Creating Matching
Matching questions ask students to pair items from a left column with their corresponding items in a right column. They are auto-graded and excellent for testing associations, definitions, and relationships.
Step-by-Step Creation
1
Navigate to Questions
Go to Questions → Create Question from the sidebar.
2
Select Matching type
Choose "MATCHING" from the Question Type dropdown.
3
Write the question text
Enter instructions, e.g., "Match each country with its capital city."
4
Add pairs
Click "Add Pair" for each left-right match. Enter the left item (term) and right item (definition).
5
Add distractors (optional)
Add extra unmatched items to the right column to increase difficulty. Students must avoid selecting these.
6
Set points and difficulty
Assign total marks for the question. All pairs must be matched correctly for full credit.
7
Save
Add metadata and tags, then click Save.
Matching-Specific Fields
| Field | Required | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Pairs | Required | list | Minimum 2 pairs required. Each pair has a left item and a right item that students must match correctly. |
Left Item | Required | text | The term, concept, or prompt shown on the left side. This is what students drag or select from. |
Right Item | Required | text | The matching definition, answer, or description shown on the right side. |
Distractors | Optional | text | Extra wrong options added to the right column. Makes the question harder by providing unmatched items. |
Data Structure
The MatchingData object contains:
pairs— array of objects, each withid,left(string), andright(string)distractors— optional array of extra right-column strings that don't match any left item
Using Distractors
Distractors are extra options in the right column that don't correspond to any left-side item. They prevent students from solving the question by elimination.
- Add 1–3 distractors for moderate difficulty. More distractors make the question harder.
- Choose plausible distractors that are related to the topic but don't match any left item.
- Distractors are optional — without them, students can solve the last pair by elimination.
Tips for Effective Matching Questions
- Keep pairs homogeneous — all items should belong to the same category (all countries, all dates, all terms from one chapter).
- Use 4–8 pairs — too few is trivial, too many creates cognitive overload.
- Keep items concise — short phrases work better than full sentences in matching format.
- Order items logically — alphabetical or numerical ordering on the left column helps students scan efficiently.