{"id":5332,"date":"2026-01-20T11:17:52","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T11:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/?p=5332"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:19:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:19:25","slug":"editing-quizzes-post-submission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/editing-quizzes-post-submission\/","title":{"rendered":"Editing Quizzes When Submissions Have Been Made"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It may sometimes occur that you need to edit a quiz once submissions have already been made. This can happen when mistakes are found in the quiz, for instance. However, if you attempt to edit a quiz question after a submission has already been made, you will be presented with the following message:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pop-up<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This warning appears not only when students have begun the quiz, but also when you open and start the quiz in Student View<\/em>. Any time you launch a quiz in Student View<\/em>, Canvas records it as a student attempt and logs it as made by \u201cTest Student\u201d. This happens as soon as you click Begin<\/em>, even if you don’t complete or submit the quiz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To avoid complications, always make sure you <\/strong>use the Preview quiz feature instead of<\/strong><\/mark> Student View<\/em>.<\/strong> <\/mark>See our guide on How to Preview Quizzes<\/a> <\/mark>for further information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It’s generally not recommended to edit a quiz once students have begun attempting it, as this can create inconsistencies in grading. Students who submitted before the edit will be marked against the original version, while those who submit afterwards will be marked against the updated one. There are, however, workarounds to mitigate this. The best approach – whether duplicating an individual question or duplicating the entire quiz – depends on the scenario you’re facing and the extent of the changes required. The guidance below explains how to choose the right approach for your situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Editing a quiz when you have made a test student submission<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Editing the quiz when actual students have made a submission<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    Editing a quiz when you have made a test student submission<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    When previewing quizzes you should always use the quiz Preview<\/em> feature and never attempt the test in Student View<\/em>. See further guidance here: How to Preview Quizzes<\/a><\/mark>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Scenario: <\/strong>You accidentally used Student View<\/em> to test a quiz. This has registered a test student submission and is preventing you from editing the quiz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Suggested workaround:<\/strong> The easiest work-around to avoid complications is to duplicate the quiz<\/strong>, keep the duplicate and delete the original quiz. This will fully erase the test student submission and allow you to edit the quiz. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Step 1:<\/strong> Click the 3 dots to the right-hand side of your quiz.
    Step 2:<\/strong> Select Duplicate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Step 3:<\/strong> Delete the original quiz.
    Step 4: <\/strong>Edit and publish the copy of the quiz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Editing a quiz when actual students have made a submission<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Scenario:<\/strong> Actual students have already made submissions to the quiz and you need to edit the quiz. In this case, you cannot simply duplicate the quiz and delete the original, as this will erase student submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Suggested workarounds:<\/strong> Depending on whether you need to adjust the question stem, update the correct answer or change the point values, different actions are recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n