Working with Quizzes in Canvas

This article covers important information about migrating Moodle quizzes to Canvas and using quizzes in Canvas. 

Classic Quizzes vs. New Quizzes

Canvas Quiz Engines

Canvas has two quiz engines: Classic Quizzes, and New Quizzes.

Classic Quizzes is Canvas's original quiz engine. In 2018, Instructure deployed New Quizzes and will eventually retire Classic Quizzes. As a result, while Classic Quizzes still operates in Canvas, Instructure does not make functional improvements to the tool. There has been no definitive date set for discontinuing Classic Quizzes, but Teaching and Learning Technologies recommends using New Quizzes in your Canvas courses.

Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes Feature Overview

Feature Classic Quizzes New Quizzes
Overall status Legacy quiz tool Newer, upgraded quiz tool
Question creation Questions are created directly within the quiz Questions are created in the Build interface
Question storage Uses question banks Uses item banks
Question types Includes common types such as multiple choice, true/false, matching, essay, and fill-in-the-blank Includes Classic question types plus additional types such as categorization, ordering, hot spot, and stimulus
Question organization Uses question groups and question banks Uses item banks and stimulus questions; does not use Classic Quiz question groups
Moderation and accommodations Basic options More advanced moderation and accommodation tools
Scoring Score is based directly on the points assigned to questions Can scale the quiz score to the total points assigned to the quiz
Analytics and reporting Supports tools such as SpeedGrader and CSV exports Provides updated reporting and quiz analysis features, though available options may differ
Migration Can be migrated to New Quizzes, but some settings or question types may require review Conversion is not always completely reversible; some New Quiz question types may not transfer back to Classic Quizzes

 

Which Quiz Engine Should I use?

New Quizzes is recommended for the following reasons:

  • A larger variety of quiz question types
  • Better accommodations functionality
  • Enhanced quiz and question sharing between course instructors
  • Optional alignment with course outcomes
  • Continuous updates and improvements

How can I tell if my quiz is a Classic Quiz or a New Quiz?

In the Quizzes tab of your Canvas course, look at the rocket icon next to the quiz name:

  • A rocket icon that is only an outline is a Classic Quiz
  • A rocket icon that is completely solid is a New Quiz

Assignment quizzes in Canvas with rocketship icons outlined in red. A rocketship outline indicates a Classic Quiz, and the solid rocketship indicates a New Quiz.

Migrating a Classic Quiz to a New Quiz

What should I do if I have Classic Quizzes in my course?

  • While the Classic Quizzes still work, it's recommended to migrate any Classic Quizzes to New Quizzes. This provides you with a consistent quiz building and moderation experience, and provides students with a consistent quiz-taking experience. 

How do I migrate a quiz?

  • Check/Edit the Quiz Type:
    • Before you migrate your Classic Quiz, check the Quiz Type to make sure you have the right quiz type selected. Once the quiz is migrated to a New Quiz, the quiz type cannot be changed. 
    • To edit the quiz type, click into your Classic Quiz. Select the Edit button the upper right hand side of the page. Scroll down to the Quiz Type dropdown menu and select the type from the list (Practice Quiz, Graded Quiz, Graded Survey, Ungraded Survey). Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Save.

The Quiz Type dropdown list with Practice Quiz selected.

  • After verifying the quiz type, you can migrate your Classic Quiz to a New Quiz. Click the three dots to the right of the quiz name and select Migrate. This will create a copy of your quiz in the New Quiz format. 

Migrating Question Banks to Item Banks

In Canvas, Classic Quizzes stores questions in Question Banks. New Quizzes stores questions in Item Banks. Canvas does not let you use Question Bank questions in New Quizzes or Item Bank questions in Classic quizzes, so it's a good idea to know where your questions are stored. Because New Quizzes is the recommended quiz engine, we suggest moving any Question Bank questions into Item Banks.  

Viewing your Question Banks

  • To view your Question Banks, select the Quiz tab in the course navigation on the left side of the Canvas page. This will open the Quizzes area and display any quizzes you have created in your course. 

The Canvas course navigation with Quizzes selected.

  • Find and select the three dots to the right of the +Quiz/Survey button the top right side of the Quiz page. Select Manage Question Banks. This will display a list of Question Banks from your course.  

The Quizzes page with the Quiz dropdown menu displayed and "Manage Question Banks" selected.

Viewing your Item Banks

 

  • To view your Item Banks, select Item Banks from the Course Navigation menu on the left. This takes you to the Banks page, where you can see a list of Item Banks shared with your course. 

The Item Banks workspace in Canvas, displaying several item banks. Item Banks is selected in the course navigation to the left.

Migrating Question Banks to Item Banks

  • In order to use Classic Quiz questions in your New Quizzes, your Question Banks must be migrated to Item Banks. 
  • To migrate your question banks you will need to do a course copy of your question banks back into your course. 
  • Open your Canvas Course. On the right of the Home page, select Import Existing Content. 
  • Under Select Content Type, select Copy a Canvas Course.

Canvas “Import Content” page with the “Select Content Type” dropdown expanded. The menu includes options such as Canvas Course Export Package, Copy a Canvas Course, Angel, Blackboard, Common Cartridge, D2L, and Moodle formats; “Copy a Canvas Course” is highlighted.

  • Under Search for a course, type the name of the course you are in (1). Select the course from the list, and select the Select specific content radio button (2). Click the Add to Import Queue button (3). 

Canvas “Copy a Canvas Course” screen showing a course selected, the “Select specific content” option chosen, and numbered callouts highlighting the course search, content selection, and “Add to Import Queue” button.

  • You will be prompted to select content to copy. Select the Select Content button. 

Canvas “Content Imports” page showing a course copy from “B. Kloepfer Sandbox 1.” The import status is “Waiting for selection,” and the “Select content” button is highlighted with a blue outline in the Action column.

  • In the Select Content for Import box, select Question Banks. Additionally, you can select the Quizzes category or individual quizzes if you want to migrate them to New Quizzes. Select the Select Content button. 

Canvas “Select Content for Import” dialog showing course content categories, including Course Settings, Syllabus Body, Assignments, Quizzes, and Question Banks. The Question Banks category is selected, and the “Select Content” button is highlighted.

  • Canvas will complete the course copy. Your question banks will appear in the Item Banks area. Depending on the number and size of your question banks, it may take several minutes for all of them to appear. 

Canvas Item Banks page for “B. Kloepfer Sandbox 1.” It lists one item bank named “Vizslas,” containing three questions and updated and created on November 2, 2026. Options to view, share, edit, or delete the bank appear to the right.

Moodle to Canvas Quiz Migration

As you migrate your course content from Moodle to Canvas, it's helpful to understand where the migration process places your Moodle Quizzes and Question Banks. Use the table below for an overview on what happens to quizzes during migration. 

Moodle to Canvas Quiz Migration Canvas to Canvas Quiz Migration Creating a Quiz in Canvas
All quizzes migrated from Moodle will migrate into Canvas as Classic Quizzes. This is set by Instructure and cannot be changed by Elon Canvas administrators. When copying a Canvas course into a new Canvas shell, all quizzes—New or Classic—will migrate over as New Quizzes. Currently, the default quiz engine in Elon Canvas is set to New Quizzes. That means that any quizzes created from within Canvas will be set to New Quizzes automatically.

Common Quiz Migration Problems

  • There are some common problems caused by migrating Moodle Quizzes into Canvas. Many of these problems are fixable without having to recreate entire banks of questions in Canvas. 
    • Canvas doesn't support some Moodle question types
    • Canvas creates individual questions for Moodle questions with multiple versions
    • Canvas questions display the same image for multiple questions, even if those images were different in Moodle
    • Question order is not retained after quiz migration
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