ultra and "Reuse Questions" from the test with the uploaded questions (from a .txt file).

Create a Question Bank With the Tool

1. Access the Blackboard Test Generator. 
2. The Blackboard Test Generator has very detailed instructions and strongly recommend that you review them before continuing. Select the question mark for detailed instructions.
   
3. Questions can be entered manually or pasted from a Word Document into the text box.  Please keep in mind that they need to be in a specific format (refer to the detailed instructions provided directly on the page). 
   • Tip: The questions do not need to be numbered sequentially. They could all be labelled as "1." and will be identified as separate questions. 
4. Once all questions have been entered and formatted correctly, select Generate Test Questions.
   
5. If every question is formatted correctly, the text box should appear green.
   • If any questions are highlighted in red, this means the format needs to be adjusted. Adjust formatting and select Generate Test Questions again to verify that the questions are now green (refer to the detailed instructions provided directly on the page). 
6. After all of the questions are green, select Download Question Pool.
   
   • If you Download Test Questions you will receive a .txt file that can be uploaded into an individual test. See instructions from Blackboard Ultra's Help Page. 
7. A .zip file containing the questions should download automatically onto the computer.

Upload the .zip file into Question Banks in Blackboard Ultra

1. On the Course Content page, under the Details & Actions panel, select Manage Banks.
   
2. On the Question Banks page, select the plus sign icon.
   
3. Select Import from File and locate the appropriate .zip file which was downloaded.
   
4. You’ll receive a success message when the file imports successfully. Similarly, you’ll be notified if the file encounters some issues while uploading.
5. Now, you can access the questions in the Question Bank. Refer to our article on Using Question Banks and Pools.