Last updated on September 23, 2026
Canvas has not set a universal retirement date for Classic Quizzes, and institutions will transition to New Quizzes on their own timelines. Classic Quizzes can be migrated to New Quizzes at any time, so you do not need to switch immediately unless New Quiz features better meet your course needs.
New Vs. Classic Quizzes
This infographic compares the two types of Canvas quizzes: New and Classic. Both now share the Rich Content Editor, surveys, and most core settings and grading tools. New Quizzes adds more question types, more flexible item banks, and extra accommodation options, while Classic Quizzes still supports a few roles and tools that New Quizzes does not offer yet. The information below lists what the two have in common and what is unique to each.
Quiz Features
Both Quiz Types
- Use the Rich Content Editor to record audio and video, check accessibility, add apps and LTI tools such as YuJa, insert media iframes, and edit HTML.
- Create surveys.
- Use core question types: multiple choice, multiple answer, true/false, essay, fill in the blank, matching, numeric, formula, and file upload.
- Store questions in a bank, share it with your course, and pull random questions from it
New Quizzes
- Use additional question types:
- Categorization
- Ordering
- Stimulus/passage
- Hot spot
- Use item banks, which you can:
- Search within
- Filter and sort
- Tag with metadata
- Share with individual users
- Share as view-only
Classic Quizzes
- Use dedicated Fill in Multiple Blanks and Multiple Dropdowns question types (New Quizzes offers an alternative way to build these).
- Use question banks, which you can bookmark to reuse in your other courses
Accessibility note
Categorization and ordering questions rely on drag-and-drop, which isn’t keyboard accessible, and screen readers can’t interpret the clickable regions in hot spot questions. Avoid these question types when you can. If you use them, offer a text-based alternative, such as a multiple choice or matching question.
Settings & Workflow
Both Quiz Types
- Allow multiple attempts for everyone or for individual students
- Set time limits, access codes, availability dates, and IP filters
- Show one question at a time, shuffle answers, and hide student responses
- Assign quizzes to individual students or sections
- Copy courses, sync Blueprint courses, and import QTI files
- Import content into an individual quiz and preview it as a student
- Proctor exams with ProctorU
New Quizzes
- Duplicate a quiz from the “Quizzes” page
- Require a waiting period between attempts
- Shuffle questions, and shuffle answers per question
- Set default font settings
- Print a quiz for students to take, as a student answered it, or as an answer key
- Export survey responses
Classic Quizzes
- Enable designer and observer roles
- Bulk download file submissions
- Create practice quizzes (New Quizzes uses a workaround for now)
Grading and Reports
Both Quiz Types
- Grade questions automatically, regrade questions, and add fudge points
- Grade one question at a time in SpeedGrader
- Give an individual student extra time or extra attempts on a single quiz
- Moderate quizzes and view the quiz log
- Give partial credit on multiple answer and matching questions
- Access item analysis, summary statistics, and student analysis reports, with CSV download
- Use the Learning Mastery Gradebook
New Quizzes
- Give an individual student extra time on all quizzes for the entire course
- Give partial credit on multiple choice and categorization questions
- Access outcome analysis reports
- Align outcomes to rubrics, individual questions, or the whole quiz
Classic Quizzes
- Give partial credit on fill in the blank questions
- Align outcomes to question banks
- View Mastery Paths breakdown results
Major Limitations
Both Quiz Types
- Neither lets you give an individual student extra attempts on all quizzes for the entire course
New Quizzes
- No designer or observer role support yet (Instructure is exploring it)
- No bulk download of file submissions yet (Instructure is exploring it)
- Practice quizzes require a workaround; a built-in option is planned for the second half of 2026
- Some proctoring tools require an alternative setup
- No API for quiz submissions or item banks
Classic Quizzes
- Fewer question types
- No built-in way to duplicate a quiz from the “Quizzes” page
- Question banks can’t be searched, filtered, or tagged
- Quizzes can’t be printed
- You can migrate Classic quizzes to New Quizzes, but not from New back to Classic
- Classic Quizzes will eventually be retired, but Canvas has not set a retirement date. Institutions will transition to New Quizzes on their own timelines.
Source: Instructure, Classic Quizzes vs. New Quizzes Feature Comparison (last updated July 22, 2026). Planned features and timelines are subject to change.
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