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Respondus 4.0 - Troubleshooting Tips

Troubleshooting and resolving problems with Respondus 4.0.

Problems Uploading (Publishing) to Blackboard Original

You will see this Respondus message box when you start to publish a test - this is not an error message!

Log into Blackboard using the browser window, then close the window and click OK to continue.
The publishing process has changed due to recent updates to Blackboard  Original and the NDUS authentication method - you'll need to take specific steps to publish tests successfully. See the steps at Respondus 4.0 - Publish Tests to Blackboard Original
If you have not created a connection to the Blackboard server, see Respondus 4.0 - Connect to Blackboard Original

Keep Respondus 4.0 up-to-date to avoid the majority of issues

  1. Open Respondus.
  2. Click Help > Check For Update > Get Update.
  3. Follow the prompts displayed until you see a message that you have the latest version available.
    -- OR --
  4. If "Check For Update" says no updates are needed, download the latest update directly from Respondus. Choose the Campus-wide Version patch link to download/install the correct patch version. 

Common Warning Messages

You may see "warning" messages in the Preview results window at the bottom of the Import Questions dialog box (Import Questions > Preview)  - some of these warning messages can be ignored while others must be fixed in the Word document and the file imported to Respondus again. It may take several tries to find and fix all issues.
See "The Standard Format for Importing" in the Appendix section of the Respondus 4.0 User Guide.
  1. "duplicate question" warnings can almost always be ignored. Respondus reads the first few words of each question to create a question title. If you have multiple questions that begin with the same words, such as "Which of the following . . ." Respondus flags these questions as duplicates.

  2. A "missing answer" or "unreadable" warning cannot be ignored. There is a formatting issue in your Word document, OR you neglected to mark the correct answer for the question. The most common issues are:

    • You have question types other than Multiple Choice or True/False, but they are not marked with the required "Type" code - Respondus does not know how to handle the question (Example: Type MA for multiple answer questions; Type E for Essay questions, etc.). The Type code must be placed in a line by itself above the question number for all question types other than Multiple Choice or True/False.
    • There is a heading or description in your test in the Word document. Respondus cannot read these - they should be deleted.

    • There is a table or chart in your test, bullets or numbering, or other formatting Respondus can't understand - these should be deleted in the Word document. This formatting can be added to your questions in Blackboard Original after uploading them.

    • There is a missing 'return' (blank line) - Respondus cannot tell where a new question begins.

    • There is a missing 'correct answer' or too many answers are marked correct depending on the question type.

    • There is a missing period after the question number or answer choice indicator (Example: 3 Question, or B Example answer).

    • There is an extra space between the asterisk (*) and the answer choice indicator (Example: * B. Note the extra space in this example).



Keywordstrouble, shooting, tip, response, respond, help, error, problems, respondus, warning   Doc ID95360
OwnerSharley K.GroupNDSU IT Knowledge Base
Created2019-10-28 15:28:07Updated2024-09-11 10:10:30
SitesNDSU IT Knowledge Base
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