Purpose

This tutorial demonstrates how to create separate sections within a quiz or exam and add both random and specifically selected questions from the Question Bank.

Background

There are several reasons why adding separate sections can make it easier for your students to navigate an exam. For example, if your exam covers a few textbook chapters, the Section Headings will provide at-a-glance information on which of the questions align with a given chapter.

Sections, along with random & specific questions, can be used together or separately. Each feature can also be combined with other quiz options, such as question shuffling.

Procedure

Create a Quiz with Multiple Sections

Quiz sections allow instructors to organize questions into distinct topic areas, chapters, or categories. Section headings in the quiz navigation panel help students understand the assessment's structure and navigate related groups of questions.

Before You Begin

If you plan to add random questions from your question bank, it is recommended that your questions are organized into categories.

View Question Bank Categories

Open your Moodle course.
From the course navigation menu, select More > Question bank.
From the dropdown menu at the top of the page, select Categories.
Review the available question categories.

Question Bank Categories Page with Categories labeled and organized.

Questions stored in categories can be used when adding random questions to a quiz.

Create a New Quiz

Return to your course homepage.
Turn Edit mode on.
In the desired course section, select the Plus (+) icon and choose Activity or Resource from the dropdown.
Choose Quiz.
Enter a name for the quiz.
Configure any additional quiz settings as needed.
Select Save and display.

You will be taken to the quiz page, where you can add questions.

Add Questions from a Question Category

Select Questions from the quiz navigation tabs or click Add question.
Select Add > Random question.
Choose the category containing the questions you want to use. Click on Apply filter or Show All.
Enter the number of random questions to add.
Select Add random question.

Moodle dialog window for adding a random question, showing the category selection menu and the Add random question button. Arrow pointing to category selection "Choose the Category from the dropdown menu then click on Apply filters." Arrow pointing to Number of random questions "Select how many random questions you want to add to the quiz from this category."

Rename a Section Heading

After adding questions, you can edit the section heading.

Locate the pencil icon above the questions.
Enter a descriptive name for the section.
Press Enter to save.

Moodle quiz editing page displaying a section labeled Chapter 1 with several random questions added from the question bank.

Add Additional Question Sections

To create another section:

Select Add at the bottom of the question list.
Choose Random question.
Select a different category.
Add the desired number of random questions.

Create a New Section Heading

To separate groups of questions into different sections:

Select Add where you want the new section to begin.
Choose A new section heading.
Select the pencil icon next to the new heading.
Enter a title.
Press Enter to save.

The new heading will organize the questions that follow it.

Moodle quiz editing page showing two section headings, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, organizing groups of quiz questions.

Add Specific Questions from the Question Bank

Instead of using random questions, you can manually choose specific questions.

Select Add > From question bank.
Select the category containing the questions you want to use. Click on Show all or Apply filters.
Check the questions you wish to add.
Select Add selected questions to the quiz.

Moodle question bank selection window with a category dropdown and a list of questions, highlighting the option to Add selected questions to the quiz.

Organize Questions into Multiple Sections

You can continue adding section headings between groups of questions to create a well-organized quiz structure.

Example:

Marine Animals
Marine Ecosystems
Ocean Conservation

Each heading groups related questions together and improves quiz navigation for students.

Preview the Quiz

To see how the quiz appears to students:

Open the quiz.
Select Preview quiz.

In the quiz navigation panel, section headings are displayed along with the number of questions contained within each section.

Moodle course page displaying a previewed quiz with the Quiz navigation panel open, showing multiple organized sections within the quiz.

This organization makes it easier for students to navigate quizzes that cover multiple topics or chapters.

Additional Notes

Section headings do not affect grading.
Questions can be moved between sections by dragging and dropping them within the quiz editing page.
Random questions can help create unique quiz attempts for students while maintaining consistent topic coverage.
Sections are especially useful for chapter exams, cumulative assessments, and topic-based quizzes.

For additional assistance with Moodle quizzes, please contact the Moodle support team.

Quiz: Customization