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How the Moodle quiz adaptive mode setting works

Teachers who want students to correct mistakes within one attempt need to understand Moodle quiz adaptive mode settings. In this mode, a student who answers incorrectly can usually try again after seeing feedback, and each extra try can reduce the mark through a penalty factor set on the question.

Adaptive mode allows more than one try per question within the same attempt.
The penalty factor sets how much mark is lost for each extra try.
Hints, when enabled on a question, can also reduce the mark.
Adaptive mode (no penalties) lets students retry without losing marks.

Example Moodle adaptive mode questions for practice

In Moodle adaptive mode, what can a student do after a wrong answer?Try again within the same attempt after seeing feedback, with a penalty deducted for each extra try.

How does adaptive mode (no penalties) differ from adaptive mode?Students can retry within the attempt without losing marks, because no penalty is deducted for extra tries.

Where is the question behaviour set for a Moodle quiz?In the quiz settings, under the question behaviour section, using the How questions behave option.

What does a penalty factor control in Moodle adaptive mode?The fraction of the question's mark deducted for each additional try, set on the individual question.

Can hints be used in Moodle adaptive mode?Yes, if the question has hints, and using a hint also reduces the mark, because the hint cost is part of the penalty.

Generate the full set

Multiple-choice, true/false and open questions

Generate each question type from the material you already teach, with an explanation attached to every answer.

Explanations students can learn from

Each question includes a short explanation, so feedback between retries tells students why an answer was wrong.

Export for Moodle XML on Pro

Pro exports Moodle XML and QTI 2.1, so you can import the question bank into your course and set the behaviour yourself.

How it works

Upload your material

Add a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, plain text notes or photos of pages. Text in images is read with text recognition.

Choose question types and review

Pick multiple-choice, true/false or short answer, then check each question and explanation before you export.

Import into Moodle and set the behaviour

Import the questions, then choose adaptive mode or adaptive mode (no penalties) in the quiz question behaviour settings.

The question bank matters as much as the setting. Questions with clear, specific explanations give students useful feedback between tries, while vague distractors make the retries less helpful. Build the bank from your own lecture material so the questions match what you actually taught.

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Frequently asked questions

How many questions should a Moodle adaptive quiz include?

There is no fixed number. Match the count to the time you want students to spend and to the number of topics the quiz covers.

What penalty should I use in adaptive mode?

Moodle sets the penalty per question, and one third is a common default for multiple-choice questions. Adjust it based on how many options each question has and how much retrying you want to allow.

Can I export questions to Moodle XML?

Yes, Moodle XML and QTI 2.1 export are included in the Pro plan. PDF, DOCX and Anki export are available on the Plus plan.

Do I need a credit card to start?

No. The free plan includes 3 generations per month and lets you study in the browser, with no credit card required.

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