Step 1: Create a new assessment

Use this article to create a new assessment. It covers the new-assessment dialog: the basic fields and the optional advanced settings.

Open the dialog

Open Assessments in the main menu, then select + Add assessment. The new-assessment dialog opens.

You can reopen this dialog later from the three-dot menu on the assessment dashboard.

Basic fields

1. Type:
   • Regular: a fresh new assessment.
   • Based on template: copies the options and publish settings from an existing assessment. Questions still need to be selected.
2. Title: the name of the assessment.
3. Code: an identifier for the assessment. Does not need to be unique across the platform.
4. I want to be able to print this assessment: tick if you need the paper / OMR-form output. See Paper-based exam printing.
5. Purpose:
   • Formative: low-stakes learning assessment.
   • Summative: high-stakes outcome-deciding assessment.
   • Mixed: contains both kinds of items.
6. Question selection method:
   • Manual: you pick items by hand.
   • Blueprint: Cirrus picks items by learning objective and taxonomy.
7. Select Save to land on the assessment dashboard, or Show advanced options to set more first.

Advanced settings

Assessment active

• Always: the assessment is always available for scheduling, until archived.
• Set time span: only schedulable within a window.

Example: an assessment to be scheduled only in 2023. Set a time span covering 2023; from 1 January 2024 schedulers stop seeing it. See Setting an active time frame for scheduling.

Integration (External ID)

A unique ID used when integrations create schedules. When an integration calls the schedule API, it identifies the assessment by this ID. Leave blank if you do not use integrations.

Available for scheduling by

Add one or more hierarchies or clusters. Schedulers in those groups can schedule this assessment. Without a hierarchy, only you can schedule it.

After picking, select the preview icon to see exactly which users have scheduling access.

After saving

You land on the assessment dashboard with the Steps to take checklist:

1. Name (done).
2. Step 2: Options.
3. Step 3: Question selection or Blueprint.
4. Step 4: Forms.
5. Step 5: Publish.

Related articles

• Quick guide: create an assessment
• Assessment dashboard
• Assessments overview
• Step 2: Assessment options
• Step 5: Publish an assessment