--- title: "Aiken vs GIFT vs Moodle XML: Which Import Format to Use | Formswrite Blog" description: "Aiken, GIFT or Moodle XML? A comparison of what each Moodle question import format supports, with the same question written three ways and when to pick each." canonical: https://formswrite.com/blog/moodle-aiken-vs-gift-vs-xml last-updated: 2026-10-08 --- # Aiken vs GIFT vs Moodle XML: Which Import Format to Use In short Use Aiken when every question is single-answer multiple choice and you want the simplest file. Use GIFT when you need other question types, partial credit or feedback and still want to type the file by hand. Use Moodle XML when you need images, formatting or the most complete copy of a question. The three formats are built into Moodle, so none needs a plugin. The trade-off is always the same: the simpler the file, the fewer things it can express. ## The same question in all three formats Here is one multiple choice question written three ways. Aiken: text`What is the capital of France? A. Madrid B. Paris C. Rome D. Berlin ANSWER: B` GIFT: text`::Capital of France::What is the capital of France? { ~Madrid =Paris #Correct. Paris has been the capital for centuries. ~Rome ~Berlin }` Moodle XML: xml` Capital of France What is the capital of France?

]]> true Madrid Paris Rome Berlin ` The Aiken version is five lines. The XML version is the same question with room for everything else Moodle stores. ## What each format supports | Feature | Aiken | GIFT | Moodle XML | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Single-answer multiple choice | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Several correct answers | No | Yes, with percentage weights | Yes, with fractions | | True/false | Only as a two-option multiple choice | Yes | Yes | | Short answer, matching, numerical | No | Yes | Yes | | Answer key | Yes, one letter | Yes, marked with an equals sign | Yes, a fraction of 100 | | Per-answer feedback | No | Yes, after a hash sign | Yes | | Images and rich formatting | No | Limited, linked by URL in HTML | Yes, images embedded as base64 | | Question categories | No | Yes, with a category line | Yes | | Easy to write by hand | Very easy | Easy | Hard | ## When to use Aiken Aiken is the right choice for a plain multiple choice bank with one correct answer per question. It is strict: each question must be on one line, options start with an uppercase letter and a period or bracket, and the answer line reads ANSWER followed by a colon, a space and the letter. There is no way to write feedback, partial credit or an image. Our guide to the [Aiken format rules and a Google Doc conversion](/blog/google-doc-to-aiken-format) lists the mistakes that most often break an import. ## When to use GIFT GIFT is the middle option and the best format for hand-written banks that go beyond multiple choice. It covers true/false, short answer, matching, numerical and essay questions, lets you attach feedback to any answer, and handles several correct answers with percentage weights. Its weak spots are special characters (the tilde, equals sign, hash, braces and colon must be escaped with a backslash) and the fact that it cannot embed an image file. ## When to use Moodle XML Moodle XML is what Moodle itself exports, so it is the only format that round-trips everything: images, formatted text, tags and settings such as shuffle and numbering. It is also the format other tools generate for you. Nobody enjoys typing it, which is why it makes sense for output produced by a converter or exported from another Moodle site. See the [Moodle XML generator guide](/blog/moodle-xml-file-generator-simplify-your-quiz-creation) for how it is produced from a document. ## How to import any of them into Moodle 1. Open your course and go to the Question bank (in older versions, Course administration, then Question bank). 2. Choose Import. 3. Pick the file format: Aiken format, GIFT format or Moodle XML format. 4. Choose the file, select the category the questions should land in, and click Import. 5. Review the preview Moodle shows and fix any line it reports as an error before you continue. Save text files as UTF-8 without a byte order mark and avoid curly quotes pasted from Word, which are the most common cause of silent errors. ## Skip the typing: generate the file from your document If your questions already live in a Word file, PDF or Google Doc, you do not need to learn any of this syntax. Formswrite reads each question, its options and the correct answer, then exports the file for Moodle in the format you choose, including Aiken, GIFT and Moodle XML. The free plan only exports to Formswrite Forms, so Moodle and file exports need a paid plan. Creating an account is free. [Convert a document to Moodle](/product/documents-to-moodle) For one-format tasks, the [Aiken format converter](/tools/aiken-format-converter) is the shortest route. For other systems, see our [QTI format explained](/blog/qti-format-explained) guide, which covers the format Canvas, Brightspace and Blackboard use instead. ## FAQ Which Moodle import format is best for beginners? Aiken is the easiest to learn because it has almost no syntax, but only if every question has exactly one correct answer. If you need true/false, short answer or feedback, learn GIFT instead. It is still plain text and the rules fit on one page. Can Aiken format have more than one correct answer? No. The ANSWER line takes a single letter, so Moodle cannot import a multiple-answer question from an Aiken file. Write that question in GIFT with percentage weights, or in Moodle XML with a fraction on each answer, and import it separately. Can I mix Aiken, GIFT and XML questions in one question bank? Yes. Each import adds questions to the category you choose, regardless of the file format. Moodle stores every question in the same internal form once it is imported, so the original format does not matter afterwards. Why does my Moodle import say no questions were found? The usual causes are a question split over two lines in Aiken, a missing blank line between questions, lowercase answer letters, or an unescaped special character in GIFT. Check the first question Moodle complains about and fix the pattern throughout the file. Does Moodle accept QTI files? Not out of the box. The core import formats are Aiken, GIFT, Moodle XML and a few legacy formats, while QTI needs a plugin on most sites. If you need one file for Moodle and another LMS, Moodle XML plus a QTI package is the usual pair.