About

ShuffleMCQ is a tool for creating multiple versions of multiple-choice-question quizzes.

Step 1: Enter your MCQs

Input MCQ Format
Label Format
Validation

Step 2: Enter your Answer Key

Manual Entry
Bulk Entry

Step 3: Shuffle!

Shuffle Sections
Shuffle Questions
Shuffle Answers
Lock
Output

Vocab

Step 1: Enter your MCQs

Paste the entire text of your quiz into the Input MCQ text area.

By default, all pasted text will become plain text^*.

If you need to preserve an image or a table, open Input MCQ settings and select enable images, tables, lists ^⌵ under Input mode. This mode works best when pasting from a Google Doc. Inserted images will be preserved, but Google Drawings will not be.

If your MCQ is copied from a Google Doc, and your answers are formatted as Numbered list , the answer labels will not be preserved in the plain text mode. The enable images, tables, lists ^⌵ mode resolves this. If your MCQ is copied from a Word Doc or a PDF, numbered/lettered lists will work in the plain text mode.

You can also add formatting manually with HTML. To view an example, open Input MCQ settings and select Populate text area below with irregular format ^⌵ sample MCQs.

Input MCQ Format

The text consists of section header blocks and question blocks.

Emptyline

Each block must be separated from the next block by an emptyline.
An emptyline may include spaces or tabs, but no other text.
You can create an emptyline by pressing the enter or return key twice.

Section header

A section consists of one or more questions. A section header contains instructions for that set of questions.
May not begin with a number (or it could be mistaken for a question block).
If you don't have section headers, the entire input will be treated as one section.

Question block

Must consist of 1 question followed by between 2 and 5 answer choices.
Must begin with the question number.
Each answer must begin with the answer letter.

Emptylines are not allowed^* in the middle of a question block.

If you want an empty line in the middle of a question block, use HTML.

html	output
line 1<br><br>line 2	line 1 line 2

Label Format

A question label can be any number between 0 and 999.

An answer label is A, B, C, D, or E (lower-case is allowed).

Each label is preceded by a prefix and followed by a postfix, as defined by the Input MCQ settings


	−
	−
+

Each row defines one allowed prefix or postfix.

If your quiz uses a different format, click + in the settings and type in your own format in the new row.

↵	linebreak
•	one space or tab or linebreak
…	zero or more consecutive spaces/tabs/linebreaks
⇥	tab

If needed, copy a special character from this table and paste it into the settings.

These characters may also be used in Answer Key settings and Output settings.

Validation

After you input your MCQ and click , the Parsed MCQ table will appear on the right.

Visually scan^* the table to verify that it matches what you intended to enter.

If text in a cell is clipped, click on the cell to expand it. To expand all cells, mouse over the text table header, then click switch view

If you find any errors, go back to the Input MCQ text area or settings to fix them, then parse the MCQ again.

Step 2: Enter your Answer Key

Manual Entry

In the key column of the Parsed MCQ table, mark the checkbox next to the correct answer for each question. Multiple answers per question are allowed.

Bulk Entry

Alternatively, you can paste your entire answer key into the Answer Key text area.

Any format works, so long as the key contains the question number followed by its answer letter(s). Symbols other than 0123456789 and ABCDE and abcde will be ignored.

If your key includes numbers that are not question numbers or letters that are not answer letters, you can configure^* that in the Answer Key settings .

Selecting A letter(s) ^⌵ instead of A letter ^⌵ allows for one question to have multiple correct answer options.
In that scenario, if you set a prefix or postfix in the Answer format, they apply to each answer option separately. For example, if your answer options are enclosed in parentheses, (A)(B) will work, (AB) will not.

Double-check the key column of the Parsed MCQ table to verify that your answer key was parsed correctly.

Step 3: Shuffle!

Shuffle Sections

Shuffle sections within the MCQ.
Questions will be renumbered^*.
The old # column will then appear in the Parsed MCQ table to show the original question numbers.

If your questions are out of order, you can renumber them without shuffling by opening Output settings and clicking .
For example, if you select starting at 2 , questions 9, 4, 22, 7 will be renumbered as 2, 3, 4, 5.
Order of questions within each section will not change.
Order of answers within each question block will not change.

Shuffle Questions

Shuffle question blocks within each section.
Questions will be renumbered.
Order of sections within the MCQ will not change.
Order of answers within each question block will not change.

Shuffle Answers

Shuffle answers within each question block.
Answers will be re-lettered.
Order of sections within the MCQ will not change.
Order and numbering of the questions within each section will not change.

Lock

Use the checkbox in the lock column of the Parsed MCQ table to lock a section/question/answer in place while the rest of the MCQ is being shuffled.

For example, you may want to lock "E. All of the above" as the last answer choice.

Output

The updated answer key will be at the bottom of the Output.

Click and paste your shuffled MCQ back to your computer.

Default label format is 123.

To change it, open the Output settings and type in your own format or select an option from the dropdown.

Vocab

Section header text

(1) Question text

(A) Answer choice text

(B) Answer choice text

(D) Answer choice text

2. Question text

A. Answer choice text

B. Answer choice text