Add a new question: Ranking

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

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 ranking type question

In the ranking type questions, the participants can respond to the question by ranking a set of items in a list. For example, the evolution of programming languages over the years in chronological order by which language came first.

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

Select ‘Ranking’ as the question type. The ‘New question’ dialog box opens that shows the question type as ‘Ranking’.
In ‘Title’, write the title of this question. This title appears in the list of topics.
In ‘Language’, select a language that you want to use in the question.
In ‘Tags’, write one or more tags for this question. 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 to get started.

When a new question is added to the list of topics, 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 text editor 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 ‘Ranking’ type question already has one or more instructions in any language, these instructions are available in this new ‘Ranking’ 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 ‘Answers’ tab

The options and choices that you see in this ‘Answers’ tab change depending on the evaluation settings that you select in the ‘Options’ tab. Please check the ‘Options’ tab for how the settings in the ‘Answers’ tab change, later in this article below.

Select the ‘Answers’ tab to write the answering options, the correct ranking of each answer, and the points scored for each answer.

By default, you see three answers and the options to set the correct ranking of each answer.

Set up the question

In ‘Answer 1’, click on the ‘Edit’ icon. The ‘Edit answer’ dialog box appears.
Change the default statement to the actual answer. Use the text editor to format the answer, as required. If you want to use images, please see Common reference to add new question: Add and manage images for the detailed instructions.
Click on ‘Apply’.

The real answer text appears in the list of answering options now.

Set up the rankings

In ‘Correct position’, write the correct position of each answer for their rankings. These positions are matched with the participants’ response when they rank these answers in this question, in the exam.

By default, the points are assigned for the correct answer for the entire ranking question. You have an option to assign the points for each correct ranking for one or more answering options within this question. To enable this option, select the ‘Options’ tab. In ‘Evaluation setting’, select ‘Award points per answer’. Now when you see the ‘Answers’ tab, each answering option shows you settings to assign points for each answering option.

In ‘Points if correct’, write the points that the participants score if they answer the corresponding ranking correctly.

In ‘Points if wrong’, write the points that the participants score if they answer the corresponding ranking wrongly.

More options for each answering option

Delete answers: For each answer, click on the ‘Cross’ icon to remove it from the question, if required.
Re-order answers: Click on the up arrow or down arrow icon to change the sequence or order of the answers.

Add new answers: Click on ‘Insert answer at the beginning’ or ‘Insert answer at the end’ to add more answers, as required.

The ‘Options’ tab

Evaluation settings

The ‘Evaluation settings’ enable you to set up point scoring settings for the question.

In ‘Evaluation type’, there is an option to set up the point scoring for the entire question or for each answer in the question.

Select ‘Award points per answer’ option to award the points for each answer within this question. In this case, the participants score points for each correct answer even if one or more answers within the same question are wrong.
Select ‘Award points for question’ option to award the points for the entire question. In this case, the points that you assigned to each answer in the ‘Answers’ tab are not valid and you cannot see these settings in the ‘Answers’ tab now. Two new fields appear and specify the points in ‘Points for correct answer’ and ‘Points for wrong answer’ for the correct or wrong answer, respectively.

Points settings

In ‘Negative points possible’: Select ‘Yes’ if the participants can secure negative points for this question and select ‘No’ if the participants cannot secure negative points for this question.
In ‘Define max points for question’: Select ‘Yes’ to set up a max points that participants can score for this question, and select ‘No’ if there is no max points limit.
In ‘Ignore question in result calculation when not answered’: Select ‘Yes’ if you want that the points scored in this question are not included in the exam result, if the question is not answered. For example, if the exam settings mean that an unanswered question invites some negative score. In that case, this setting here in ‘Ignore question in result calculation when now allowed’ enables you to bypass that exam setting.

General settings

In ‘Show info overlay when jumping to the question’, you can add and use information overlays to add additional messages. For example, a tooltip like help text for the participants when they are in an exam. Please see Common reference to add new question: Using info overlays for more details.

Select ‘Show question text in split panel (not available in preview)’ to show the question text in a column view when the participants answer this question. Select ‘show in left panel’ or ‘show in right panel’ to show the question in the left side or right side column of the answer space, respectively.

The other tabs

For the instructions on the other details in 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.