Cardinal Quiz Converter: General Documentation
The Cardinal Quiz Converter transforms plain text (.txt), Markdown (.md), Microsoft Word (.docx), and CSV (.csv) files into QTI format, which can be imported into both Canvas Classic and New Quizzes. Different file formats support different features, and some behaviors may vary between quiz engines.
This guide serves as the starting point, the general overview of the file formats, question types, considerations, and templates.
Looking for in-depth technical details? Refer to Cardinal Quiz Converter: Advanced Documentation
Where to Find the Cardinal Quiz Converter
Website
The Converter Tool can be located directly: Cardinal Quiz Converter - Canvas QTI File Converter
Canvas Integration
At UIW, the Cardinal Quiz Converter is natively integrated with Canvas. Instructors can convert supported files directly within their course and import the results without leaving Canvas. The upload experience mirrors the web version, eliminating the need to download converted files and re-upload them through course settings.
To access the Cardinal Quiz Converter from Canvas, open the Quizzes page in your course, select the Quiz index menu next to Quiz/Survey, and choose Cardinal Quiz Converter.
Note: The Canvas option is not available at other institutions and is only available in courses at UIW. If you do not work for UIW, you must use the website to convert.
How It Works
The quiz converter takes standard files and converts them into a QTI .zip format. The general flow works as follows:
- Review the documentation and/or work from one of the provided templates.
- Upload the quiz file (TXT, MD, CSV, or DOCX).
- The built-in validator scans the file and returns a report within a few seconds.
- If no errors are found, the Convert to QTI button appears and you can proceed.
- If errors are found, they are listed with line numbers so you can locate and fix them before re-uploading.
- Convert and download the QTI file.
File Format Overview
Choose the format that best fits your workflow:
-
TXT/Markdown (.txt, .md): Full feature support, human-readable, great for version control
-
Microsoft Word (.docx): Full feature support, familiar interface for most users
-
CSV (.csv): Supports all question types with basic formatting. Ideal for bulk question creation, but does not support feedback, question groups, or custom quiz settings.
Best Practices by Format
TXT/Markdown Files
- Best for complex quizzes with feedback and custom settings
- Human-readable and version control friendly
- When adding new questions, we recommend leaving a blank line between each question as depicted in the template. While an empty line is not necessary, it may help with formatting and editing
- Supports all question types and features
- Use consistent formatting for easier editing
Microsoft Word Files
- Familiar interface for most users
- Supports all question types and features
- When adding new questions, we recommend leaving a blank line between each question as depicted in the template. While an empty line is not necessary, it may help with formatting and editing
- Good for collaborative editing
- Ensure consistent formatting when copying from other sources
CSV Files
- Ideal for bulk creation of questions, especially multiple choice
- Easy to generate from databases or other systems
- Supports all question types (MC, MR, TF, NUM, NUMR, SA, ESSAY, UPLOAD)
- No feedback, question groups, or custom quiz settings supported
- Perfect for standardized test banks
Recommended Programs by File Type
TXT/MD
DOCX
CSV
Quick Reference: Format Markers
The converter identifies quiz elements by specific markers at the start of each line. Here's a quick reference:
Marker
Creates
Example
1. + space
New question
1. What is 2+2?
a) + space
Answer choice
a) Four
*a) + space
Correct answer
*a) Four
[*] or [ ]
Multiple answer checkbox
[*] Correct option
= + space
Numerical answer
= 42
* + space
Short answer option
* Paris
____
Essay response
____
^^^^
File upload
^^^^
... + space
General feedback
... Great job!
+ + space
Correct feedback
+ Correct!
- + space
Incorrect feedback
- Try again.
Supported Question Types
Question Type / Feature
TXT/MD
DOCX
CSV
Quiz Title and Description
Full Support
Full Support
Not Supported
Multiple Choice
Full Support
Full Support
Basic Support
True/False
Full Support
Full Support
Basic Support
Multiple Answer
Full Support
Full Support
Basic Support
Numerical
Full Support
Full Support
Basic Support
Short Answer/Fill in Blank
Full Support
Full Support
Basic Support
Essay
Full Support
Full Support
Basic Support
File Upload
Full Support
Full Support
Basic Support
Feedback Options
Full Support
Full Support
Not Supported
Question Groups
Full Support
Full Support
Not Supported
Custom Quiz Settings
Full Support
Full Support
Not Supported
CSV Limitations: Basic Support means a CSV can use the question type but without feedback, custom titles, question groups, or special formatting. Questions use default formatting and point values from column C only.
CSV Format StructureCSV files must follow this exact column structure:
Column
Purpose
Values
A
Question Type
MC, MR, TF, NUM, NUMR, SA, ESSAY, UPLOAD
B
Question Title (Optional)
Text label for the question, or leave empty
C
Points
0-100, up to 2 decimal places (e.g., 3.33)
D
Question Text
The question content
E
Correct Answer(s)
1-5 for MC/TF, multiple numbers for MR, exact values for NUM, ranges for NUMR, pipe-separated answers for SA, ____ for ESSAY, ^^^^ for UPLOAD
F-J
Answer Choices
Answer options (clear unused cells)
Quiz Title and Description
TXT/MD/DOCX Format:
Quiz title: Addition Quiz
Quiz description: A quiz to test basic addition.
- Optional—if omitted, the quiz is named "Quiz" and has no description
- Colons are required after "Quiz title" and "Quiz description"
- Must appear at the very beginning of the file, before any questions
- CSV format does not support custom quiz titles or descriptions—quizzes are titled "Quiz" after import
Multiple Choice Questions
Supported in: TXT, MD, DOCX, CSV
TXT/MD/DOCX Format1. What is the capital of Japan?
*a) Tokyo
b) Beijing
c) Seoul
d) Bangkok
- Mark the correct answer with an asterisk (
*) immediately before the letter: *a)
- Supports per-answer feedback
- No duplicate choices allowed
CSV Format
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
MC
5
What is the capital of Japan?
1
Tokyo
Beijing
Seoul
Bangkok
- Column E is the 1-based index of the correct choice (1 = F, 2 = G, etc.)
- No feedback support in CSV format
True/False Questions
Supported in: TXT, MD, DOCX, CSV
True/False questions use Multiple Choice formatting with True and False as the answer options.
TXT/MD/DOCX Format1. Water is liquid.
*a) True
b) False
- Mark the correct option with
* just like a standard multiple choice question
- Supports general, correct, and incorrect feedback
CSV Format
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
TF
Q5 True or False
1
Water is liquid.
1
TRUE
FALSE
- Use
TF in column A for True/False questions
- Use
1 for True, 0 for False in column E
- Put TRUE and FALSE in columns F and G
- No feedback support in CSV format
Multiple Answer Questions
Supported in: TXT, MD, DOCX, CSV
TXT/MD/DOCX Format1. Which of the following are fish?
[ ] Seal
[*] Shark
[*] Marlin
[ ] Orca
- Use brackets
[ ] for incorrect options, [*] for correct answers
- Requires at least one correct answer
- Correct/Incorrect feedback supported only in Classic Quizzes
CSV Format
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
MR
Q3 Multiple Answer
1
Which of the following are fish?
23
Seal
Shark
Marlin
Orca
- Use
MR in column A for Multiple Response
- List correct answer numbers in column E (e.g., "23" for answers 2 and 3). Commas or spaces are also accepted: "2,3" or "2 3"
- No feedback support in CSV format
Numerical Questions
Supported in: TXT, MD, DOCX, CSV
TXT/MD/DOCX Format1. What is 2+3?
= 5
2. What is a value between 10.5 and 12.0?
= [10.5, 12.0]
3. What is the square root of 2?
= 1.4142 +- 0.0001
Three formats are supported:
-
Exact:
= 5 or = 3.1416
-
Range:
= [10.5, 12.0]
-
Margin of error:
= 1.4142 +- 0.0001
- Classic Quizzes supports all three formats
- New Quizzes does not support Margin of Error values
- Avoid using feedback on Numerical questions—it causes QTI errors
CSV FormatExact Answer Example:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
NUM
Q7 Numerical Exact
1
What is 2+3?
5
Range/Margin of Error Example:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
NUMR
Q9 Numerical Range
1
What is the square root of 125?
11.18033989 +- 0.0001
- Use
NUM for exact numerical answers
- Use
NUMR for ranges or margin of error
- Put the answer/range in column E
- Leave choice columns F-J empty
Short Answer/Fill in the Blank
Supported in: TXT, MD, DOCX, CSV
TXT/MD/DOCX Format1. What is the capital of France?
* Paris
* paris
- List multiple acceptable answers, each on its own line beginning with
* and a space
- Imports as "Open Entry" in New Quizzes
- Dropdown and Word Bank must be set manually in Canvas after import
- Avoid using feedback on Short Answer questions—it causes QTI errors
CSV Format
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
SA
Q11 Short Answer
1
Where are we located?
UIW|San Antonio|Work|Office
- Use
SA in column A for Short Answer
- Separate multiple acceptable answers with pipe symbols (
|) in column E
- Leave choice columns F-J empty
Essay Questions
Supported in: TXT, MD, DOCX, CSV
TXT/MD/DOCX Format1. Describe the significance of the Renaissance.
____
- Use four underscores (
____) to indicate essay response area
- Only general feedback (
...) is supported
- Answer-specific feedback (
+ or -) causes conversion errors
CSV Format
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
ESSAY
Q13 Essay
1
Write an essay.
____
- Use
ESSAY in column A
- Put
____ in column E
- Leave choice columns F-J empty
File Upload Questions
Supported in: TXT, MD, DOCX, CSV
TXT/MD/DOCX Format1. Submit your lab report as a PDF file.
^^^^
- Use four carets (
^^^^) to indicate file upload
- Only general feedback (
...) is supported
CSV Format
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
UPLOAD
Q15 File Upload
1
Upload a file.
^^^^
- Use
UPLOAD in column A
- Put
^^^^ in column E
- Leave choice columns F-J empty
Feedback Options
Supported in: TXT, MD, DOCX only (CSV does not support feedback)
There are three types of feedback, each identified by a marker at the start of the line. Feedback lines are placed immediately after the element they apply to.
General FeedbackShown to all students regardless of their answer. Place directly after the question line (before answer choices) or after an individual answer choice.
1. What is 2 + 3?
... Remember to double-check your addition!
*a) 5
b) 4
Correct/Incorrect FeedbackShown based on whether the student answered correctly or incorrectly. Place after the question line, before answer choices.
1. What is 2 + 3?
+ Correct! Great job.
- Not quite. Try again.
*a) 5
b) 4
Answer-Specific FeedbackShown when a student selects a particular answer. Place directly after the answer choice it applies to.
1. Which is the sum of 2 and 3?
a) 6
... Close, but that's 2 times 3.
*b) 5
... Yes, that's correct!
c) 4
... Not quite—try adding instead of subtracting.
Feedback Compatibility
Question Type
General (...)
Correct/Incorrect (+/-)
Per-Answer (... after choice)
Multiple Choice
Classic + New
Classic + New
Classic + New
Multiple Answer
Classic only
Classic only
Not supported
Essay
Classic only
Not supported
Not supported
File Upload
Classic only
Not supported
Not supported
Numerical
Avoid—causes errors
Avoid—causes errors
Avoid—causes errors
Short Answer
Avoid—causes errors
Avoid—causes errors
Avoid—causes errors
Question Groups
Supported in: TXT, MD, DOCX only
Groups allow Canvas to randomly select a subset of questions to present to each student.
GROUP
pick: 2
points per question: 1
1. Question 1
*a) True
b) False
2. Question 2
*a) True
b) False
END_GROUP
-
pick: sets the number of questions shown to each student (defaults to 1)
-
points per question: sets the point value (defaults to 1)
- All questions in a group must be worth the same points
-
GROUP and END_GROUP must be in all caps, on their own lines, with no leading spaces
- CSV format cannot create question groups
Custom Quiz Settings
Supported in: TXT, MD, DOCX only
Settings must be placed at the top of the file, directly below the quiz description (if present) and before any questions. Use true or false values:
Quiz title: My Quiz
Quiz description: A sample quiz.
shuffle answers: true
show correct answers: true
one question at a time: false
can't go back: false
- Behavior may vary between Classic and New Quizzes
- Always preview imported quizzes to confirm settings
- CSV format cannot set custom quiz options
Validation
There is a built-in validation process that checks your file for formatting problems before conversion. This is designed to prevent the headaches of the unknown when something is wrong with your file.
How Validation Works
- Upload your quiz file (TXT, MD, CSV, or DOCX).
- The validator scans the file and returns a report within a few seconds.
- If no errors are found, the Convert to QTI button appears and you can proceed.
- If errors are found, they are listed with line numbers so you can locate and fix them.
Errors vs. Notes
-
Errors are problems that will prevent conversion or produce a broken quiz in Canvas. The converter will not proceed until all errors are resolved. Each error includes a line number to help you find the issue in your file.
-
Notes are advisory only. They flag things that may produce unexpected behavior in Canvas—for example, feedback that only works in Classic Quizzes, or files large enough to risk timing out. They will not block conversion.
Additional Options
-
Upload anyway: If you believe the validator has flagged a false positive, use the Upload anyway link in the error footer to bypass validation and submit your file directly to the converter. Use this as a last resort, as the conversion will likely still fail.
-
Error report: When errors are found, the Error report link downloads a
.txt file containing all errors and notes with line numbers, useful for sharing with a colleague or working through a long list of issues. This option is not shown when there are only notes to review.
For the full error reference with every possible error message, cause, and fix, see the Validation Documentation.
Common Formatting Mistakes
The following formatting mistakes are the most common issues seen in uploaded files.
Smart quotes & special charactersWord and Google Docs automatically convert straight quotes (") to curly/smart quotes. These can confuse the converter. If drafting in Word, copy your content into Notepad or TextEdit (plain text mode) first, then save as .txt.
Leading spacesQuestion numbers, answer choices, = signs, and GROUP / END_GROUP keywords must all start at column 1—no leading tabs or spaces. This is the single most common source of errors.
1. Question text ← wrong (leading spaces)
1. Question text ← correct
Missing spaces after markersEvery marker requires a space between it and the content that follows:
1.Question → 1. Question
*a)Answer → *a) Answer
=42 → = 42
...Feedback → ... Feedback
Asterisk placement for correct answerThe asterisk marks the correct answer and must immediately precede the letter—no spaces, placed before the parenthesis:
a)* Answer ← wrong (asterisk after parenthesis)
* a) Answer ← wrong (space between * and letter)
*a) Answer ← correct
Preview, Testing, and Templates
Once you've imported the QTI file into Canvas, it's recommended to always preview your quiz after import. If you encounter issues:
- Check for unsupported feedback types
- Validate formats for Numerical and Grouped questions
- Manually review question groups and custom settings
- Verify CSV column structure and data types
- Test with a small sample before bulk importing
Templates
Templates are available to download at the end of this page for each format to help you get started. Download the appropriate template, modify it with your content, and upload to ensure proper formatting.
Users utilizing an LLM (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, Gemini, etc.) for assistance should consider uploading the LLM_documentation.md file into the LLM to assist with formatting and document creation.