Add a new question: Coding

Step-by-step instructions on how to add a new question of the coding type

This article describes how you can add a new question of coding type, to your bizExaminer authoring environment.

A ‘Coding’ type question is an open question. A person manually marks the open questions in the exams. They assign the points for this question manually because it cannot be graded automatically.

The first steps

Adding a new question is common across all question types. To see how to add a new question, see Add a new question.

Add new coding type question

In a coding type question, you can add programming language code snippets in the question text and the participants need to answer by looking at the code. In this question, the participants work in a real code editor for writing the new code or working on the code that is given as part of the question itself in the programming language. The participants’ answer needs to be manually evaluated by a marker.

A ‘marker’ is the person who manually evaluates the participants’ answers for this question. The marker is often a user who has access to the bizExaminer’s interface to award the points and add descriptive comments for the participants’ answer or solution to this question.

In a coding question type, there is an option where you can write code for any scripting languages for the real code editor. The participants will use the same editor for their answer or solution. In addition to writing the code that you want to share with the participants, you have an option to write a solution code that is visible only to the marker.

You can define a pre-filled code that the participants need to edit or you can define a sample solution which is available only to the manual marker.

To add a new coding type question, follow the steps below.

Select ‘Coding’ as the question type. The ‘New question’ dialog box opens that shows the question type as ‘Coding’.
In ‘Title’, write the title of this question. This title appears in the list of topics.
In ‘Language’, select the language for the question.
In ‘Tags’, write one or more tags for this question. Adding the tags is optional, and these tags can be the keywords for this question that you can use to search a question anytime.
Click on ‘Create’ to save this new question. You can click on ‘Back’ to select another type of question.

When a new question is added, a yellow color icon shows in the topic title. It means that the question is not activated.

Complete the question details and advanced settings

The ‘Question text’ tab

The ‘Question text’ tab is selected by default. Write the question text here.

Text editor for formatting

A text editor is available to format the question content for styling options. Please see Common reference to add a new question: Using text editor, for the detailed instructions.

The menu options

The text editor shows a menu bar where a set of menus show you the basic text editor options, and a few additional and advanced actions to set up the right structure of the questions’ text as required. Please see Common reference to add a new question: Using menus, for the detailed instructions.

Instruction

You have an option to add an instruction for this question. Instructions are common for the same question types. If another ‘Coding’ type question already has one or more instructions in any language, these instructions are available in this new coding type question in the same language, for your use.

Click on the ‘Edit’ icon and the ‘Edit instructions’ dialog box opens.
Click on ‘Add instruction’.
In ‘Language’, select a language for the instruction text.
In ‘Instruction text’ write the content for the instruction.
Click on ‘Save’ to save this instruction.

Follow the same steps to add more instructions and you can select any one instruction, anytime when you edit this question.

The ‘Coding settings’ tab

Editor settings

In ‘Editor mode’, select a programming language for the code. It defines the syntax, rules, and other basic code writing conventions according to the selected language.
In ‘Editor theme’, select the theme of the code editor, for example the dark theme or light theme. The participants will see the code in this theme though they can change the editor theme for their own preference, as required.
In ‘Pre-filled code’, insert any code that the participants can see in the code editor. They can work on this code, if required. Adding this code is not mandatory as the participants can also start with the blank code editor.
In ‘Sample solution’, write a solution that only the manual marker can see. They can use this sample solution as a reference when they evaluate the participants’ answer to this question.
In ‘Assessment criteria’ write the instructions for the manual marker for how they should evaluate the answer and assign points. For example, you can add details to assign X points for a completely correct answer by the participants, or assign X-2 points for a partially correct answer.

Other tabs

For the instructions on the ‘Options’ tab, the ‘Feedback’ tab, the ‘Media/Resources’ tab, the ‘Information’ tab, the ‘Topics’ tab, and the ‘Preview’ tab, please see Add a new question for details.

Save options

Click on ‘Save’ to save these details in the question. When you use the ‘Save’ option, the question does not impact the exam if it is added to an exam. In a way, the question is saved as a draft and you can add it to an exam, anytime.
Click on ‘Save and activate’ to save the question, and to activate it. This means that the question is locked now and is ready to be added to an exam. If you make any changes in the question or its settings after you use ‘Save and activate’, the question is saved as the next revision for an exam.