How to Create Custom Quizzes in Gimkit

Gimkit has transformed the landscape of classroom engagement, blending the excitement of a game show with the educational power of quizzing. Unlike traditional review tools, it introduces a strategic, economy-based layer that motivates students to learn. Educators are discovering that this platform is more than just a fun activity; it’s a powerful tool for reinforcing concepts and assessing understanding. While the platform offers a vast library of pre-made quizzes, the real magic happens when you create custom quizzes tailored specifically to your curriculum and students’ needs. By designing your own content, you can directly address learning objectives, target specific areas of difficulty, and make the learning experience truly relevant.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to become proficient at creating custom quizzes in Gimkit. We will cover the fundamentals of setting up your account, provide a detailed step-by-step process for building a quiz from scratch, and explore advanced customization options. You’ll also find practical tips for making your quizzes as effective and engaging as possible, ensuring your students get the most out of every game.

What Makes Gimkit a Standout Educational Tool?

Before diving into the creation process, it’s helpful to understand why Gimkit has become a favorite among teachers and students. At its core, Gimkit is a live quiz learning game. However, its unique mechanics set it apart from other platforms.

Instead of just earning points for correct answers, students earn in-game currency. They can then use this virtual money to purchase upgrades and power-ups, introducing an element of strategy. Should they invest in an upgrade that increases their earnings per question? Or should they use a power-up to freeze a competitor’s screen for a few seconds? This economic model encourages critical thinking and keeps students engaged for the entire session.

The benefits for educators are clear:

• Increased Engagement: The gamified format captures students’ attention and makes learning feel like play.
• Instant Feedback: Teachers can see real-time data on student performance, identifying which concepts are well understood and which need further review.
• Flexible Learning Modes: Gimkit offers various game modes, from the classic “Classic” mode to team-based competitions and strategic challenges like “Trust No One.”
• Student-Paced Learning: Many modes allow students to progress at their own speed, answering questions and managing their in-game cash independently.

The ability to create custom quizzes amplifies these benefits, allowing you to align the fun and engagement directly with your specific lesson plans.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Custom Gimkit Quizzes

Creating a quiz, known as a “Kit” in Gimkit, is a straightforward process. Let’s break it down into simple, manageable steps.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Educator Account

If you’re new to Gimkit, your first step is to create an account.

1. Navigate to the Gimkit website and select “Sign Up.”
2. Choose the “Educator” account type.
3. You can sign up using your Google account, which is often the easiest method for teachers, or use a standard email and password.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete your registration. Gimkit offers a free basic plan, Gimkit Basic, which allows you to create and host games with some limitations. For more features, you can explore the paid Gimkit Pro plan.

Step 2: Starting Your New Kit

Once you are logged into your dashboard, you are ready to create your first custom quiz.

1. From your dashboard, locate and click the “+ New Kit” button, typically found in the upper right corner of the screen.
2. A new window will appear, prompting you to name your Kit. Choose a clear and descriptive name that will help you identify it later (e.g., “Chapter 5: Cell Division Vocabulary”).
3. Select the language for your Kit and the subject area. This helps categorize your Kit within the Gimkit ecosystem.
4. Click “Next” to proceed to the Kit creator.

Step 3: Adding Questions to Your Kit

This is where you will build the core of your quiz. Gimkit offers several ways to add questions.

Adding Questions Manually

This is the most direct method.

1. Click the “Add Question” button.
2. Type your question into the main text field.
3. Enter the correct answer in the first answer slot, which is designated by a green checkmark.
4. Fill in the remaining three slots with incorrect answers, or “distractors.” You must provide at least one incorrect answer.
5. You can also add a photo to your question by clicking the “Add Photo” icon. This is excellent for questions related to diagrams, historical images, or visual identification.
6. Click “Add” to save the question to your Kit. Repeat this process for all of your questions.

Using the “Add from Question Bank” Feature

Gimkit’s Question Bank is a massive, crowdsourced library of questions created by other educators. This feature can save you a significant amount of time.

1. In the Kit creator, select “Add from Question Bank.”
2. Type a topic or keyword into the search bar (e.g., “photosynthesis,” “World War II”).
3. Browse the results. When you find a question you like, simply click the “Add” button next to it, and it will be automatically imported into your Kit.

Importing from a Spreadsheet with “KitCollab”

If you have your questions already typed out in a spreadsheet, you can use KitCollab to let students help you build the Kit.

1. After creating a new Kit, click the “KitCollab” link.
2. Share the unique link with your students.
3. Students can submit questions and answers. As the teacher, you can review, approve, or reject submissions before they are added to the final Kit. This is a fantastic way to engage students in the creation process.

Step 4: Customizing and Finalizing Your Kit

After you’ve added all your questions, you have a few more options to customize your Kit.

• Kit Cover Image: Give your Kit a visual identity by adding a cover image. You can search Unsplash for a high-quality, free-to-use image directly within Gimkit.
• Review and Edit: Scroll through your list of questions to proofread for typos or errors. You can click on any question to edit its text, answers, or attached photo.
• Finishing Up: Once you are satisfied with your Kit, click the “Finish Kit” button. Your new custom quiz is now saved to your dashboard and ready to be played.

Tips for Making Your Quizzes Engaging and Effective

A well-constructed quiz goes beyond just asking questions. Here are some tips to maximize student learning and fun.

Balance Difficulty

Create a mix of easy, medium, and hard questions. Easy questions build confidence, while challenging ones promote critical thinking. If all questions are too hard, students may become discouraged. If they are all too easy, students will be bored.

Write High-Quality Distractors

The incorrect answer choices are just as important as the correct one. Avoid joke answers or obviously wrong options. Good distractors should represent common misconceptions or plausible errors, forcing students to think carefully before choosing.

Incorporate Visuals

Use the photo feature whenever possible. Visuals can make questions more engaging and are essential for subjects like art history, geography, and science. You can use diagrams, maps, charts, or historical photographs to add a new dimension to your questions.

Keep Questions Clear and Concise

Long, complex questions can be confusing. Write clear, direct questions that focus on a single concept. Ensure that the wording does not accidentally give away the correct answer.

Use Different Game Modes

Don’t just stick to the classic game mode. Experiment with others to keep the experience fresh.

• Team Mode: Fosters collaboration as students work together toward a common goal.
• The Floor is Lava: Adds a sense of urgency as teams must answer questions correctly to build their tower higher and escape the rising lava.
• Trust No One: An “Among Us” inspired mode that challenges students to complete tasks (answer questions) while trying to identify the impostors. This mode is excellent for developing deductive reasoning skills.

Playing and Sharing Your Custom Quiz

Once your Kit is finished, it’s time to play. From your dashboard, click on the Kit you want to use and then click the green “Play Live” button. This will take you to the game options screen, where you can choose your game mode, set a time limit or cash goal, and adjust other settings.

After you’ve selected your options, Gimkit will generate a unique game code. Students can join the game from their own devices by going to gimkit.com/join and entering the code. As soon as your students are in the lobby, you can start the game and let the learning—and fun—begin.

Gimkit makes sharing your creations easy. You can share your Kits with other teachers by sending them a direct link. This is perfect for team-teaching or sharing resources within your professional learning community.

By taking the time to create custom quizzes, you are investing directly in your students’ success. You are creating a learning experience that is not only fun but also perfectly aligned with your educational goals.

Please visit the official site for more info.