Creating Test Bank for Exams

[jaimenjones]

Hi,

I am new here and hoping someone could help me. I need to create a bank of multiple choice test questions that will generate a printable exam. Unfortunately, I am not tech-savy and was hoping someone could toss together a rough draft for me. Below is what I am looking for.

·Test bank of multiple-choice test questions with 4 possible answers (A, B, C, D).
·Categorize the questions into the categories (D1, D2, I, V, and O).
·Questions to have a serial number or unique identifier on them so I can reference them in the whole bank of questions, but on the blank printable test they should just be numbered 1 - 20.
·Easy way the instructor can review the test by category and select up to 20 questions to put on the exam.
·After selecting the 20 question, I would like a test to be generated that lists all of the questions and the 4 possible answers.

Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me.

 

[bob fitz]

How many characters (letters, spaces, punctuations marks etc) will be used in the longest question.

 

[jaimenjones]

How many characters (letters, spaces, punctuations marks etc) will be used in the longest question.

Thanks for responding. The long question would be no more than 250 characters and the answer would be no more than 100 characters.

 

[bob fitz]

Will the db need to store the answers selected for each question assigned to each exam.

 

[jaimenjones]

Will the db need to store the answers selected for each question assigned to each exam.

Yes. Preferably everything to be in the database.

 

[bob fitz]

Once you start looking at this, it actually gets quite complicated.
Of the four possible answers for each question, will just one answer be regarded as correct or will the answers be "scored" eg: 10 for best answer, 7 for next best, then 3 and 0 for worst answer.

 

[jaimenjones]

Once you start looking at this, it actually gets quite complicated.
Of the four possible answers for each question, will just one answer be regarded as correct or will the answers be "scored" eg: 10 for best answer, 7 for next best, then 3 and 0 for worst answer.

Here is an example.

What size is a letter size sheet of paper?
A. 10 x 6
B. 8.5 x 11
C. 11 x 14
D. 5 x 7

For this question the answer is B.

Another example is...

What color should grass be during the summer months?
A. Green
B. Yellow
C. Red
D. Brown

For this question the answer is A.

-- just an idea

is it possible to have table for each category of questions (ie. D1, D2, I, V and O) and then in each table have a column for the serial number, question and then 4 columns that contain the answers of ABC and D, with a final column that has the answer of which column was correct for the question?

After that the teacher can select which questions thay want to use for the exam from each table.

Those selected questions can then be pulled by a query and then generated into a report that can be printed for the student to take the exam?

I don't know if that is the best way to execute the task that I am trying to do, but it is just am idea that I think could work.

 

[Steve R.]

Since you mention school and testing, attached is a "freebie". The attached MS Access database was done as a thought experiment, just to see if it could be done. It is highly incomplete.

What this database does is randomize the order of the answers in a multiple choice exam. What this means is that each student would have a "different" test and the same student would have a "different" test if taken again. By "different", I mean that the order of the answers is scrambled. Technically the order of the questions should also be scrambled, but I didn't go that far.

Of course this approach requires that each student have their own computer. I suppose it could also be adapted for paper tests.

The sole purpose of providing this sample database, is to give you something to experiment with, should you wish to to that. Enjoy.

 

[jaimenjones]

Since you mention school and testing, attached is a "freebie". The attached MS Access database was done as a thought experiment, just to see if it could be done. It is highly incomplete.

What this database does is randomize the order of the answers in a multiple choice exam. What this means is that each student would have a "different" test and the same student would have a "different" test if taken again. By "different", I mean that the order of the answers is scrambled. Technically the order of the questions should also be scrambled, but I didn't go that far.

Of course this approach requires that each student have their own computer. I suppose it could also be adapted for paper tests.

The sole purpose of providing this sample database, is to give you something to experiment with, should you wish to to that. Enjoy.

Thanks for this. I will take some time to play around with it. Unfortunately, due to the way grading will be done all students need to have the "same" answer as a final answer. Also, students don't have the ability to take the exam on a computer. The exam would have to be printed.

 

[Steve R.]

By all means, see what you can borrow for your own use.
Please be aware that every test taker gets the same answers, they just get the (same) answer displayed in a different order.
Thus one test taker sees Answer X appearing in box 1, another test taker sees Answer X appearing in box 4.

 

[cjrhoads]

Hmmmm - I am wondering why, with all the really great, inexpensive and/or free testing programs around that already do everything that you need, why would you be using Access to write this?
If you send me your email address, I'll send you an old version of ExamViewPro, which I used to use before I switched to D2L. IF you use it as an online system the students need the ExamViewPlayer client (which is free and takes 5 seconds to load), but if you just need to print out the tests, it will do everything you need.
You can email me at Rhoads @ Kutztown .edu

 

[bosnjakovic1]

Since you mention school and testing, attached is a "freebie". The attached MS Access database was done as a thought experiment, just to see if it could be done. It is highly incomplete.

What this database does is randomize the order of the answers in a multiple choice exam. What this means is that each student would have a "different" test and the same student would have a "different" test if taken again. By "different", I mean that the order of the answers is scrambled. Technically the order of the questions should also be scrambled, but I didn't go that far.

Of course this approach requires that each student have their own computer. I suppose it could also be adapted for paper tests.

The sole purpose of providing this sample database, is to give you something to experiment with, should you wish to to that. Enjoy.

Hi,

I'm also looking for something like this. I would rather learn how to do it by myself than use someone elses but I don't know where to start.
Any suggestions?

 

[Pat Hartman]

Start by examining the sample until you understand it.

Then write down your requirements in detail. You need a clear understanding of your objective before you can build anything. Would you go out with a hammer and nails and a pile of wood to build a house? No, you'd start with a floor plan at a minimum.

 

[theDBguy]

Hi,

I'm also looking for something like this. I would rather learn how to do it by myself than use someone elses but I don't know where to start.
Any suggestions?

Hi. Welcome to AWF! You might also want to start a new thread to ask for assistance since this is a very old discussion thread. Good luck!

 

[MajP]

Doing a very configurable (different tests, many users, many questions, many answer types, etc.) is a very hard effort in database normalization. Most people fail at it, or it is very simplistic. I did not look at this one example. Probably the best example I have seen is Duane Hookom's at your survey. This is pretty complex so may be over your head, but it is very flexible and capable.

At Your Survey

At Your Survey (AYS) is a full featured application that allows users to create their own surveys...

www.rogersaccesslibrary.com

You are unlikely to need all of this, but it may give some ideas.