A Respondus alternative for Canvas quiz to Word
Respondus 4.0 is one of the usual ways to get a Canvas quiz into Word with an answer key. If that’s all you need, and you don’t have Respondus or a Windows PC, drop the Canvas quiz export below and download the Word file. It runs in your browser on any computer. It only covers that one job, and only for classic quizzes, as explained below.
Drop your .imscc or QTI .zip here
Canvas course exports and Canvas quiz exports
Opens in your browser. Your file is never uploaded.
Canvas quiz to Word without Respondus
- 1
Export the quiz from Canvas
Settings › Export Course Content › Quiz, tick the quiz, create the export and download the .zip. This is the same QTI export that campus guides for Respondus start from. A full course .imscc works too.
- 2
Drop the .zip on the box above
The quiz opens with answers showing. Answer key is preselected; choose Student copy for a clean test, or Both for the test followed by the key on a new page.
- 3
Click Word (.docx)
The document is built in your browser and downloads straight away. Open it in Word, Pages or LibreOffice, or upload it to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs.
Where the two overlap, and where they don’t
Respondus 4.0 is a Windows desktop program for authoring and managing tests, usually available through a campus licence. The usual route from Canvas to Word with it is to export the quiz from Canvas, import that QTI file into Respondus using its IMS QTI setting, then use Print Options › Save to File to get the exam, the answer key, or both as a Word document. Respondus also imports questions from Word and publishes quizzes to Canvas and other LMSs.
OpenIMSCC does one slice of that: it reads a Canvas classic quiz export (QTI 1.2) or a course .imscc and gives you a Word file or a printable PDF, as a student copy, an answer key, or both. It runs in any current browser on Windows, Mac or a Chromebook, needs no install or account, and never uploads the file. Exporting a quiz is free.
What OpenIMSCC can’t do
It doesn’t open New Quizzes exports (QTI 2.x) yet, or QTI from other systems that doesn’t follow Canvas’s layout. It can’t edit questions, import Word files into Canvas, publish anything to an LMS, or connect to your Canvas account; it only reads the export file you give it. Questions a quiz draws at random from a question bank may not be in the export.
If you need any of those, Respondus (or Canvas’s own tools) is the right choice. If you just need a classic quiz on paper or in Word with its key, this is quicker and free.
Questions
Does it work on a Mac or Chromebook?
Yes. It runs in any current browser, so there’s nothing to install and no Windows requirement.
Which question types come through?
Multiple choice, true/false, multiple answers, short answer, essay, matching and numerical questions in full, with points, accepted answers and feedback. Fill in multiple blanks and multiple dropdowns show each blank and its answers. Any other type keeps its question text with a note.
Can I import a Word file back into Canvas with it?
No. It only goes one way, from the Canvas export to Word or PDF. For Word-to-Canvas you need a tool like Respondus or another question importer.
Does it support New Quizzes?
Not yet. New Quizzes export a newer QTI version. If yours won’t open, email us so we know to prioritise it; you don’t need to send the file.
Is this made by or affiliated with Respondus or Instructure?
No. OpenIMSCC is an independent tool. Respondus is a trademark of Respondus, Inc. and Canvas is a trademark of Instructure, Inc.; neither company is affiliated with or endorses this site.