A Moodle quiz has two layers: the activity settings control how learners take the assessment, while the questions determine what they are asked. Treating those as separate jobs makes the setup easier to test and reuse.
This guide follows the standard Moodle 5.x workflow. Labels can move slightly in a contributed theme, but the decisions about timing, attempts, behaviour and review options remain the same.
Before you build the quiz
Write down the purpose, pass mark, allowed attempts and feedback policy first. A short knowledge check needs different rules from a timed final exam. Also decide whether questions will be reused. Reusable questions belong in clearly named question-bank categories rather than an untidy default category.
Step 1: Add the Quiz activity
- Open the course and turn on Edit mode.
- In the correct section, select Add an activity or resource.
- Choose Quiz.
- Enter a clear name and instructions. Tell learners the number of attempts, time limit, navigation rules and grading method before they begin.
Step 2: Configure the important settings
Timing
Use opening and closing dates only when the quiz has a real availability window. If you set a time limit, choose what happens when time expires. Moodle can submit open attempts automatically, but the exact behaviour should be tested with a student account.
Grade and attempts
Set the grade category, passing grade and number of attempts. When several attempts are allowed, choose whether Moodle records the highest, average, first or last grade. The choice should match the learning purpose—not simply the most generous option.
Layout and navigation
Control how many questions appear per page. Sequential navigation prevents learners from returning to earlier questions; free navigation allows it. Sequential mode can suit a tightly controlled assessment, but it can also surprise learners, so state the rule in the instructions.
Question behaviour
Deferred feedback is a common exam setting: answers are graded after submission. Interactive or immediate feedback is better for practice where learners should respond to feedback during the attempt. If you shuffle within questions, verify that every question still makes sense when choices move.
Review options
Review options decide what learners see during the attempt, immediately after it, while the quiz is still open and after it closes. This is a security decision. Showing correct answers too early can expose an active question set. Check each column instead of accepting defaults blindly.
Step 3: Add questions
Save the activity, open the quiz and choose Add question. You can create a new question, select one from the question bank or add a random question from a category.
For each question, give it a descriptive internal name, write an unambiguous prompt, set the default mark and add specific feedback where it helps learning. Multiple-choice distractors should be plausible without using tricks. Numerical questions need intentional tolerances and units.
Step 4: Set marks and randomisation
On the quiz editing page, confirm the total marks and maximum grade. Moodle scales the raw total to the maximum grade. Shuffle questions only when order is not pedagogically important. Random questions can give each learner a different selection, but they require a sufficiently large, balanced category.
Step 5: Preview and test
Use Preview quiz, then test again with a non-administrator student account. Confirm opening dates, timer behaviour, page navigation, grading, feedback, completion rules and mobile layout. Administrators can bypass restrictions, so an administrator-only test is not enough.
Common quiz problems
- Learners cannot start: check dates, restrictions, group rules and whether the activity is visible.
- Grades look wrong: compare question marks, maximum grade and the selected multiple-attempt grading method.
- Correct answers appear too soon: revise the four Review options periods.
- A question cannot be edited: attempts may already exist. Changing assessed content after attempts begin can compromise results.
- Random quizzes feel unequal: audit categories for difficulty, outcomes and question type before sampling from them.
A reliable pre-launch checklist
- The instructions match the configured rules.
- The pass mark and activity completion condition agree.
- Every question has a correct answer and appropriate mark.
- Feedback does not reveal protected answers early.
- A full student attempt has been submitted and graded.
- Accessibility and keyboard use have been checked.
Final advice
Start with a small question bank and a short pilot. Once the scoring and review workflow is dependable, expand the bank and introduce randomisation. A clear course interface also helps learners find instructions and assessment status; explore Themes Almond Moodle themes after the assessment rules are correct.
Source check: Verified against Moodle’s official Quiz settings and Building Quiz documentation.
