Assessment setup

Create an assessment and setting access controls
  • Create an Assessment
  • Naming and Access Controls
  • Set duration Limits
  • Set availability Windows
  • Create passcodes
  • Set attempt Limits
Author multiple-choice questions
  • Create the prompt and assign point values
  • Choose a question layout: multiple per page or one at a time
  • Set the correct answer
NEW! Author zyLabs with our AI tool
  • Design instructions for the lab
  • Create a model solution
  • Create the template students work from
  • Create unit tests in select languages
Author zyLabs
NEW! Import zyBooks Maintained Labs
Add zyBooks challenge activities
  • Select challenge activities from any active class zyBooks
  • Select the level of the challenge activity.
  • Preview variants of the activity to assure it matches what you are expecting
Create question pools
  • Create a pool with your own multiple-choice questions
  • Create a zyLabs pool (if enabled in your zyBook)
  • Use the test bank to create a question pool from your zyBook
Publish your assessment
  • Decide what students will see after submitting the assessment
  • Place the assessment where you want students to access it in the zyBook


The student experience

Take the assessment

Students can begin the assessment from your LMS or from inside the zyBook.

  • View how many questions and any access or time limits
  • Navigate the assessment interface
  • Review work
  • Submit the assessment
View results as a student

What students see in their results depends on what the instructor chooses to make visible.

  • No scores or responses
  • Scores only
  • Scores + student responses
  • Scores, students responses, and solutions


View results/reporting

View and change point values
  • See each student answer from any attempt
  • Manually change a grade
  • Add comments
Sync with your LMS with LTI 1.3
  • LTI 1.3 will allow you to sync assessment scores with your LMS


FAQs

Assessment Setup & Configuration

Can I connect this with my LMS (Canvas, Blackboard, etc)? Can I launch my assessment from there?

Yes. This works with LTI 1.3, and allows you to get grade passback, as well as launch an assessment (in a new tab). Below are some links from our support page to help with setup, but you can also set up a one-on-one meeting with our team if you need further assistance.
Connecting to your LMS
Sign up for assistance with LMS configuration

What types of questions are available in assessments?

Assessments support instructor-created content and zyBooks-created content imports:

Question pools: These question types allow you to add multiple types of instructor and zybooks created content alongside each other. You can then select how many questions you’d like the student to see and a random set will be pulled from the pool for each student.

Instructor-created content:

  • Multiple choice questions or question sets
  • Programming questions (Advanced zyLabs)

zyBooks content imports:

  • Multiple choice test bank questions
  • Randomized challenge activities (various question types, including short answer, multiple-select, pick from list, code writing & code reading)
  • Advanced zyLabs (programming questions)
What is the difference between the Test tab, and the Create Assessment link inside my zyBook?

Most zyBooks include a test bank of multiple choice questions. They can be exported as a Word doc, or in a file format for use in an LMS.

The new assessment feature lives inside each section of the zyBook. Questions from the test bank can be used in the assessments.

How do you manage security when taking exams through zyBooks? Can you use lockdown browsers?

zyBooks Assessments work with common lockdown browsers, like Honorlock & Respondus. Safe Exam Browser and Lockdown Browser are free options available even if your institution isn’t officially affiliated with them. Refer to our Support help site for URLs to whitelist within the lockdown browser ahead of your assessment.

Is it possible to make it only available via LTI launching and not available directly in the zyBook?

Yes! Is it possible to make it only available via LTI launching and not available directly in the zyBook.

Can I re-grade an assessment if I made an error in a question or answer?

You can manually adjust scores for individual students on specific questions through the assessment results page. Currently, there’s no bulk re-grading option, so you’ll need to update each student’s score individually for any question with errors.

Can my TA take an assessment outside of the availability window I’ve set for students? Are TAs’ attempts unlimited?

Yes! TAs can now take assessments outside of student availability windows and bypass submission limits to make multiple attempts as needed. This allows TAs to test assessments in advance while maintaining the timing restrictions you’ve set for your students.

Can I print an assessment for students?

No, assessments are designed for online delivery with interactive content and auto-grading. For printed tests, use the Tests feature which allows you to export multiple choice test bank questions in a printable format.

How do availability windows and durations work together?

They work as a hybrid system. If only an availability window is set, students have until the end of that window to complete the exam. If both availability window and duration are set, students can start the exam within the availability window and will have the full duration you set to complete it, even if it extends beyond the availability window.

Can I set different durations for students with accommodations?

Yes, it’s possible to set different durations by student or section to accommodate students who need extra time. Use the ‘Add another duration limit’ option to set different durations for the same assessment.

Is there a way to set visibility for all assessments at once?

Not at this time – visibility is handled individually on each assessment.

What happens if I change the exam duration while students are actively taking it?

Changing the duration will only affect future attempts on the exam, not attempts currently in progress. There is no option to extend time on an attempt that’s already in progress.

Can I adjust points after students have completed an exam?

Points on questions should be set before students begin the assessment. However, manual grading adjustments can be made after attempts are completed.

Student Experience & Attempts

What happens if students lose internet during an assessment?

The platform automatically saves a student’s answer when they move away from a question

Can students receive partial credit on a question? How is partial credit handled?

Yes, some of our challenge activities can result in partial credit. If a student earns a fractional score on a question that results in partial credit, their score will be recorded and reported as a decimal.

Does each new attempt clear previous work?

Yes, each attempt is an isolated environment. Work does not carry over between attempts – students start fresh with each new attempt. All attempt activity is recorded, so instructors can view student activity data from all attempts. Students can also view their attempt data if the instructor chooses to make this information visible.

Can students change their answers during the exam?

Yes, as long as the student is within their duration limit and hasn’t submitted their attempt, they can change their answers at any time.

When a student closes an assessment, does the time continue to run?

Yes, time continues to run unless the student submits the assessment. If time runs out, the attempt is automatically submitted.

Will these assessments work well on smartphones?

There’s no mobile version of the exams application. While students can open zyBooks within a web browser on their phone, it won’t be optimized for mobile use.

Which score is used when students make multiple attempts?

The highest score from all attempts is automatically used for reporting and grade pass back. When viewing student results, the highest-scoring attempt is marked with a star icon to clearly indicate which attempt is being reported.

What happens if a student accidentally closes their browser or loses internet connection during an exam?

If a student loses connection or exits the exam during an attempt, the timer continues to tick down, but they can relaunch directly into their attempt using the ‘Resume assessment’ button as long as time remains on their exam.

Do students have access to the entire zyBook while taking an assessment?

Currently, yes. Assessments launch from the book into a separate exams tab, so if you’re using a lockdown browser, you’d need two URLs whitelisted – one for the zyBook platform and another for the exam system. This means students can access the rest of the book during the assessment. We do have future plans for a “hide book” feature that will prevent students from accessing the zyBook material during an exam, but we don’t have an ETA for this feature yet.

What options are available for controlling access to tools like ChatGPT during exams?

Use of lockdown browsers and/or proctoring software helps prevent students from accessing applications, websites or devices that are not approved.

Can students see solutions after completing the assessment?

This is controlled by instructor permissions. Instructors can choose to show just the score, score + student submissions for each question, or score + student submissions + solutions. This setting can be changed at any time, even after students have taken the exam.

Will students receive a Google Captcha popup on programming questions during exams

It is possible for students to receive a Captcha popup on programming questions during an exam. The Google Captcha popup is a security measure that detects frequent web interactions from the same IP address. Captcha popups are more common in cases where students are working on computers set up to share the same external IP address, like in some computer labs.

Question Types & Content

Can you select exercise questions from the book in addition to challenge questions for assessments?

No. Exercises are a specific type of non-interactive content available in some books, usually at the end of a section or in a separate section at the end of a chapter. Exercises are not autograded and some don’t have solutions. zyBooks Exercises are not available to import in assessments, but test banks, Advanced zyLabs and most challenge activities are.

No. Exercises are a specific type of non-interactive content available in some books, usually at the end of a section or in a separate section at the end of a chapter. Exercises are not autograded and some don’t have solutions. zyBooks Exercises are not available to import in assessments, but test banks, Advanced zyLabs and most challenge activities are.

Will you support other instructor-created question types beyond multiple choice?

Yes, we expect to add additional content types, like short answer, in the future.

Can you combine different chapter test bank questions into one assessment?

Yes, you can mix questions from different chapters within a test bank or assessment.

Are instructors able to create their own challenge activities?

No, instructors cannot create their own challenge activities. Instructors can create multiple choice questions and programming questions.

Can multiple choice questions have more than one correct answer?

No, multiple choice questions can only have one correct answer.

Can I import multiple choice questions from external sources?

No. Only multiple choice test bank questions from the zyBooks can be imported into assessments. That said, instructors can easily copy/paste question content from external sources into a multiple choice question within an assessment.

What are Test Cases in the context of zyLabs?

Test cases are used in programming assignments to automatically verify student code. You can create manual test cases in zyLabs and even set points to 0 for practice. There’s a section on manual grading in the zyLabs user guide.