Home › Quizzes › Platforms & LMS › Regrade a Canvas Quiz: Steps for Instructors

Fix a flawed question, then regrade your Canvas quiz

Correct the answer key in Canvas, then generate clean replacement questions with explanations from the PDFs, slides or notes you already have.

Create quizzes nowFree · No credit card required

Drop files here or browsePDF, DOCX, PPTX, text or photos of your notes · several files with Plus

Free account · 3 sets a month · Creates quizzes in seconds

Why regrading matters and how to avoid it

Once you've spotted a bad question, you still need to regrade a Canvas quiz so existing submissions reflect the corrected answer key. The regrade itself happens inside Canvas, and the exact menus vary by quiz type and Canvas version, so check your institution's Canvas documentation for those steps.

Check every answer key against the source text before the quiz opens.
Accept both answers when a question has two defensible correct responses, or rewrite the stem.
Set point values before release and avoid changing them mid-quiz.
Keep explanations short and tied to the specific misconception each distractor targets.

Example quiz questions to check before you regrade

Why should every distractor in a multiple-choice question be clearly wrong?A distractor that could also be correct invites appeals and regrade requests. Clearly wrong options make the score a more reliable measure of what students know.

A question has two answers that both fit the source text. What is the fairest fix?Accept both answers or rewrite the stem to narrow the question. Keeping only one key penalizes students who reasoned correctly.

True or false: regrading a quiz always requires students to retake it.False. Regrading recalculates existing submissions from the updated answer key, so students usually do not need to resubmit.

What is the main purpose of an explanation on a practice question?To show why the correct answer is right and why the others are wrong. Students learn more from the reasoning than from the score alone.

Why should point values be set before a quiz opens?Changing points mid-quiz creates inconsistent scores and disputes. Fixing the values in advance keeps grading consistent for every student.

Generate the full set

Questions from your own material

Upload a PDF, slide deck, DOCX or set of notes and get multiple-choice, true/false or open questions drawn from that content.

Explanations with every answer

Each generated question includes an explanation of why the correct answer is right, so students learn from the mistake instead of just seeing a score.

Export for your learning system

Export to PDF or DOCX on Plus. The Pro plan adds QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML files for platforms that accept those formats.

How it works

Upload your source material

Add the PDF, slides, notes or photos of pages that the quiz should cover. Text in photos is read with text recognition.

Generate and review the questions

Choose the question types you need, then check each answer key and explanation before you reuse anything.

Correct the quiz in Canvas

Update the answer key in Canvas and regrade the submissions there, using your school's Canvas guide for the exact menu names.

Many regrade requests come from questions with two defensible answers or unclear wording. Reviewing each question against the source material before release catches most of these problems, and it is faster than correcting scores after students have already seen them.

If a question needs replacing, DeckOwl can generate new multiple-choice, true/false or short answer items with explanations from the same material, so the revised quiz stays aligned with what you taught.

Explore related topics

Make a Canvas Quiz from Your Notes

Generate quiz questions with explanations from your notes for a Canvas course.

Canvas Quiz as a Student: Practice Guide

Why students usually can't build Canvas quizzes and how to make practice ones.

Canvas Quiz to Flashcards: Step-by-Step

Turn Canvas quiz questions into flashcards with explanations you can export.

Canvas Quiz with Lockdown Browser Setup

Set up a locked Canvas quiz and build its questions from your own lecture material.

Make a Printable PDF Canvas Quiz

Turn your own slides or notes into a quiz and export it to PDF.

Video Quiz in Canvas Studio: How-To

Write Canvas Studio video quiz questions from your slides or notes, with explanations.

How to Make a Canvas Quiz from Notes

Draft Canvas quiz questions from your notes, with explanations, ready to export.

Canvas Extra Credit Quiz Guide

Draft extra credit quiz questions from your notes, with explanations and export options.

Frequently asked questions

Can I regrade a Canvas quiz after students have already submitted it?

Yes, Canvas lets instructors correct a question and regrade existing submissions. The exact steps depend on your quiz type and Canvas version, so follow your school's Canvas guide.

What makes a multiple-choice question worth regrading?

Questions with more than one defensible answer, vague wording, or distractors that are partly correct are the most common causes. Reviewing each option against the source material before release prevents most disputes.

Can DeckOwl export quizzes that Canvas can import?

The Pro plan exports QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML files, which many learning platforms accept. Check Canvas's import options for the quiz type you are using, since support varies.

How much does DeckOwl cost?

The free plan includes 3 generations per month with no exports. Plus is $99.90/year or $9.99/month, and students get 40% off with a school email.

Generate free quizzes

Keep exploring the topic

Review the main ideas visually or practice recalling them.