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Write quiz questions for your Canvas quiz page from your notes

Upload a PDF, slide deck or set of notes and get multiple-choice, true/false or short-answer questions with explanations, ready to review before you publish.

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Building a quiz from your own course material

Most instructors building a canvas quiz page start with material they already have: lecture slides, a reading PDF or typed notes. Starting from those sources keeps the questions tied to what was actually taught.

Upload slides, PDFs, DOCX files or notes as the source.
Choose multiple-choice, true/false or open questions with explanations.
Review each item for accuracy before publishing it to students.
Export to PDF or DOCX on paid plans, and QTI 2.1 or Moodle XML on Pro.

Example practice questions on writing quiz items

True or false: retrieving information from memory tends to help long-term retention more than rereading the same material.True. Pulling an answer out of memory strengthens later recall more than seeing the same information again.

In a multiple-choice item, what is a distractor?A distractor is a plausible wrong option, often based on a common misconception, so choosing it shows a specific misunderstanding.

Why should a quiz item test only one idea?A single-idea item shows exactly what a student knows, while a double-barreled item can be wrong for either part and leaves the cause unclear.

What is a formative quiz?A formative quiz is a low-stakes check used to guide studying and teaching, not to assign a final grade.

Why include an explanation with each answer?An explanation turns a wrong answer into a lesson by showing why the correct option is right and the chosen one is not.

Generate the full set

Works from your own material

Upload PDFs, DOCX or PPTX files, plain text notes, or photos of pages. Photos are read with text recognition.

Explanations for every answer

Each question comes with an explanation of why the correct option is right, so students learn from wrong answers as well as right ones.

Export for your LMS

Paid plans export to PDF and DOCX. The Pro plan also exports QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML files for import into your learning system.

How it works

Upload your material

Add the lecture slides, reading or notes the quiz should cover.

Choose question types

Pick multiple-choice, true/false or open questions, then generate a set.

Review and export

Check each question and explanation, edit anything unclear, then export the quiz in the format your course needs.

Read every generated question before it goes to students. Check that the stem is clear, that only one option is correct in multiple-choice items, and that the explanation matches the source. Editing a few items usually takes less time than writing a full set from scratch.

Short quizzes that cover one objective at a time are easier to interpret than long mixed ones. A small set you can review quickly is often more useful for a low-stakes check than a large set you cannot read through.

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Frequently asked questions

How many questions should a short quiz include?

There is no fixed number that works for every course. Match the length to the time students have and the number of learning objectives the quiz checks.

What makes a good wrong answer in a multiple-choice question?

A good distractor is plausible and reflects a common misconception, so a student who chooses it has revealed a specific gap. Avoid options that are obviously false or that give away the answer through wording.

Can I export a quiz for my LMS?

Yes. QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML export are included in the Pro plan at $14.99 per month. PDF and DOCX export are included in the Plus plan at $99.90 per year or $9.99 per month.

Do I need a credit card to try DeckOwl?

No. The free plan includes 3 generations per month and studying in the browser, and no credit card is needed to start.

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Keep exploring the topic

Review the main ideas visually or practice recalling them.