--- title: "Google Forms Question Bank: What Works Instead | Formswrite Blog" description: "Google Forms has no built-in question bank. Here are three ways to give each student different questions, plus how to build the versions quickly." canonical: https://formswrite.com/blog/google-forms-question-bank-random-questions last-updated: 2026-10-08 --- # Google Forms Question Bank: What Works Instead In short Google Forms has no built-in question bank, so it cannot pick 10 random questions out of 50 for each student. As of October 2026, the closest options are to shuffle the order of questions and answer choices, to route students through different sections, or to publish several versions of the quiz. ## What Google Forms can randomise In the form, click **Settings**, open the **Presentation** section and turn on **Shuffle question order**. Every student sees the same questions in a different order. The shuffle works inside a section: it does not move questions between sections or reorder the sections themselves. Each multiple choice, checkbox and grid question also has its own **Shuffle option order** switch in the three-dot menu of the question. Turn it on one question at a time. Both settings make copying from a neighbour harder, but everyone still answers the same set of questions. For a longer look at the limits, read [Google Forms shuffle questions](/blog/google-forms-shuffle-questions). ## Method 1: Different versions, one link per group The simplest way to give students different questions is to make more than one form. Split your bank into versions A and B (or by class period), build a form for each, and hand out a different link to each group. Each form can keep quiz mode and its own answer key, and your grading stays automatic. See [how to make an answer key in Google Forms](/blog/how-to-make-an-answer-key-in-google-forms) for that part. Strengths: easy to understand, reliable scoring, and nothing clever to break during the test. Weakness: you decide who gets which version, so it is not random per student, and students sitting next to each other need to be on different versions. ## Method 2: Section branching to pick questions The community technique, described by teacher Alice Keeler, uses sections to route students through different paths. 1. Put one or two questions in each of many sections. 2. After each section, add a multiple choice question asking which path to take next, with vague labels so students cannot tell the options apart. 3. Set each option to **Go to section** a different section, using the three-dot menu on the question and **Go to section based on answer**. 4. Turn on **Shuffle option order** for those routing questions so the same click lands in a different place on each attempt. The catch is scoring. A student who skips sections finishes with fewer possible points, so the percentage shown by Google Forms can look wrong. Compare the points earned against what you expected for the path taken, not the percentage. Sections and branching are explained in our [guide to Google Forms sections](/blog/google-forms-sections) and [conditional logic](/blog/google-forms-conditional-logic). ## Method 3: Add-ons and scripts Several third-party add-ons and Apps Script snippets claim to pull random questions from a bank. Check each one carefully: they need permission to read and edit your forms, behaviour can change when Google updates Forms, and a school administrator may block them. Test the full student journey on a second account before you use one for a graded assessment. ## Building the versions from a bank The tedious part is making the versions. If your bank lives in a Word document, a PDF, an Excel file or a Google Sheet, you do not have to retype it. Formswrite converts those files into Google Forms quizzes, so you can split the bank into two or three documents and convert each one. Use the [Excel to Google Form converter](/convert/excel-to-google-form) or the [Google Sheets to Google Form converter](/convert/google-sheets-to-google-form) when the bank is a spreadsheet, and the [multiple choice test generator](/tools/multiple-choice-test-generator) to write fresh questions on the same topic for a second version. The free plan includes five Formswrite Forms a month, and exporting to Google Forms is a paid feature. [Turn a question bank into a Google Form](/convert/excel-to-google-form) A tip for spreadsheet banks: sort the rows by topic first, then cut them into versions so every version covers the same topics at similar difficulty. ## FAQ How do I give students different questions in one Google Form? Use many small sections and a routing question after each, with Go to section based on answer. Expect to check scores by points earned, because students end up with different totals. Is there a limit on the number of questions in a Google Form? Google does not publish a firm question cap in its help pages, but very large forms load slowly. Splitting a bank into several shorter forms is easier for students and for you. How do I stop students sharing a quiz link in the middle of a test? Google Forms cannot lock a link to one person. Use separate versions per group, shuffle question and option order, and consider a locked mode on Chromebooks for in-class tests. Our guide to [locked mode for teachers](/blog/google-forms-locked-mode-teacher-guide) explains it. Should the versions have the same difficulty? Yes. Build each version from the same topics in the same proportions, or the group with the easier version gets better grades for no good reason.