Aiken Format Converter: Turn Questions into a Moodle Aiken File

What is Aiken format?

Aiken format is a plain-text way to write multiple choice questions so Moodle can import them into a question bank. It was designed to be readable by humans: no tags, no markup, just the question, the choices, and a line that says which choice is correct. That simplicity is why teachers like it, and also why it is easy to get slightly wrong. Moodle is strict about the layout, and one misplaced space can stop the whole file from importing. These are the rules, based on the Moodle documentation:

1. Write each question on a single line. Aiken reads the first line of a block as the whole question, so a question split over two lines breaks the import.
2. Put each answer choice on its own line, starting with a single uppercase letter followed by a period or a closing bracket and then a space, such as "A. " or "A) ".
3. Directly after the last choice, add the answer line: the word ANSWER in capitals, a colon, a space, and the letter of the correct choice, for example "ANSWER: B".
4. Leave a blank line between questions so each question block is clearly separated.
5. Use it only for multiple choice questions with exactly one correct answer. There is no syntax for several correct answers, and a true/false item can only be written as a two-option multiple choice question.
6. Keep it plain text. Aiken has no syntax for images, tables, bold text, or equations, so those need Moodle XML or GIFT instead.
7. Save the file as a UTF-8 .txt file, and avoid curly quotes and other special characters copied from word processors, which Moodle warns can cause import errors.

Example 1: a valid Aiken file

Two questions, one using periods and one using brackets after the letters. Both styles are accepted.

What is the capital of France?
A. Madrid
B. Paris
C. Rome
D. Berlin
ANSWER: B

Which gas do plants absorb during photosynthesis?
A) Oxygen
B) Nitrogen
C) Carbon dioxide
D) Hydrogen
ANSWER: C

Example 2: common mistakes that break the import

This file will not import cleanly. The first question is numbered, uses lowercase letters, and has a lowercase “Answer” line. The second has no space after the letters, lists two correct answers, and is not followed by a blank line. The third splits the question over two lines and has no space after “ANSWER:”.

1. What is 7 x 8?
a. 54
b. 56
c. 64
Answer: b

Which of these are prime numbers?
A.2
B.4
C.5
ANSWER: A, C
Name the largest planet
in our solar system.
A. Jupiter
B. Saturn
ANSWER:A

Example 3: the same questions, fixed

Numbers removed, uppercase letters with a period and a space, a correct “ANSWER: ” line, blank lines between questions, one question per line, and the multi-answer question rewritten so it has a single correct choice.

What is 7 x 8?
A. 54
B. 56
C. 64
ANSWER: B

Which of these numbers is prime?
A. 4
B. 5
C. 6
ANSWER: B

Name the largest planet in our solar system.
A. Jupiter
B. Saturn
ANSWER: A

Fixing a long question bank by hand is tedious. Formswrite applies these rules for you when it converts a document, and if you are sending questions to Moodle regularly, see documents to Moodle for the full workflow.