# Exams

> How to create a multiple-choice exam, set the minimum score and the attempts, and what passing opens. With the most common errors.

An exam is a multiple-choice questionnaire that the student takes in a lesson. Each question has one correct answer, and Cademí grades it automatically. Passing can open a module, open the certificate and give points.

## The idea in one minute

- The **exam** belongs to the product, in the **Exams** tab. The student sees it only in a lesson.
- The **attempt** is each time the student takes the exam. It ends when the student submits all the answers or when the time runs out.
- **Passing** is what opens things: a module, the certificate, the points.

**The most important rule:** finishing the exam completes the lesson, also on a fail. A student with 100% progress can have failed. Only passing opens drip content, the exam-based certificate and the exam points.

## How it works

An exam shows in a lesson when the lesson has the **Format** **Exam** and that exam selected. See [Modules and lessons](https://help.cademi.cloud/en/conteudo/modulos-e-aulas.md). The same exam can show in more than one lesson.

### Score and passing

The score is the share of questions the student got right, from 0 to 100.

- **With a minimum score** (**Require minimum score** on): the student passes when the score is equal to or above the **Minimum score to pass**. The lesson page shows the score and whether the student passed or failed.
- **With no minimum score**: finishing the exam counts as passing for drip content, the certificate and the points. The score shows only if **Show result to student** is on.

Cademí keeps the minimum score with the result when the attempt ends. If you change the questions, the correct answer or the minimum score later, old results do not change. To assess those students again, remove the result and let them retake the exam.

### Time limit

**Time limit** is a number of minutes, counted from the start of the attempt. With 0 or blank, there is no limit.

When the time runs out:

1. The attempt closes with the score of the answers given until then.
2. The lesson is completed.
3. That score decides if the student passed.

On an exam with no minimum score, the student sees "Did not finish within the time limit".

### Retakes

| Setting | What the student can do |
|---|---|
| **Allow exam retake** off | One attempt only. The lesson gives no second chance |
| On, with a minimum score | A student who failed can start again |
| On, and **Allow even after passing** also on | A student who passed can also start again |

The new attempt replaces the previous one. The score that counts is the score of the new attempt. To give another chance with retakes off, remove the result in the student's profile (below).

The cycle of an attempt, on an exam with a minimum score:

```mermaid
stateDiagram-v2
    accTitle: The cycle of an attempt
    accDescr: The student starts the exam and the attempt is in progress. When they submit every answer or time runs out, the score decides whether they passed or failed. With Allow exam retake on, whoever failed can start again; whoever passed, only with Allow even after passing on.
    state "In progress" as Andamento
    state "Passed" as Aprovado
    state "Failed" as Reprovado
    state nota <<choice>>
    [*] --> Andamento: Start test
    Andamento --> nota: Submits everything or time runs out
    nota --> Aprovado: Score at or above the minimum
    nota --> Reprovado: Score below the minimum
    Reprovado --> Andamento: Retake, with Allow exam retake
    Aprovado --> Andamento: Retake, with Allow even after passing
```

With no minimum score, finishing is passing, and there is no failed path. In both cases, **Remove result** in the student's profile sends the exam back to the start.

### What the student sees during and after

In the **Replies** panel of the exam:

- **Show the correct answer**: after each confirmed question, shows the correct answer, also when the student got it wrong.
- **Show whether the answer was correct**: tells only right or wrong. It does not show the correct answer.
- **Allow going back to the previous question**: shows a button to review and change a confirmed answer, before the end.
- **Show answer key to approved students**: at the end, a student who passed sees the list of questions, with right and wrong answers.
- **Also show to students who did not pass**: a student who failed also sees that list. It works on its own, also with the previous switch off.

The answer key at the end shows only when the exam has a minimum score.

## Step by step

### Create the exam and its questions

1. Open the product in **Content > Products**.
2. Click the **Exams** tab.
3. Click **New exam**.
4. Fill in **Exam title** and click **Create**.

The exam screen opens with the window of the first question.

5. Fill in the **Statement**.
6. If you want, add a **Question video** (the full link) and a **Question image** (JPG or PNG up to 800kb).
7. In **Answers**, write at least two answers.
8. Mark the **Correct answer**. To add more answers, click **Add answer**.
9. Click **Save and create another** to go to the next question, or **Save** to close.

In the **Questions** tab, each question is a card with its number of answers. **Expand all** opens all the cards. The search filters by question or answer. **Edit question** and **Delete question** are on the card.

A deleted question goes to the **Trash** of the exam, and you can restore it. The next attempt uses only the active questions.

### Configure the exam

In the **Settings** tab of the exam:

| Panel | Fields |
|---|---|
| **Exam** | **Title** and **Time limit** (minutes) |
| **Assessment** | **Require minimum score**, **Minimum score to pass** (%) and **Show result to student** |
| **Attempts** | **Allow exam retake**, **Allow even after passing** and **Wait time between attempts**: how many minutes the student waits, after an attempt ends, before a retake (with 0 or blank, the retake is right away) |
| **Questions** | **Select questions at random** with **Questions per attempt**, and **Shuffle answers** |
| **Replies** | The switches of the previous section |

- With random selection on, each attempt gets the selected number of questions. The score counts only those questions.
- **Shuffle answers** changes only the order of the answers.

Click **Save now** in the footer bar. Nothing applies before you save.

### Put the exam in a lesson

1. On the **Lessons** screen of the product, create or open a lesson in the correct module.
2. In **Format**, choose **Exam**.
3. Choose the exam.
4. Publish the lesson.

The student sees **Start test** in this lesson.

### Use passing to open something

- **A module or a lesson.** In the **Drip content** tab, use the **Passing an exam** rule. The exam can belong to another product. See [Drip content](https://help.cademi.cloud/en/conteudo/conteudo-programado.md).
- **The certificate.** In the **Certificate** tab, in **Available in**, choose **On passing an exam**. See [Certificates](https://help.cademi.cloud/en/conteudo/certificados.md).

### See and remove a student's result

In the student's profile, the **Exams** tab lists each exam the student took. Each row shows **Date**, **Score**, the number of attempts and the status: **Passed**, **Failed** or **In progress**.

- **View answer sheet** shows, question by question, the student's answer and whether it was right.
- **Remove result** deletes the result. The exam lesson goes back to not watched, Cademí removes the passing points and the student can retake the exam. A certificate already issued stays valid.

See [Student profile](https://help.cademi.cloud/en/alunos/perfil-do-aluno.md). There is no manual grading and no score adjustment: the score is the score of the attempt.

## Good to know

- **Deleting an exam keeps the students' results.** Cademí does not let you delete the exam while it is in use. In use means: a lesson shows the exam, the product's certificate uses it or a release schedule points to it. The message tells which one and takes you there.
- **Incomplete attempt.** An attempt with blank answers stays open (**In progress**). The lesson is completed only when the student submits everything or the time runs out.
- **The same exam in two lessons.** Finishing the exam in one lesson does not complete the other at once. The other lesson is completed when the student opens it.
- **A true restart.** A progress reset does not delete the attempt. The module that this exam opened stays open, and the exam lesson goes back to completed when the student opens it. For a true restart, remove the result.
- **Points.** Passing gives points once per exam. Removing the result takes those points away. A new pass gives the points again, at the value in effect at that time.
- **Exam from another account.** In an account synced from another one, the exam has the **Replica** badge and opens read-only.

## Frequently asked questions

**The student failed and retakes are off. How do I give another chance?** In the student's profile, **Exams** tab, click **Remove result**.

**The student passed and wants to take it again for a better score.** Turn on **Allow even after passing**, or remove the result. The new score replaces the old one.

**The student has 100% progress, but the next module did not open.** The student finished the exam but did not pass. Finishing completes the lesson; only passing opens the module.

**I fixed the answer key of a question. Do old scores change?** No. If those students must be assessed with the new key, remove their result.

**The exam does not show for the student.** Check that a published lesson has the **Format** **Exam** with this exam selected. Also check that drip content keeps the lesson open.