How to set Assessment properties

QuestionMark (QM) Perception Authoring Manager allows assessment properties to be set in two ways:

  1. directly by authors within Authoring Manager
  2. indirectly using template files.

It should be noted that while a small set of settings can be changed directly within Authoring Manager, a much wider range of settings can be changed indirectly within template files. This document provides a summary of properties and settings that can be easily changed by authors within Authoring Manager and a reference to how commonly requested configuration changes can be made to assessments via template files.

1. Assessment properties which can be set directly by authors

The following assessment properties can be set directly in Authoring Manager:

Assessment properties directly set by authors
Property Means by which property is set Screenshot
Time limit In Authoring Manager, click ‘Edit Assessment Settings’ then set ‘Time limit’ and enter a numerical time limit (minutes) in the field below. Setting a time limit
Secure delivery

In Authoring Manager, click ‘Edit Assessment Settings’ and select ‘Exam’ or Test’...

 Setting an assessment type
... then click ‘Security’ in order to access the QMS setting... click ‘Security’ in order to access the QMS setting

... and set ‘Require Questionmark Secure’.

 set ‘Require Questionmark Secure’
Open access In Authoring Manager, click ‘Edit Assessment Settings’ then click ‘Security’ in order to access the Open setting ... click ‘Security’ in order to access the QMS setting
... and set ‘Allow open access to assessment’. set ‘Allow open access to assessment’

2. Assessment properties settable via templates

The following templates should be used to select properties which cannot yet be controlled directly by authors via Authoring Manager controls.

Properties settable via templates
Means for setting template properties Screenshot
In Authoring Manager, click ‘Edit Assessment Settings’ then click the ‘Template file for assessment’ caret for a list. Choosing a template

Note that although QM Perception provides a set of sample templates the University provides a set of customised templates which are recommended for use within the University and are easily recognisable by the prefix ‘soton-’ as in the example above. All template files have the filetype suffix ‘.template’.

Template types

There are two main types of template:

  1. those which present each question in a block on a separate screen are called question-by question (‘qxq’) templates. Navigation between questions in the same block is via a navigator bar located vertically at the right-hand side by default or horizontally if required
  2. scrollable list (‘list’) templates which present all the questions in a block on the same scrollable screen. Navigation between questions in the same block is via a mouse-driven scroll bar located on the right-hand edge of the screen.
1. Question-by-question templates
QxQ template properties Template name
score shown, vertical navigator bar soton-qxq
score shown, vertical navigator bar, manual save button (‘sav’) soton-qxq-sav
score shown, horizontal navigator bar (‘hnb’) soton-qxq-hnb
score hidden (‘hid’), vertical navigator bar soton-qxq-hid
score hidden (‘hid’), vertical navigator bar, manual save button (‘sav’) soton-qxq-hid-sav
2. Scrollable list templates
List template properties Template name
score shown soton-list
score hidden (‘hid’) soton-list-hid
score shown, manual save button (‘sav’) soton-list-sav
score hidden (‘hid’), manual save button (‘sav’) soton-list-hid-sav
score hidden (‘hid’), survey format (‘survey’) soton-list-hid-survey