How to Make a Quiz

This is a step-by-step guide to making an online quiz in Quiz Maker. It is written for first-time (or occasional) quiz builders who want the fastest path to a clean, professional quiz -- without the common mistakes that confuse quiz-takers or skew scores.

Step 1: Create your quiz

Start by creating a new quiz and setting the basics that affect how the rest of your build works (timing, navigation, what you collect, and how results display).

1. Create a new quiz

   From your dashboard or the quiz maker homepage, choose to create a new quiz and give it a clear name. Use a name that matches the audience and topic (example: "Workplace Safety Refresher - March").

2. Select your quiz type from the drop down.

   You will see a list of the most common quiz types. This drop down will apply the most common settings for each quiz type but you can customize and tailor to suit your own needs.

3. Set the must-have quiz settings

   Browse the settings and themes tabs and set your preferences. You can control security, setup integrations and workflows to export quiz responses into a CRM or receive email notifications of new completions.

Step 2: Add questions (and keep them easy to understand)

Most quizzes fail because of question quality, not technology. Write questions that are unambiguous, aligned to your goal, and consistent in difficulty.

1. Hit 'Add Question' and choose your question type.

   Multiple choice is the default for most knowledge checks. Use true/false for quick checks (but be careful it has a 50% guess rate). Use short answer when you need recall, but expect manual review unless you set strict accepted answers. For most question types you can hit the image icon and upload an image as either a question or answer option.

2. Write the actual question

   Make the stem a complete question and include only the information needed to answer. If you must use NOT/EXCEPT, highlight it with capitalization and keep it rare.

3. Add answer options (distractors) that are plausible

   Options should be similar in length and style, and only one option should be clearly correct. Avoid "all of the above" and "none of the above" unless you have a strong reason and the item is carefully reviewed. If you quiz is scored you can choose to tick the correct answer here or within the Results / Scoring tab.

4. Attach media only when it helps

   Images and videos can improve clarity (for labeling, scenarios, or interpreting a chart). Do not add media as decoration if it increases load time or distracts from the skill being tested.

If you want a deeper checklist for stems, distractors, and common traps, use these quiz question writing tips while you draft.

Mini example: 3 questions that test real decisions

Imagine a 10-question "Workplace Safety Refresher" quiz. These items test actions, not trivia:

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  Scenario MCQ: "You see a small chemical spill in a hallway. What is the first thing you should do?" (Options include "clean it immediately" vs "secure the area and report it")
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  Policy MCQ: "Which fire extinguisher class is appropriate for an electrical fire?" (All options should be plausible letters, not one obviously different)
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  True/False (careful wording): "True or False: You can block a fire exit temporarily if the hallway is monitored." (Clear, single idea)

Step 3: Set scoring, feedback, and grading

Scoring turns your quiz into an assessment. Decide whether you need a simple total score, weighted items, partial credit, or manual review for written responses.

1. Mark correct answers (and point values)

   For auto-graded question types, select the correct answer(s) either when you add quiz questions or from within the Results / Scoring tab. If some questions matter more (safety-critical items, certification objectives), weight them higher.

2. Choose feedback timing

   You can control behaviour of feedback timing from within the Settings tab. For learning: show correct answers and a short explanation after each question or at the end. For testing: delay feedback and avoid revealing answers if the quiz will be reused.

3. Decide pass/fail rules

   From within the Result tab if you choose to assign grades or certificates you can control pass and fail marks from within the the Settings of the added item. Set a pass mark if the result triggers action (certificate, access, follow-up training). Keep it aligned to difficulty and the consequences of failing.

4. Plan for manual marking where needed

   Short answer and essay questions can be higher quality, but they require review. Make sure you have time to grade and a consistent rubric.

Quality check before you send it

Use this quick review to catch the issues that cause the most rework: confusing questions, inconsistent scoring, and results that do not match the goal.

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  Goal alignment: Every question supports your quiz purpose (no "nice to know" filler).
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  One correct answer: No two options can both be defended as correct (unless it is a multi-select item and clearly labeled).
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  Consistent difficulty: Start with 1-2 warm-up items, then mix moderate and harder items (avoid stacking the hardest items together).
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  Clean language: Remove double negatives, vague words ("often", "usually") unless you define them, and unnecessary acronyms.
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  Scoring sanity: Total points, pass mark, and any weighting match what you intend.
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  Results usefulness: Results tell the quiz-taker what happened and what to do next.

Using AI to draft questions (responsibly)

AI can speed up the first draft, but it cannot be your final editor. Treat AI output as a starting point that must be checked for accuracy, level, and fairness.

1. Give the model a tight brief

   Provide the audience, topic boundaries, number of questions, difficulty mix, and the exact skills you want to test. Ask for explanations (rationales) so you can validate the correct answer.

2. Verify facts and remove ambiguity

   Check each correct answer against your source material. Rewrite stems that include hidden assumptions, undefined terms, or "best" answers without clear criteria.

3. Fix distractors

   AI often produces distractors that are obviously wrong or inconsistent in style. Replace them with plausible misconceptions (what a partially trained person might choose).

4. Run a bias and sensitivity pass

   Remove stereotypes, sensitive personal assumptions, or culture-specific references that are not necessary for the skill being assessed.

5. Pilot and revise

   Even good items can behave badly in real use. Review which questions most people miss (maybe too hard or unclear) and which almost everyone gets right (maybe too easy or too cued).

For item-writing rules that help during review (clear stems, plausible response items, avoiding trick questions), these guidelines are a solid baseline: Marie Norman's guide to writing quiz questions and the University of New Mexico rules for multiple-choice item writing.

References

Frequently Asked Questions