Importing Test Questions via File to Ultra

Owned by Yoonjeong Yoo
Last updated: Sept 09, 2024 by Daniya Iqbal
4 min read

This article is for instructors looking to import questions via a file to their Blackboard Ultra course.

Overview

  • A tab-delimited TXT file can be imported to a test in Ultra. It can be created in Microsoft Excel or in a text editor.

  • The questions in the file should follow proper formatting described below. Questions that have errors will not be successfully uploaded.

  • Each Excel file should not exceed 250 records.

Question format guidelines

Question Type

Structure

Question Type

Structure

Multiple Choice

MC TAB question text TAB answer text TAB correct|incorrect TAB answer two text TAB correct|incorrect
Text within ( ) may be repeated for each of the answers that are part of the Multiple Choice question. The maximum number of answers is 100.

Multiple Answer

MA TAB question text TAB answer text TAB correct|incorrect TAB answer two text TAB correct|incorrect
Text within ( ) may be repeated for each of the answers that are part of the Multiple Answer question. The maximum number of answers is 100.

True/False

TF TAB question text TAB true|false

Essay

ESS TAB question text TAB [example]
Text within [ ] is optional. You may choose to add a sample or leave this blank.

Matching

MAT TAB question text TAB answer text TAB matching text TAB answer two text TAB matching two text
Text within ( ) may be repeated for each of the answers that are part of the Matching question. The maximum number of answers is 100. The system will randomly order the answers and their question. When uploading a matching question, you must have a one-to-one relationship between questions and answers. If not, correct answers may be marked incorrect if more than one answer has the same value.

Fill in the Blank

FIB TAB question text TAB answer text TAB answer two text
Text within ( ) may be repeated for each of the answers that are part of the Fill in the Blank question. The maximum number of answers is 100.

Fill in Multiple Blanks

FIB_PLUS TAB question text TAB variable1 TAB answer1 TAB answer2 TAB TAB variable2 TAB answer3
The format consists of a list of variable-answers where each variable-answer is composed of the variable name and a list of correct answers for that variable. Variable-answers are delimited by an empty field.
The maximum number of variables is 10.

Numeric Response

NUM TAB question text TAB answer TAB [optional]tolerance

*Retrieved from Blackboard Help Center: Upload Questions

Sample question file

image-20240611-185446.png

Converting an Excel file into a .txt file

  1. Click File on the top menu.

    image-20240611-185729.png

  2. Click Save As on the left column.

  3. Name the file as you wish.

  4. Click the dropdown arrow for the file type options.

  5. Choose Text (Tab delimited) (*.txt).

  6. Click Save.

Upload a .txt file in Ultra

  1. Navigate to your HuskyCT Ultra course.

  2. Click the plus sign on the top left of the page.

  3. From the dropdown menu, click Create.

  4. Under Assessment, click Test.

  5. Click the plus sign in the middle.

     

  6. From the dropdown menu, choose Upload questions from file.

  7. Select your .txt file to upload.

  8. Once it is processed, the questions will show up in the test page.

  9. As default, the point would be set as 1. Adjust the point as you wish.



For more information on using Forms in Ultra, contact Educational Technologies at edtech@uconn.edu or by phone at (860) 486-5052.