Convert Question Banks to Item Banks

Last updated on November 4, 2021

Classic-style quizzes in Canvas can pull questions from Question Banks. However, New-style Quizzes use Item Banks instead. While these two different types of banks appear very similar, Canvas treats them as separate systems; a New-style Quiz cannot pull questions from a Question Bank. This tutorial will cover the process of converting a Question Bank into an Item Bank for use in a New-style Quiz.

Directions

Add Question Bank Questions to Classic Quiz

1. Go to MSU Denver’s Faculty and Staff Hub.
2. Click Canvas in the Teaching & Learning section.
3. Log in to your Canvas Account.
4. Select the Course you’d like to work in.
5. Click on Quizzes in the left-hand navigation menu.
6. Click on + Quizzes in the top right-hand corner.
7. Select Classic Quizzes in the pop-up menu that appears.
8. Click Submit in the bottom right-hand corner of the pop-up menu.
9. Enter a Title for the quiz. It may be best to give it the same title as the Question Bank that you would like to export.
10. Click on the Questions tab.
11. Click on Find Questions in the bottom right-hand corner.
12. Select the Question Bank that you would like to migrate to an Item Bank.
13. Click Select All. Alternatively, only select the questions that you would like to migrate.
14. Scroll to the Bottom of the pop-up menu.
15. Click Add Questions at the bottom of the pop-up menu.
16. Scroll to the Bottom of the page.
17. Click Save in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

Export Classic Quiz with Question Bank Questions

18. Click Settings in the left-hand navigation menu.
19. Click Export Course Content in the right-hand menu.
20. Select Quiz under Export Type.
21. Select only the Quiz containing your Question Bank questions.
22. Click Create Export.
23. Click New Export once the export process has been completed. The export file will now download to your computer.

Import Question Bank Export into and Item Bank

24. Click Quizzes in the left-hand navigation menu.
25. Click on any New Quiz in your list of quizzes.
    • If you do not have any New Quizzes in your course, click +Quiz in the top right-hand corner.
    • Select New Quizzes.
    • Click Submit.
    • Enter a Title for the quiz. Students will not see this quiz at all, so a title like “Sample New Quiz” will suffice. Do not add in any more details for the quiz.
    • Click Save in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
26. Click on the Three Dots Icon in the top right-hand corner.
27. Click Manage Item Banks.
28. Click +Bank in the top right-hand corner.
29. Enter a Name for the Item Bank. It may be best to give it the same name as the Question Bank you are migrating.
30. Click on the Name of the Item Bank you just created.
31. Click on the Three Dots Icon in the upper right-hand corner.
32. Click Import Content.
33. Click Browse in the pop-up menu that appears.
34. Find and select the Export File you downloaded previously. By default, it should be the most recent item in the Downloads folder on your computer.
35. Click Open in the bottom right-hand corner of the pop-up window.
36. Click Import in the bottom right-hand corner of the pop-up menu when it says your export file is ready. Your new Item Bank will now be successfully populated with the same questions as your old Question Bank.
37. Click Done.