Automatically marked question.  Question with the possibility to combine different question types.

The Composite question type in Inspera Assessment allows you to combine several different question types into a single question. This provides flexibility for creating varied and complex assessment items.

This article explains what Composite questions are, lists the compatible question types, details how to author a Composite question, outlines known limitations, and provides a practical example of combining question types.

Understanding the Composite question type

A Composite question is an automatically marked question where you can combine various individual question types. This allows for diverse assessment designs, letting candidates engage with different interaction elements within one cohesive question.

Composite questions are compatible with the following question types:

• Multiple Choice,
• Multiple Response
• True / false
• Text Entry
• Numeric Entry
• Math Entry
• Inline Choice
• Math Working

You can combine different types of questions or use several of one or more types within a single Composite question.

Important Note about Math Working: Math Working is a manually marked question type. When included in a Composite question, it will not be automatically marked. Its purpose in a Composite is to offer candidates more flexibility, such as showing calculations alongside an automatically marked answer. Ensure you add at least one other automatically marked question type to your Composite question.  

See below the Example of using the question type. 

Question layout

In the question's edit mode, you can do the following:

1. Write the desired question text.
2. Add math (LaTex), files, tables, links, PDF, images and / or audio clips to the question text.
3. Add one or more interaction elements (question types) by clicking +Insert.
4. Set General options for the question type. For more information, refer to the Overview of question options article. 

Spesific options

By clicking on the interaction element of the selected question type, you will get the specific options for the question type. 

In the example above, the question type Multiple Choice is inserted.

Specific options are about the same for each question type. Visit each question type to read more about their specific options:

• Multiple Response
• Multiple Choice
• True / false
• Text Entry
• Numeric Entry
• Math Entry
• Inline Choice
• Math Working

Practical example combining Math entry and Math working

The image below shows how candidates experience the question types Math Entry and Math Working when you compose them.

By combining these two question types, candidates can show both their calculations and provide a written answer. This way, the answer to the question can be automatically marked while still giving the grader the opportunity to see the candidates' calculations or thought process.

Known limitations

The following limitations apply only to Multiple Choice and Multiple Response questions when they are used as elements within a Composite question. These two question types have different scoring logic when left unanswered in a composite.

Example illustration:

If you create a Composite question where Marks per wrong answer is set to -1, and Marks for unanswered is set to 0, the following will occur:

• If the Composite question is attempted and a Multiple Choice question element is left unanswered, the scoring gives -1 per unanswered question element.
• If the Composite question is attempted but a Multiple Response question element is left unanswered, the scoring gives 0 per unanswered question element.