How to turn a PDF test into a Canvas quiz without retyping it
Short answer: Canvas has no way to read a PDF test, so you add each question by hand: Quizzes → Add Quiz → Questions tab. Or attach the PDF in Course++ and type: “Turn the attached test into a Canvas quiz. Use the answer key on the last page.”
The problem
I have the whole test. I just need it in Canvas.
A Canvas quiz is built one question at a time. For a 40-question test, that is 40 questions to type, 160 answer choices to type, and the right answer to mark on each.
every question typedevery answer marked by hand
The fix
Attach the PDF. Course++ builds the quiz.
It reads the PDF, shows you a plan, and builds a classic quiz once you approve. Then you check it against the original.
1 PDF attachedanswer key included
Prompts you can copy
Open your Canvas course, open Course++ beside it, and paste one of these. Change the names and numbers to match your course.
Turn the attached test into a Canvas quiz. Keep the questions in the same order and use the answer key on the last page.
When your PDF has an answer key.Build a quiz from the attached test. There is no answer key, so mark the answers you think are correct and list any you are unsure about.
When the PDF is the test only. Check its picks yourself.Turn the attached test into a quiz worth 50 points, and let students take it once, with a 45-minute time limit.
To set points, attempts and time limit in the same step.Compare the Unit 3 Test quiz with the attached PDF and tell me any question or answer that doesn’t match.
A check after the build. It only reads; nothing changes.
How to put a test into a Canvas quiz by hand
- In Course Navigation, click Quizzes, then Add Quiz. If Canvas asks for a quiz engine, choose Classic Quizzes and click Submit.
- Type a title on the Details tab.
- Open the Questions tab and click New Question. Choose its type, type the question and the answer choices, and mark the correct one.
- Click Update Question. Repeat for every question on the test.
- Click Save and check the points total. Click Publish when you are ready.
Good to know
- Word files must become PDFs first. Course++ can’t read .docx or PowerPoint files. In Word, use Save As and pick PDF as the file type. In Google Docs, use File → Download → PDF Document. Each attachment can be up to 10 MB.
- Check the tricky parts. Diagrams, graphs, formulas and blurry scans are the likeliest to need a fix. Read every question against your original before you publish.
- It builds a classic quiz, unpublished. Say “New Quiz” if your school uses New Quizzes. Want a different set of questions per student? See random quiz questions.
Questions teachers ask
Can Canvas import a test from a PDF?
No. Canvas can import QTI quiz files made by other quiz software, but it cannot read a PDF or a Word document. You add the questions yourself, or you use Course++ to build them from the PDF.
Can I upload a Word document to Course++?
Not directly. Save the Word file as a PDF first, then attach the PDF. Course++ can read PDFs and images, but not .docx files.
Can Course++ use my answer key?
Yes. If the key is in the PDF, ask it to use the key. If there is no key, it marks the answers it thinks are right, and you should check each one.
Will students see the quiz right away?
No. The quiz is created unpublished. You review it and publish it when you are ready.
250 FREE credits to try it. No credit card.
Canvas steps checked against Instructure’s own Canvas guides in October 2026. Canvas changes its screens from time to time, and schools turn features on and off, so a button may be named a little differently in yours.