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TestDesigner.com offers a convenient question grouping tool that gives members the power to create collections of questions with shared instructions. Read on to learn more about “Question Group” feature and how to use it in your next assessment.

When to Use Question Groups

A group is a set of two or more questions with common instructions or reference text. Consider using a group when:

• Several questions refer to the same set of instructions – View: “Naming Compounds”.
• Questions center on the same reading passage – View: “Main Idea”.
• Using a word bank for fill-in-the-blank questions
• Asking questions about a graphic – View: “Human Heart”.
• Referencing a set of data – View: “Estimation”.

When in doubt ask yourself, “Can this be used as a stand alone question as written?” If the answer is no, then it should most likely be added to a group with the instructions it depends on.

How to Create a Group

Creating a group takes only a minute, yet it can save you much more time than that by reducing the need to enter the same instructions multiple times. Once logged into TestDesigner.com, creating a question group is very similar to creating a test. Start by selecting the “Create” tab then the “Group” button. From here, you can name a group and add common instructions. Clicking on the “Add This Question to a Group” button will insert a question in the chosen group. If you wish to group a question, but haven’t yet created a place for it, select “Add Question to a New Group”. Groups can be customized as needed by arranging question order and altering the common text.

Like a standalone question, a group can be added to a test or worksheet by clicking the “Add This Group to a Test” button. Remember, worksheets can include stand alone questions, groups, or a combination of groups and stand alone questions.

Next post on TestDesigner.com blog will be about incorporating images into your tests and activities.

Once you have created your test using TestDesigner.com, there are numerous ways to customize your exam so it is consistent with your previous assessments. There are a host of options to personalize your test before it is printed, copied, and distributed. TestDesigner.com has created alternatives to suit the most detail oriented test creator.

Below are the tabs that appear above your test and a brief explanation of how to customize your next assessment!

“Edit” tab: Often the order in which you found the questions is not the order in which you would like them to appear on your test. Clicking the “Edit” tab allows you move any of your questions up or down until the order is set to your liking! This is also the section where you can delete a question that no longer fits your assessment goals.

In the “Edit” section of your exam page, you can also create a copy of your test. Clicking “Copy” creates a second version of the same test, allowing you to edit one version, while leaving the other completely intact! Some teachers use this to create two forms of a test to avoid cheating. Others use it to change a few test questions from year to year. Another simple way to keep a test fresh is to use the “Shuffle” feature, which lets you randomly rearrange your test questions.

The “Edit” tab also allows you to insert a page break if a question is separated among two pages. Use the “PDF” tab described below to check the layout of your exam to see if this function is needed.

“Test Setup” tab: This is a catch all section for formatting your test’s style. Look at the options available to make your test customized:

• Number of lines between questions
• Arrange questions in one or two columns
• Show test title
• Show test taker’s name place holder
• Show test date place holder
• Show class place holder

This is also the section to place instructions for the students that will appear above the questions. This is an ideal place to advise students on how many points each question is worth, where and how to rcord their answers, or what type of writing instrument that should be used.

“Share” tab: Your colleagues can benefit when you put together a good test. Email someone in your school or department to share what you have created using TestDesigner.com. Also, if you have a student absent for an extended period of time, this function will send the test to that student so they do not fall too far behind.

“Print Preview” tab: This section allows you to see exactly how your customized creation has turned out before sending it to the printer, which can be done from this tab.

“Answer Key” tab: Print the answers to this test for your records. Give them out to your stduents to check their own work or to complete a post-test activity.

“PDF” tab: PDF files can be used to print a consistent, cleaner version than a test from the “Print Preview” screen because it prints without URLs and/or  dates, that might be a part of computer settings. This is one of the many benefits of a Test Designer Pro subscription.

Learn all of the options available on TestDesigner.com for a fully customizable assessment for you, your colleagues, and your students!

Next post I will discuss the use of question groups on TestDesigner.com.