Answer Keys in CoGrader let you define the correct responses for your quiz questions. They power automatic grading, feedback, and analytics. You can create them at the time of assignment setup, attach them to an existing assignment, or create standalone answer keys to reuse later.
How Answer Keys Work
An Answer Key is a set of correct answers with optional scoring and feedback.
They can be:
Multiple-choice (select correct options)
Short answer (provide example answers or criteria)
Custom scoring (assign points per question)
CoGrader uses the Answer Key to grade student submissions and generate feedback automatically.
Creating a New Answer Key
You can create an Answer Key directly from the dashboard.
From the home screen, click “Create Answer Key”.
You’ll see three options:
Upload a file (PDF, DOCX, TXT, CSV, or even an empty file). CoGrader will extract or infer the answers.
Create manually — add your own questions and answers one by one.
Select from your list — reuse a key you already created.
After uploading an answer key, CoGrader automatically generates the questions and answers for you. Before saving, you’ll have the option to review and make any edits, such as adjusting scores, question types, or correcting answer choices.
Once saved, the Answer Key will appear in your Rubrics & Answer Keys library.
Adding an Answer Key During Assignment Creation
When you create a new quiz assignment:
Click Grade Quiz.
During setup, you’ll be prompted to attach an Answer Key.
You can either:
Upload a new file for automatic extraction,
Create it manually, or
Select an existing Answer Key from your library.
This makes sure your quiz is linked to the right key from the start.
Editing or Changing an Answer Key in an Existing Assignment
If you already have an assignment created but need to update the Answer Key (or swap it out):
Open the assignment you want to update.
In the Answer Key section (top left), click the pencil icon next to the current Answer Key.
Choose to:
Edit the existing Answer Key (change answers, update choices, etc.), or
Replace it with another saved Answer Key from your library.
This allows you to fix mistakes, adjust for different versions of a test, or change the grading scheme without recreating the entire assignment.
Managing Answer Keys in Your Library
All your saved Answer Keys live in the Rubrics & Answer Keys section. From here, you can:
View all keys you’ve created.
Reuse them in multiple assignments.
Edit or delete them when no longer needed.
Share them with colleagues.
This makes it easy to keep your grading consistent across different classes and tests.
Tip: If your quiz doesn’t have fixed answers (like open-ended discussion prompts), you can still create an “empty” Answer Key (Not a blank doc, but a doc with just the questions). This allows you to move forward and let CoGrader infer the answers.