Adding a Test or Survey to a course – Showpad Help Center

One of the greatest resources in Showpad Coach is the ability to create custom tests and surveys to engage with your users. You can upload pre-configured content or build out assessments directly within Coach.

Tests can be used as simple knowledge checks based on lessons provided or as higher-level evaluations of each user’s ability to identify specific details of products and processes. You can award your learners a Certificate when they pass a course or complete a survey. Surveys operate similarly to tests, except users will not receive a score. Surveys are designed to collect answers and provide data. Tests can be graded or reset by admins and Managers using the My Team hub on the Web app.

To increase the long-term value of a course, it is possible to edit tests over time.

See how it works

Key features

Test users on relevant topics
Edit tests when the course changes
Gather data with a survey

You need this to succeed

A Showpad Coach admin account
A course in creation

See it in a flash

Choose to include a test or survey
Input questions and answers
Configure test or survey settings

Do this step by step

Create a Test manually
Create a Survey manually
Create a Survey or Test with a CSV file
Manage Test Reminders
Updating a Test

Create a Test manually

For each question, use the menu on the right-hand side to select a type.

Choose from these options:
Single selection: Enter multiple options with only one answer being correct. The user will only be able to select one answer as well. Select the circle next to the correct answer.
Multiple selection: Enter multiple options with more than one correct answer. The user will need to select ALL the correct answers. As no partial credit is given, they must successfully select each answer to receive credit. Click the circles next to all correct answers.
Text match: List all the correct answers in the fields. Any answers that match one of the options will be marked as correct.
Short answer: These are open-ended questions where the user will enter their answers into a text box. These question types are subjective and therefore require an admin to grade them and provide constructive feedback. As an admin, you will need to determine the weight of the score using a scale of 1-5 when assessing. When Managers are selected to review Short Answers, it will be the Manager assigned to the group, not the direct Manager.

Note: Save early, save often! Using the Save button will allow you to continue building the test as you work. The Save & Continue to Assignment button will save your work and take you to the next step where you can assign users.
Click Add Question to start a new one. You can also duplicate or delete any question by clicking the lower three dots in the right-hand corner.
Check the box if you wish to include an optional answer explanation. If used, they will appear during the review after a user has submitted their test for a score.
As you build questions, you will see the Test Settings menu appear to the right. Configure them accordingly, and when you’re done creating your test, click Save and Continue to Assignment.

Here are the Test Settings and what they mean by section:

Time to completion: Enter the approximate number of minutes a user can expect the test to take.
Passing score: Input the minimum percentage a user needs to answer correctly to complete the test.
Require passing score to pass course: Tick this box to indicate that the user needs to score at or above the passing score
Require passing score if prerequisite: Select this option if this test must be passed before going to the next assignment.
Set test attempt limit: Input the number of times a user can take the test before passing or failing.
Retake only incorrect responses: If more than one test attempt is permitted, you can configure this setting so that users only redo the questions they got wrong.
Set test time limit: When checked, input the number of minutes the user has to complete the test. The test will lock when the allotted time expires.
Randomize question delivery: When checked, questions will appear in a different order for each user.
Lock test until user completes all previous modules: Select this option if the test should not be started until previously assigned course content is complete.
Assign Reviewers: For tests with short answer questions, a reviewer needs to be assigned. Select either managers or admins to review relevant tests.
Assign due date: Tick this box to give reviewers a deadline to score tests that contain short answers. Choose the number of days after a user submits a test for when you want the test review to be due.
Award Certification: Give users proof they passed with a customized certificate they can download and print
Allow awarding certificate after due date: When checked, users will get their certificate no matter when they complete the test.

Create a Survey manually

A survey collects data from your users without assigning them a score. For each question, use the menu on the right-hand side to select a type.

Choose from the following:
Single selection: Enter multiple options with only one answer being correct. The user will only be able to select one answer as well. Select the circle next to the correct answer.
Multiple selection: Enter multiple options with more than one correct answer. The user will need to select ALL the correct answers. As no partial credit is given, they must successfully select each answer to receive credit. Click the circles next to all correct answers.
Short answer: These are open-ended questions where the user will enter their answers into a text box. These question types are subjective and therefore require an admin to grade them and provide constructive feedback. As an admin, you will need to determine the weight of the score using a scale of 1-5 when assessing.

Note: Save early, save often! Using the Save button will allow you to continue building the test as you work. The Save & Continue to Assignment button will save your work and take you to the next step where you can assign users.
Click Add Question to start a fresh one. You can also duplicate or delete any question by clicking the lower three dots in the upper right-hand corner of the survey builder.

Answer explanations are optional for your questions. If used, your comments will appear during the review after a user has submitted their survey.
As you build questions, the Survey Settings menu appears to the right. Configure the settings to your preference, and when you’re done creating your test, click Save and Continue to Assignment.

Here are the Survey Settings and what they mean:
Time to completion: Enter the approximate number of minutes a user can expect the test to take.
Set survey time limit: When checked, input the number of minutes the user has to complete the survey. The survey will lock when the allotted time expires.
Randomize question delivery: When checked, questions will appear in a different order for each user.
Lock survey until user completes all previous modules: Select this option if the survey should not be started until previously assigned course content is complete.
Award Certification: Give users proof they completed the survey with a customized certificate they can download and print.
Allow awarding certificate after due date: When checked, users will get their certificate no matter when they complete the survey.

Create a Survey or a Test with a CSV file

Instead of adding questions individually to a test or survey, you can upload a .csv containing all the questions and answers.

Note: Find a sample CSV template for your Tests and Surveys at the bottom of this article.

Prepare your .csv based on the following guidelines:

Question content

Explanation

Question Type

Answer / Weight

Answer

Write your question.

Write a short explanation if necessary.

This field is optional and can be left blank.

Choose a question type between:

Single Selection,

Multiple Selection,

Text Match,

Short Answer.

Depending on the question type, this column is used to write an answer (for Single Selection, Multiple Selection, and Text Match) or the weight of the answer from 1 to 5 (for a Short Answer).

For Single Selection, Multiple Selection, and Text Match, you can add as many answers as you want in the following columns.

Note:
- Add an asterisk before the right answer(s) (e.g., *Correct Answer) to inform which answer is correct for Single Selection and Multiple Selection.
- You can find a template CSV file attached to this article to use as a reference.

Add a Test or Survey block to your Course in the Course Builder, click the three dots in the upper right, and select Upload .csv.
If you have already written questions in your survey or test, a prompt will let you know that any currently filled questions will be deleted and replaced with the data from your file. Click Continue.
Upload your file.
In this window, you can also download a sample file template to use as a reference.
The questions and answers will automatically be imported. If it is not the case, click Upload new file to import them.

Manage Test Reminders

You can define automatic reminders for tests that need to be completed.

Click the settings gear icon in the Online Platform and select Admin Settings.
Select Messaging from the lefthand menu and scroll down to the Coaching Messaging section. Choose the default reminder frequency between Never, Semi-Monthly, Weekly or Daily, then click Save.

Updating a Test

When a test is published, you can edit it later when a course must be updated. To update a test, click the module and update the question type and values.