Respondus 4.0 - Publish Tests to Blackboard Original

Use the instructions below to publish (upload) tests either created offline or in Respondus 4.0 to a Blackboard Original course.

Tests created offline can be saved in the.doc, .docx (MS-Word), .rtf, or .txt formats. See "The Standard Format for Importing" in the Appendix section of the Respondus 4.0 User Guide for question format requirements.

The Respondus license will expire June 30th, 2026, and will not be renewed. Instructors will be able to upload files for tests in Ultra without having to use Respondus 4.0. 

Import a Test

Use the steps below it import a test into Blackboard Original.
  1. Open Respondus 4.0.
  2. Click the Start tab at the top > click Open or Create on the left, if not already selected.
  3. Click Import Questions.
  4. Click the Type of file drop-down list > select the file format.
  5. Click Browse > select the test file > Open.
  6. Enter a test name in the "Create a new document, named:" field, or select "Append the questions to the current document."
  7. Select Exam or Survey.
  8. Click Preview > check the Preview results pane at the bottom for any issues.
  9. If issues exist, click Cancel > open the test file in the original application > fix the identified issues > Save the changes and close the file.
  10. Repeat the steps above until no issues exist in the Preview results. Note: Some warnings identified in the Preview results do not require a fix. See [Link for document 95360 is unavailable at this time].
  11. Click Finish.
  12. The imported exam is automatically saved as a Respondus file (with the  .rsp extension)

Create a New Test in Respondus 4.0

  1. Open Respondus 4.0.
  2. Click the Start tab at the top > click Open or Create on the left, if not already selected
  3. Click Create > Type an exam name and a short exam description > OK.
  4. Select a Question Type from the list on the left side of the Edit tab (defaults to Multiple Choice).
  5. Add a Question Title (optional) and the Question wording > select/enter other items required by the selected question type.
  6. Click Add to End of List or Insert into List to add the new question to the Question List at the bottom.
  7. The new exam is automatically saved as a Respondus file (with the .rsp extension).

Open an Existing Respondus Test

The .rsp exam file must be open in Respondus 4.0 before it can be published to a Blackboard Original course.

  1. Open Respondus 4.0.
  2. Click Start if not already selected
  3. Click Open > select the file > Open.

Publish to a Blackboard Course

Instructors will need to take these specific steps to publish tests successfully. If you have not created a connection to the Blackboard server, see Respondus 4.0 - Connect to Blackboard Original
  1. Click the Preview + Publish tab at the top.
  2. Click Publish on the left > click Publish Wizard.
  3. Leave "Publish to single course" and the existing Blackboard Server: selected > click Next.
  4. Click OK when you see this Respondus message box - this is not an error message:

    Log into Blackboard using the browser window, then close the window and click OK to continue.

  5. If you see this "Authentication Module Download" message > click OK. You will only need to download this module once.

    An additional authentication module is required for your server. Select OK to download it.

  6. Important: WAIT for a generic browser window with the Blackboard login screen to appear - this may take a few seconds.
  7. Click OK to accept the "Privacy, cookies, and terms of use".
  8. Click My Bb Login > enter your NDUS username and password, as usual.
  9. Once logged in to Blackboard > click "Close After Login" in the top-right corner of the browser window - do not click on anything else in this window!

    Cancel and Close After Login Buttons

  10. Click OK again to dismiss the Respondus message box.
  11. Select the course from the first drop-down list.
  12. Select "Create new Exam" > enter a title, or select "Replace existing Exam" > select the existing exam from the drop-down list.
    Note: Optionally, select Create new Pool or Replace existing Pool to import the questions to a Blackboard test Pool.
  13. Recommended: Uncheck "Apply Random Blocks to Exam > Check "Apply Settings to Exam" and "Link Exam to Content Area and make available".
  14. Click Next.
  15. Select the area where the test should be deployed.
  16. Click Next > see the status messages appear as the test is uploaded.
  17. Click Finish > close Respondus.

The questions and the Test Options can be changed in Blackboard Original after publishing the test if needed. The exam will be Unavailable to students by default - instructors must Edit the Test Options in Blackboard Original to make it available.

Related Resources


Keywords:
LockDown, Respondus Browser, Quiz, Assessment, Proctor, publish test, upload test, add test, Blackboard Learn Original 
Doc ID:
116686
Owned by:
Sharley K. in NDSU IT Knowledge Base
Created:
2022-02-10
Updated:
2025-12-10
Sites:
NDSU IT Knowledge Base