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Plan a Canvas quiz change before you unpublish it

DeckOwl does not manage your Canvas course, but it can turn your own notes into multiple-choice, true/false or open questions with explanations.

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Before you unpublish a quiz that has submissions

Teachers asking about unpublishing a Canvas quiz with submissions usually want to change a quiz without losing what students have already done. DeckOwl is a study tool, not a Canvas admin panel, so it cannot change a course for you. Your Canvas settings and gradebook are where you confirm what happens to existing attempts.

Check the gradebook and attempt history before changing a published quiz.
Keep original attempts for records if a quiz is revised after students submit.
Write revised questions from the same source material so content stays consistent.
Confirm your institution's policy on changing assessments that students already took.

Example Canvas quiz management questions

Before unpublishing a quiz, what should you check?Whether students have submissions and which grades depend on them, since changes can affect recorded scores.

Why keep original quiz attempts when revising?They preserve a record of what students answered, which supports grade questions and audits.

What does a QTI 2.1 file contain?Standard quiz content and question data, so compatible platforms can import questions instead of retyping them.

Why should a revised quiz note what changed?It lets instructors and students see which questions or scoring rules differ from the earlier version.

What is a practical alternative to editing a published quiz with submissions?Create a new quiz from the same source material and publish it for future use, leaving the original attempts intact.

Generate the full set

Questions from your material

Upload PDFs, slides, DOCX files or notes and get multiple-choice, true/false or open questions with explanations.

Exports for your platform

Plus exports PDF and DOCX files. Pro adds QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML export for platforms that import them.

Quizzes for review

Study a generated quiz in the browser on the free plan, with three generations per month.

How it works

Check existing submissions

Look at the gradebook and attempt history for the quiz before changing its published status.

Upload your source notes

Add the slides, PDF or notes the quiz should cover so new questions match your course material.

Review and export

Edit the generated questions, then export the format your platform needs.

If the goal is a new or revised quiz, DeckOwl can generate fresh questions from your lecture slides, PDFs or notes. Plus exports cover PDF and DOCX files, and Pro adds QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML files for platforms that import them.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I unpublish a quiz after students have submitted answers?

Check the gradebook and your institution's policy first, because changing a quiz students already took can affect their scores. Ask a Canvas administrator or instructional designer if you are unsure what the platform will keep.

What should I do if I need to revise a quiz that students already took?

Keep the original attempts for your records, then create a revised version and note what changed. A new version can be built from the same source material you used for the original.

Is there a free plan for generating quizzes?

Yes. The free plan includes 3 generations per month and studying in the browser, but it does not include exports.

Which plan exports QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML?

Only Pro, at $14.99/month, includes QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML export. Plus, at $39/year or $7.99/month, includes PDF, DOCX, Anki and CSV exports.

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