How to create dropdown questions in a Text Assessment — similar to multiple choice but with the selection in a dropdown list.
Dropdown questions function similarly to Multiple Choice, with one key difference: the answer options appear in a dropdown list rather than as visible radio buttons. Dropdown questions are single-select only — they don't support multi-answer the way Multiple Choice does.
For the wider question type reference, see Text Question Types in Continu.
When to Use Dropdown Over Multiple Choice
Long answer lists. If your question has many options (10+), a dropdown is more compact than a list of radio buttons. Useful for region-pickers, country lists, or other long enumerations.
Forms-style questions. When the assessment feels more like data entry than a quiz, dropdown matches user expectations from typical web forms.
Save screen real estate. When the question is part of a longer assessment and you want to keep the page scannable.
For shorter answer lists (2-5 options), Multiple Choice is usually clearer because the options are immediately visible without expanding.
How to Create a Dropdown Question
1. Open the Text Assessment editor.
2. Choose Dropdown from the question types at the top of the screen.
3. Enter the question text.
4. Enter the possible answers in the Answer Creator. Click + Add Answer for each additional option.
5. Mark the correct answer(s). You can enter multiple correct answers (any one of which satisfies the question), but the learner will only be able to select one option to answer.
6. Configure optional settings (point value, randomize order, etc.).
7. Save the question.
Multiple Correct Answers
A dropdown question can have multiple correct answers — meaning any one of the correct options satisfies the question. This is different from multi-select: the learner picks one option, and as long as it matches any of the correct answers, they get the question right.
Useful when there are multiple valid ways to express the same right answer, or when slight variations all count as correct.
Dropdown Question Settings
Same settings as Multiple Choice:
- Point Value
- Randomize Answer Order (shuffles the dropdown contents)
- Required
- Show Correct Answer After Submission
- Feedback per Answer
Common Mistakes
Using Dropdown for short answer lists. If you have 2-5 options, Multiple Choice is clearer. Dropdown hides the options behind a click.
Putting the correct answer first by default. Without randomization, learners can sometimes guess based on position. Enable Randomize Answer Order.
Expecting multi-select behaviour. Dropdown is single-select. If you need multiple answers, use Multiple Choice with multi-select enabled.
See Also
- Text Question Types in Continu — the full reference.
- Text Assessments: Multiple Choice Questions — for visible-option questions.
- Assessments: Designing Effective Knowledge Checks — strategic frame.
- Create a Text Assessment — the broader creation flow.
Choose Dropdown → enter question and answers → mark correct option(s) → configure settings → save. Single-select with optional multiple-correct-answers. Best for long answer lists.