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Set Answer key for Auto-Grading

Learn how to set an answer key for auto-grading on all compatible question types

Neta Raz Studnitski avatar
Written by Neta Raz Studnitski
Updated over 3 weeks ago

Auto-Grading Compatible Questions

The following question types can be auto-graded by setting an answer key:

  • Categorize

  • Drag and Drop

  • Fill In The Blank

  • Free Response

  • Hot Spot

  • Hot Text

  • Inline Choice

  • Match Table Grid

  • Matching

  • Multiple Choice

  • Multiple Selection

  • Numeric

  • Resequence

  • Short Answer

  • True or False

Have a question about how Partial Credit scoring works with an answer key? Check out the articles for each question type! )

Set an Answer Key

Here's how to set an answer key for each question: 

Categorize:

Choose Categorize and type your items and categories. Create an answer key by dragging the items into the correct categories. By default, each item can be dragged into one category only. If you wish to associate the same item with more than one category, toggle on 'Reuse Answer Choices'.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Credit", the student's response must exactly match the answer key to be marked as correct.

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring in Categorize questions? Check out our article here.

Drag and Drop

Choose Drag and Drop, type your question and add the drop areas. Enter optional answers, and then set the answer key by dragging and dropping the correct answers into their corresponding drop areas. By default each answer choice can be dragged into one drop area only. If you wish to associate the same answer choice with more than one drop area, toggle on 'Reuse Answer Choices'.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Credit", the student's response must exactly match the answer key to be marked as correct.

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring in Drag and Drop questions? Check out our article here.

Fill In The Blank

Choose Fill In The Blank, type your question and add blanks where needed, you can select a text blank or a math blank. For each blank enter the corresponding accepted answer(s) in the correct answer key field(s). You can add as many correct answers for each blank as you want.

You can also toggle on 'Allow Partial Match' to give your students credit for answers that are close but not identical to the answer key(s) you entered. To learn more about Partial Match please see here.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Credit", all the student's responses to all blanks must match the answer keys for the question to be marked as correct.

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring in Fill In The Blank questions? Check out our article here.

Free Response:

Choose Free Response and type your question's prompt. In the correct answer key field, type in a word or phrase that you will accept as a correct answer. You can add multiple options to be accepted as correct answers.

If you want the answer key to be case sensitive - toggle on the button below the question.

You can also toggle on 'Allow Partial Match' to give your students credit for answers that are close but not identical to the answer key(s) you entered. To learn more about Partial Match please see here.

Hot Spot

Choose Hot Spot, type in your question, upload the background image and mark spots for possible answers on the image. To set the answer key click into the spot representing the correct answer and and checkmark it.

If there is more than one correct answer, toggle on "Allow Multiple Selections" and checkmark the other correct answers as well.

If you accidentally check-marked an incorrect spot, click into it again and use the trashcan icon to remove the checkmark.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Credit", all the student's responses must match the answer keys for the question to be marked as correct.

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring in Hot Spot questions? Check out our article here.

Hot Text

Choose Hot Text, type your question in the top bar, and then enter the text you want your students to interact with into the text box.

Highlight and then checkmark "hot text" every letter, word or sentence you'd like to add to the optional answers list for students to choose from. The item you selected will now be listed under the text as a possible answer choice. If you accidentally check marked the wrong item, highlight it again and un-check the box, or use the trashcan next to the item on the list below the text.

To set the answer key, checkmark the bubble next to the correct answer choice.

By default, only one answer key can be selected. If there are more than one correct answers, toggle on "Allow Multiple Selections" and check-mark the additional correct answers.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Credit", all the student's responses must match the answer keys for the question to be marked as correct.

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring in Hot Spot questions? Check out our article here.

Inline Choice

Choose Inline Choice and type in your question. Add a dropdown area where needed, and enter the answer choice options into the corresponding answer fields for each dropdown. To set the answer key, checkmark the bubble next to the correct answer for each dropdown.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Credit", all the student's responses must match the answer keys for the question to be marked as correct.

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring in Inline Choice questions? Check out our article here.

Match Table Grid

Choose Match Table Grid and build the matrix. To set the answer key, after entering your text items (rows) and answer choices (columns), checkmark the grid cell corresponding with the correct answer choice for each text item.

By default each text item could be associated with only one correct answer. If you want to allow multiple correct answers for each text item - toggle on 'Allow Multiple Selection'.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Credit", all the student's responses must match the answer keys for the question to be marked as correct.

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring in Match Table Grid questions? Check out our article here.

Matching:

Choose Matching and type your question. Make sure you list matching terms next to one another in the same row - this sets the answer key.  Formative will take care of scrambling them for your students! Students will be re-organizing the left-side column to match the right-side column.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Credit", the student's response must match all items correctly to be marked as correct. 

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring in Matching questions? Check out our article here.

Multiple Choice:

Choose Multiple Choice and type your question. Enter in answer choices and mark the bubble next to the correct answer.

Have you entered an answer choice that is only partially correct? You can toggle on 'Partial Credit' and enter the partial credit point value for each of the possible answer choices. If your student selects an incorrect answer that you've deemed as worth partial credit, they will receive that amount of points for their response.

Multiple Selection:

Choose Multiple Selection and type your question. Enter in answer choices and check mark the boxes next to all the correct answers.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Credit",  the student's response must exactly match the answer key to be marked correctly. 

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring in Multiple Selection questions? Check out the article here.

Numeric:

Choose Numeric and type your question. Click on 'Add a Correct Answer' and use the in-app math keyboard to enter the correct answer. You can add multiple correct answers - they will each count as a fully correct answer for grading purposes, unless you toggle on 'Allow Partial Credit' to give different correct answers only part of the score.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Equivalencies",  the student's response must exactly match one of the correct answers you entered to be marked as correct. 

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring or using Equivalencies? Check out the linked articles.

Resequence:

Choose Resequence and type your question. Enter the correct order of your options below the question, and the answer key is automatically created! The options will automatically shuffle for your students when they enter the formative.

(In the video, you will see what it looks like for your students in the Preview page, and how they can drag and drop the options in the correct order.)

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Credit",  the student's response must exactly match the answer key to be marked as correct. 

Have a question about Partial Credit scoring in Resequence questions? Check out our article about that here.

Short Answer: 

Choose Short Answer and type your question. Click 'Add a Correct Answer' and type the correct answer there. You can add multiple correct answers - they will each count as a fully correct answer for grading purposes, unless you toggle on 'Allow Partial Credit' to give different correct answers only part of the score.

*Please note that, unless you enable "Allow Partial Match",  the student's response must exactly match one of the answer key fields to be marked as correct. 

To learn more about Partial Match please see here.

True or False:

Choose True or False and type your question. Just like the Multiple Choice question, mark the bubble next to either True or False to define the correct answer for your answer key.

Testing the Answer Key

Once you've set your answer key, Formative will automatically grade your students' responses. You can see this on the activity's "Responses" tab. 

The auto-grading will be displayed also on the student responses gallery view:

If you'd like to test the answer key before assigning to students, use the Preview feature to interact with your activity as a student would. Your responses from the preview feature will show up on the "Responses" tab under "Teacher Preview" and will be auto-graded according to your answer key.

If you'd like the scores to be visible to students as well - whether instantly, after submission or after the formative is closed - make sure to set your 'Return Scores' setting accordingly when you assign the formative to your class

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