# Create and Manage Quizzes

> **Portal:** `/lms` · **Desk:** Learning workspace

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## Overview

This guide walks course creators and moderators through building, editing, and maintaining **LMS Quiz** records in Smooth LMS. You can create quizzes from the admin desk, from the `/lms` course editor, or generate them with **AI Course Creator** tools when AI is enabled in **LMS Settings**.

A well-managed quiz starts with clear learning objectives, a structured question bank, and quiz-level rules (passing score, attempts, timing) appropriate for the audience—whether new hires completing onboarding training or tenured staff refreshing safety procedures.

## Before you begin

Confirm you have one of these roles: **Course Creator**, **Moderator**, **Batch Evaluator**, or **System Manager**. **LMS Student** can read quizzes but not create them.

Decide the quiz placement:
- **Lesson-embedded** — best for chapter checkpoints; auto-links course and lesson.
- **Standalone desk quiz** — create first, link to lesson later.
- **AI-generated** — use **Generate Quiz** from course dashboard when OpenAI is configured.

Gather source material: policy PDFs, job aids, or instructor notes. For compliance training, coordinate with HR on passing thresholds that match [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) requirements.

## Step 1: Create questions in the bank

1. Open **`/app/lms-question`** from the Learning workspace or search **LMS Question**.
2. Click **New**.
3. Enter the **Question** text using the rich text editor (supports images and formatting).
4. Select **Type**: Choices, True/False, User Input, or Open Ended.
5. For **Choices**:
   - Fill **Option 1–4** and mark **Is Correct** on the right option(s).
   - Enable **Multiple** if more than one answer is correct.
   - Add **Explanation** text per option—shown when **Show Answers** is on.
6. For **True/False**, set options implicitly; mark the correct choice.
7. For **User Input**, the learner's text must match a designated correct option value.
8. Save the question. Naming uses `QTS-YYYY-#####` series.

Reuse questions across quizzes by adding the same **LMS Question** link to multiple **LMS Quiz** child rows—each quiz can assign different marks to the same question.

## Step 2: Create the quiz document

**From the desk:**
1. Navigate to **`/app/lms-quiz`** → **New**.
2. Enter a unique **Title** (also used as the quiz identifier in lists).
3. Set **Passing Percentage** (required)—common values: 70, 80, or 100.
4. Configure optional rules (see settings table below).
5. In the **Questions** table, click **Add Row**:
   - **Question** — link to **LMS Question**
   - **Marks** — points for this question in this quiz
6. Save. **Total Points** calculates from child rows.

**From a lesson (portal):**
1. Open the course in `/lms` → **Edit Course** → select chapter → **Add Lesson** or edit existing.
2. Set lesson type to include a quiz, or pick **Quiz** from lesson tools.
3. Create new quiz inline or link an existing one—the **quiz_id** field on **Course Lesson** stores the link.

**From AI (when enabled):**
1. Open course dashboard → **AI Generate** → **Quiz**.
2. Specify chapter or topic and number of questions.
3. Review generated questions, then **Save Quiz**—creates **LMS Question** rows and **LMS Quiz** automatically with defaults: 60% passing, 3 attempts, show answers enabled.

## Step 3: Configure quiz behavior

| Field | Recommendation |
|-------|----------------|
| **Max Attempts** | `3` for training; `1` for formal certification; `0` for practice |
| **Show Answers** | On for learning; Off for proctored-style tests |
| **Show Submission History** | On when learners may review past attempts |
| **Duration** | Leave empty for untimed; set minutes for timed exams |
| **Randomize Question Order** | On when using a question pool |
| **Questions Per Attempt** | e.g. 10 of 25 banked questions |
| **Deduct Points for Wrong Answers** | Use sparingly; set **Points Deducted** to 1 |

After changing questions, save the quiz again to refresh **Total Points**. Import/export is supported on **LMS Quiz** for migrating content between sites.

## Step 4: Attach quiz to course content

If not created from a lesson:

1. Open **Course Lesson** for the target lesson (`/app/course-lesson`).
2. Set **Quiz ID** to your **LMS Quiz**.
3. Save. The quiz's **Lesson** and **Course** fields populate read-only.

Optionally add instructional intro text in the lesson **Body** above the quiz embed. Learners see lesson content first, then the quiz interface.

For chapter-end checkpoints via AI, **save_chapter_quiz** creates both the quiz and a lesson titled `Quiz: {chapter}` appended to the chapter.

## Step 5: Manage and update live quizzes

**Editing questions:** Changes to **LMS Question** affect all quizzes linking that question. For frozen assessments, duplicate the question and swap the link in the quiz child table before major edits.

**Adding questions mid-course:** New rows append to the pool. If **Questions Per Attempt** is set, new questions enter the random pool automatically.

**Deleting submissions:** Administrators can delete **LMS Quiz Submission** records to grant additional attempts when **Max Attempts** would otherwise block a learner—document the reason for audit purposes.

**Cohort assessments:** On **LMS Batch** → **Assessments**, add a row with type **LMS Quiz**, pick the quiz, set schedule. Batch members see it on the cohort dashboard.

**Version control:** Enable **Track Changes** on quiz records (default) to see historical edits in desk.

## Bulk operations and imports

**LMS Quiz** and **LMS Question** support data import from CSV via desk **Menu → Import**. Map columns to fields; use question name links in quiz import files for the Questions child table.

For large compliance rollouts, HR and L&D teams often:
1. Import question banks from spreadsheets.
2. Build one quiz per policy module.
3. Link quizzes to mandatory **LMS Course** lessons.
4. Mark courses **Mandatory** so [Employee Onboarding](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/onboarding/employee-onboarding) triggers enrollment.

Validate imports on a staging site before production—especially correct-option flags and marks.

## Permissions and visibility

| Role | Create | Edit | View submissions |
|------|--------|------|------------------|
| System Manager | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Moderator | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Course Creator | Yes | Yes | Own courses |
| Batch Evaluator | Yes | Yes | Batch scope |
| LMS Student | No | No | Own only |

Publish the parent **LMS Course** so enrolled learners see embedded quizzes. Unpublished courses hide content from students even if quiz links exist.

## Quality checklist before launch

- [ ] Every question has unambiguous correct answer(s)
- [ ] Marks sum matches expected **Total Points**
- [ ] **Passing Percentage** approved by HR/compliance
- [ ] **Max Attempts** and **Duration** tested with a pilot user
- [ ] **Show Answers** setting matches assessment policy
- [ ] Lesson link verified on **Course Lesson**
- [ ] Pilot submission generates expected PDF (see Print PDF guide)
- [ ] HR knows where to file PDFs in [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents)

## Troubleshooting

| Issue | What to do |
|-------|------------|
| Cannot save quiz — duplicate title | Quiz titles must be unique; rename |
| Total Points shows zero | Add question rows with marks > 0 and save |
| AI quiz generation fails | Check **LMS Settings** → AI enabled and OpenAI API key |
| Lesson does not show quiz | Verify **Quiz ID** on lesson; republish course |
| Import errors on questions | Validate **Type** and required options per type |

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## Frequently asked questions

### Does LMS training completion automatically update Employee Compliance?

No. Smooth LMS tracks learning progress, quiz scores, and certificates. Smooth HR **Employee Compliance** is updated separately by HR when a regulatory or policy requirement is satisfied. Download LMS PDFs and attach them to [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents), then mark the matching compliance row **Complete** with the correct renewal date.

### Where should quiz PDFs be stored for audits?

Use [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) on the employee record with an appropriate **Employee Document Type** (for example Training Record or Policy Acknowledgment). Include the **Quiz Submission Report** PDF exported from LMS. For organization-wide retention policies, align document type expiry settings with [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) renewal periods.

### Which desk workspace manages LMS content?

Open the **Learning** workspace from the app switcher. Desk paths use `/app/list name` slugs—for example `/app/lms-quiz` and `/app/lms-enrollment`. Learners consume training at `/lms` on the same site.

### How do new hires get enrolled in mandatory training?

When **Employee Onboarding** is created in HRMS, the LMS integration enrolls the employee user in every published **Mandatory** course and creates **LMS Training Assignment** rows with default due dates. Ensure the **Employee** record has a linked **User** with the **LMS Student** role.

### What is the difference between an LMS Certificate and HR compliance?

An **LMS Certificate** proves course completion inside Smooth LMS. **Employee Compliance** in Smooth HR tracks regulatory obligations (training renewals, I-9, background checks) with scheduled expiry alerts. Course certificates do not automatically appear on the HR compliance ledger—HR attaches LMS PDFs to [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) and updates [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) when policy requires.

### Can managers view their team's quiz scores?

Managers with **Moderator** or **Course Creator** roles can open **LMS Quiz Submission** list views filtered by course and member. The **Statistics** dashboard summarizes average assessment scores by course. For official personnel files, export PDFs and store under the employee's HR documents rather than sharing desk login credentials.

## Glossary

| Term | Definition |
|------|------------|
| **LMS Course** | Training container with chapters, lessons, and assessments |
| **LMS Enrollment** | Links a User (employee) to a course with progress tracking |
| **LMS Quiz** | Assessment document composed of linked questions |
| **LMS Quiz Submission** | Record of one learner attempt with scored results |
| **LMS Training Assignment** | Due-date tracker for assigned mandatory training |
| **LMS Certificate** | Issued credential after course or evaluation completion |
| **Mandatory course** | Published course flagged for auto-enrollment on onboarding |
| **Cohort (LMS Batch)** | Scheduled group of learners with shared live sessions and assessments |
| **Employee Document** | HR file-cabinet record for attachments on the employee profile |
| **Employee Compliance** | HR ledger for regulatory and policy compliance status with renewals |
## Smooth LMS + Smooth HR capability map

Use **Smooth LMS** for training delivery and assessments, and **Smooth HR** for employee files and compliance records — both on the same account.

| Business need | Primary app | How |
|---------------|-------------|-----|
| Online training library | **Smooth LMS** | **LMS Course** with chapters, lessons, video/PDF/SCORM, quizzes, assignments |
| Assign training + track progress | **Smooth LMS** | **LMS Enrollment**, **LMS Training Assignment**, cohort batches, progress dashboards |
| Print completed tests as PDF | **Smooth LMS** | **LMS Quiz Submission** → **Quiz Submission Report** print format |
| Course completion certificates | **Smooth LMS** | **LMS Certificate** with customizable print templates |
| Employee file storage | **Smooth HR** | [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) with document types and expiry |
| Regulatory compliance tracking | **Smooth HR** | [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) with **Compliance Type** renewals |
| New hire document collection | **Smooth HR** | **Employee Onboarding** portal + e-signatures |

Course completion certificates from LMS are separate from HR compliance records until HR explicitly files them. Attach LMS PDFs to **Employee Document** or update **Employee Compliance** when a training record must appear on the official employee file for audits.
## LMS roles reference

| Role | Capabilities |
|------|----------------|
| **System Manager** | Full desk access; configure LMS Settings, print formats, AI keys |
| **Moderator** | Manage all courses, quizzes, enrollments, certificates, statistics |
| **Course Creator** | Author courses, quizzes, assignments; view learner submissions for own content |
| **Batch Evaluator** | Grade submissions, conduct certificate evaluations, manage cohort assessments |
| **LMS Student** | Access `/lms` portal; take quizzes; view own certificates and assignments |

HR users without LMS roles can still manage [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) and [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) records when L&D provides exported PDFs.
## Connecting training records to Smooth HR

Smooth LMS and Smooth HR share one account. Completing a course does not automatically update HR compliance—you connect the two when your policy requires it.

| LMS artifact | HR destination | When to use |
|--------------|----------------|-------------|
| **LMS Certificate** PDF | [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) | Store course completion certificate on the employee file |
| **Quiz Submission Report** PDF | [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) | Retain scored test results (safety quizzes, policy acknowledgments) |
| Mandatory training status | [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) | Track renewal dates, expiry alerts, and audit-ready compliance status |

**Recommended workflow:** When an employee completes mandatory training and passes required assessments, download the LMS certificate or quiz PDF from the Learning portal or desk, then attach it to an **Employee Document** or update the corresponding **Employee Compliance** record. HR Managers can configure **Compliance Type** with renewal periods so expiring certifications trigger scheduled reminders—complementing LMS **Training Assignment** due dates.

New hires enrolled via **Employee Onboarding** may receive automatic LMS enrollments for courses marked **Mandatory**; HR still uses **Employee Compliance** for regulatory items (I-9, background checks) that live outside LMS.
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## Related guides

- [Quizzes Overview](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/assessments/quizzes/overview)
- [Taking Quizzes and Results](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/assessments/quizzes/taking-and-results)
- [AI Course Creator](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/ai/course-creator)

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_Last updated: May 2026_