Quiz Generator

Quiz Generator is a plugin for Obsidian that leverages the power of various AI models to generate interactive, exam-style questions from your notes. Whether you're a student preparing for exams or an educator designing assessments, this plugin streamlines the question creation process.

Demo

Demo.mp4

Features

• Personalized Quizzes: Choose any combination of notes and folders to use as the quiz content.
• Flexible Generation: Select the types and number of questions to generate according to your needs.
• Multiple Question Types: Supports true or false, multiple choice, select all that apply, fill in the blank, matching, short answer, and long answer. Mix and match for a tailored assessment experience.
• Custom Quiz UI: Answer questions in an interactive UI that provides real-time feedback on your responses.
• Question Saving: Save questions in various formats.
  • Inline and multiline flashcards compatible with obsidian-spaced-repetition.
  • Markdown callouts for easy integration into your notes.
• Review and Create: Review saved questions using the quiz UI or create your own questions from scratch without ever using the generator.
• Multi-Language Support: Generate questions in 22 different languages.
• Math Support: Generate questions from notes containing LaTeX.

Supported Providers

• OpenAI: Advanced models for high-quality question generation.
• Google: Free to use with the largest context window for handling extensive notes.
• Anthropic: Optimized for thoughtful and contextually aware outputs.
• Perplexity: Fine-tuned LLaMA models for robust question generation.
• Mistral: Lightweight models for fast and efficient processing.
• Cohere: Free to use with strengths in generating coherent questions.
• Ollama: Local LLMs for enhanced privacy and offline processing.

Usage

Installation

This plugin is now available in the Community plugins page in Obsidian. You can install it using either of the following methods.

Obsidian Installation

1. Install the plugin from the Community plugins page in Obsidian.
   • Settings → Community plugins → Browse.
   • Search for Quiz Generator.
   • Select the plugin to open its page and then select Install.
   • Select Enable on the plugin page or go back to the Community plugins page and toggle the switch.
2. Open the plugin settings and enter your API key for the selected provider.
   • If you don't have an API key, create an account at the relevant provider's site and retrieve your API key.
3. Configure the other settings as desired.

Manual Installation

1. Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css from the latest release.
2. Go to your Obsidian vault's plugins folder and create a new folder named quiz-generator.
3. Move the files you downloaded in step 1 to this folder.
4. Enable the plugin in the Community plugins page in Obsidian.
5. Open the plugin settings and enter your API key for the selected provider.
   • If you don't have an API key, create an account at the relevant provider's site and retrieve your API key.
6. Configure the other settings as desired.

Generation

• Open the command palette and select "Quiz Generator: Open generator" or select the brain-circuit icon in the left sidebar.
• Select the file and folder icons to add notes and folders.
  • Adding a folder adds all the notes inside it, as well as any notes in its subfolders (can be changed in the settings). If you select an extremely large folder (thousands of files and hundreds of subfolders), it could take a few seconds for it to be added.
• Select the eye icon to view the contents of selected notes and folders.
• Select the x icon to remove individual notes or folders and the book icon to remove everything.
• Once you've added your notes and/or folders, select the webhook icon to generate the questions.
  • The quiz UI will open automatically when the generation is complete.

Saving

• Saved questions will be in a Markdown file named "Quiz [number]" in the folder specified by the "Save location" setting.
• Select the save icon to save the current question.
• Select the save-all icon to save all questions.

Reviewing Saved Quizzes

• Open the command palette and select "Quiz Generator: Open quiz from active note" or right-click a note in the file explorer and select "Open quiz from this note" in the file menu.

Miscellaneous

• Select the scroll icon in the generator UI to re-open the most recently generated quiz.

Manually Creating or Modifying Questions

If you want to write your own questions from scratch or modify any saved questions, they must follow the format below to be opened in the quiz UI. However, deviations in spacing and capitalization are okay (the parser is case-insensitive and ignores whitespace).

Text enclosed by {curly braces} is required but can be anything. Text enclosed by <angle brackets> is optional and can be anything. Any other text (not enclosed by either) should be written as shown. You are allowed to make any of the callouts foldable by adding a plus (+) or minus (-). For spaced repetition, you are allowed to bold or italicize the question type identifier using any combination of asterisks and underscores.

True or False Format

Callout

> [!question] {Insert your question here}
>> [!success] <Answer>
>> One of true or false

> [!question] HTML is a programming language.
>> [!success]- Answer
>> False

Spaced Repetition

True or False: {Insert your question here} Insert inline separator you chose in the settings One of true or false

True or False: HTML is a programming language. :: False

Multiple Choice Format

Supports up to 26 choices, denoted by the 26 letters of the English alphabet. You should use the letters in alphabetical order starting from "a". The example below uses 4 choices.

Callout

> [!question] {Insert your question here}
> a) {Choice 1}
> b) {Choice 2}
> c) {Choice 3}
> d) {Choice 4}
>> [!success] <Answer>
>> One of a), b), c), etc. <text of the correct choice>

> [!question] Which of the following is the correct translation of house in Spanish?
> a) Casa
> b) Maison
> c) Haus
> d) Huis
>> [!success]- Answer
>> a) Casa

Spaced Repetition

Multiple Choice: {Insert your question here}
a) {Choice 1}
b) {Choice 2}
c) {Choice 3}
d) {Choice 4}
Insert multiline separator you chose in the settings
One of a), b), c), etc. <text of the correct choice>

Multiple Choice: Which of the following is the correct translation of house in Spanish?
a) Casa
b) Maison
c) Haus
d) Huis
?
a) Casa

Select All That Apply Format

Supports up to 26 choices, denoted by the 26 letters of the English alphabet. There must be at least 2 correct answers or this will be treated as a multiple choice question by the quiz UI. You should use the letters in alphabetical order starting from "a". The example below uses 5 choices.

Callout

> [!question] {Insert your question here}
> a) {Choice 1}
> b) {Choice 2}
> c) {Choice 3}
> d) {Choice 4}
> e) {Choice 5}
>> [!success] <Answer>
>> One of a), b), c), etc. <text of the correct choice>
>> One of a), b), c), etc. <text of the correct choice>

> [!question] Which of the following are elements on the periodic table?
> a) Oxygen
> b) Water
> c) Hydrogen
> d) Salt
> e) Carbon
>> [!success]- Answer
>> a) Oxygen
>> c) Hydrogen
>> e) Carbon

Spaced Repetition

Select All That Apply: {Insert your question here}
a) {Choice 1}
b) {Choice 2}
c) {Choice 3}
d) {Choice 4}
e) {Choice 5}
Insert multiline separator you chose in the settings
One of a), b), c), etc. <text of the correct choice>
One of a), b), c), etc. <text of the correct choice>

Select All That Apply: Which of the following are elements on the periodic table?
a) Oxygen
b) Water
c) Hydrogen
d) Salt
e) Carbon
?
a) Oxygen
c) Hydrogen
e) Carbon

Fill in the Blank Format

Supports an infinite number of blanks. The question must contain at least 1 blank, represented as one or more underscores enclosed by backticks. The answer(s) should appear in the same order as the blank(s) they correspond to. So the first answer corresponds to the first blank, the second answer to the second blank, and so on.

The answer(s) to the blank(s) must be separated by commas with at least 1 space after the comma. This spacing condition exists because it allows the parser to recognize the entirety of a large number as a single answer (since numbers greater than 3 digits typically have commas).

Callout

> [!question] {Insert your question here}
>> [!success] <Answer>
>> Comma separated list of answer(s)

> [!question] The Battle of `____` was fought in `____`.
>> [!success]- Answer
>> Gettysburg, 1863

Spaced Repetition

Fill in the Blank: {Insert your question here} Insert inline separator you chose in the settings Comma separated list of answer(s)

Fill in the Blank: The Battle of `____` was fought in `____`. :: Gettysburg, 1863

Matching Format

Supports up to 13 pairs (i.e. 26 choices total, 13 on each "side"). The first group should use letters a to m and the second group should use letters n to z. Both groups should use the letters in alphabetical order. The answer to a pair is represented as a letter from the first group followed by a letter from the second group, separated by an arrow (one or more hyphens followed by a right angle bracket). The letter from the first group must come first, but you may list the pairs in any order. The example below uses 4 pairs.

Callout

> [!question] {Insert your question here}
>> [!example] <Group A>
>> a) {Choice 1}
>> b) {Choice 2}
>> c) {Choice 3}
>> d) {Choice 4}
>
>> [!example] <Group B>
>> n) {Choice 5}
>> o) {Choice 6}
>> p) {Choice 7}
>> q) {Choice 8}
>
>> [!success] <Answer>
>> One of a), b), c), etc. -> One of n), o), p), etc.
>> One of a), b), c), etc. -> One of n), o), p), etc.
>> One of a), b), c), etc. -> One of n), o), p), etc.
>> One of a), b), c), etc. -> One of n), o), p), etc.

> [!question] Match the medical term to its definition.
>> [!example] Group A
>> a) Hypertension
>> b) Bradycardia
>> c) Tachycardia
>> d) Hypotension
>
>> [!example] <Group B>
>> n) Fast heart rate
>> o) High blood pressure
>> p) Low blood pressure
>> q) Slow heart rate
>
>> [!success]- Answer
>> a) -> o)
>> b) -> q)
>> c) -> n)
>> d) -> p)

Spaced Repetition

Matching: {Insert your question here}
{Group A}
a) {Choice 1}
b) {Choice 2}
c) {Choice 3}
d) {Choice 4}
{Group B}
n) {Choice 5}
o) {Choice 6}
p) {Choice 7}
q) {Choice 8}
Insert multiline separator you chose in the settings
One of a), b), c), etc. -> One of n), o), p), etc.
One of a), b), c), etc. -> One of n), o), p), etc.
One of a), b), c), etc. -> One of n), o), p), etc.
One of a), b), c), etc. -> One of n), o), p), etc.

Matching: Match the medical term to its definition.
Group A
a) Hypertension
b) Bradycardia
c) Tachycardia
d) Hypotension
Group B
n) Fast heart rate
o) High blood pressure
p) Low blood pressure
q) Slow heart rate
?
a) -> o)
b) -> q)
c) -> n)
d) -> p)

Short Answer Format

Callout

> [!question] {Insert your question here}
>> [!success] <Answer>
>> {Insert answer here}

> [!question] Who was the first President of the United States and what is he commonly known for?
>> [!success]- Answer
>> George Washington was the first President of the United States and is commonly known for leading the American Revolutionary War and serving two terms as president.

Spaced Repetition

Short Answer: {Insert your question here} Insert inline separator you chose in the settings {Insert answer here}

Short Answer: Who was the first President of the United States and what is he commonly known for? :: George Washington was the first President of the United States and is commonly known for leading the American Revolutionary War and serving two terms as president.

Long Answer Format

Callout

> [!question] {Insert your question here}
>> [!success] <Answer>
>> {Insert answer here}

> [!question] Explain the difference between a stock and a bond, and discuss the risks and potential rewards associated with each investment type.
>> [!success]- Answer
>> A stock represents ownership in a company and a claim on part of its profits. The potential rewards include dividends and capital gains if the company's value increases, but the risks include the possibility of losing the entire investment if the company fails. A bond is a loan made to a company or government, which pays interest over time and returns the principal at maturity. Bonds are generally considered less risky than stocks, as they provide regular interest payments and the return of principal, but they offer lower potential returns.

Spaced Repetition

Long Answer: {Insert your question here} Insert inline separator you chose in the settings {Insert answer here}

Long Answer: Explain the difference between a stock and a bond, and discuss the risks and potential rewards associated with each investment type. :: A stock represents ownership in a company and a claim on part of its profits. The potential rewards include dividends and capital gains if the company's value increases, but the risks include the possibility of losing the entire investment if the company fails. A bond is a loan made to a company or government, which pays interest over time and returns the principal at maturity. Bonds are generally considered less risky than stocks, as they provide regular interest payments and the return of principal, but they offer lower potential returns.

Coming Soon

I'm actively working on bringing more features and improvements to Quiz Generator. Stay tuned for the following updates:

Next Release

• Feature Requests: #16, #17, #21, #22.
• Chunking: Automatically break down long notes into smaller segments. Intended to fix #19 and #20.
• Note Links: Adding a note also adds outgoing links and backlinks.

Future Releases

• Randomize Choices: Randomize choice order for multiple choice and select all that apply questions are displayed.
• New Question Type: Categorization.
• Test Mode: Take quizzes with a time limit and receive a score at the end.
• Homepage: Access all your quizzes from a custom homepage UI.
• Spaced Repetition: Use the quiz UI with spaced repetition to review quizzes.
• Faster Question Creation: Custom UI to streamline creating your own questions from scratch.
• Extended Files: Generate questions from PDFs and images.
• Advanced Question Type: Image-based.
• Question Variety: Customization options to control the question scope and what it assesses.
• Quality of Life: Reducing token usage while improving question quality.
• Tag Adder: Add notes by tag.
• Custom View: Embed the quiz UI directly inside your notes.
• Dataview Adder: Add notes using Dataview queries.
• Save Format Conversion Tool: Convert saved questions between callout and spaced repetition format.
• Adjustable Difficulty: Set the difficulty of generated questions.
• Advanced Generation: Control the number of choices, blanks, and pairs to generate.
• Responsive UI: Freely resize and move the UI.

Issues and Feature Requests

If you encounter any errors or have feature requests, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.

Tips

• Button Border Meanings
  • Solid Green Border: Correct option you selected.
  • Solid Red Border: Incorrect option you selected.
  • Dashed Green Border: Correct option you didn't select.
• Matching Question UI Breakdown
  • To create a pair, select a button from either column and then select a button from the other column. The UI will connect the buttons by displaying the same number in their respective circles.
    • If you select an unpaired button and then select a paired button from the other column, the pair will update to match the new selection.
  • To remove a pair, double-click on the paired button (either left or right).