Moodle GIFT Format Generator: Build GIFT Files From Your Own Questions

Updated October 19, 2026 · 7 min read

Look up a moodle gift format generator and most results describe AI tools that write the questions for you. That is fine for a warm-up activity; it is a problem the moment the AI invents a wrong answer on a real quiz. ExamParser is a deterministic generator: it builds a GIFT file from the questions you already have. Nothing is fabricated, so every answer is correct and import-ready.

The one-line difference: AI generators create questions and sometimes get them wrong. ExamParser generates a GIFT file from your own questions and never changes the content. For quizzes that count toward a grade, that is the difference that matters.

What GIFT is (and why it is the format to use)

GIFT — the General Import Format for Tests — is Moodle's most capable plain-text import format. You write questions in a .txt file and import it through Question bank › Import › GIFT. Compared with Aiken (which only handles multiple choice), GIFT covers far more question types and supports feedback and partial credit. If you are building a reuseable bank, GIFT is the better foundation.

GIFT syntax, without the guesswork

A GIFT file is just text. The essentials:

::Question title:: What is 7 × 6?
{ =42 ~36 ~49 }

::True or false:: The sky is green.
{ F }

::Short answer:: Name the capital of France.
{ =Paris }

::Matching:: Match the term to its definition.
{ =Cat -> A small feline
   =Dog -> A loyal canine }

Title — starts with ::Title:: so you can find the item later.
Correct answer — marked with =; wrong options use ~.
True/False — {T} or {F}.
Feedback & partial credit — append #feedback after an answer, or use %50% for a partial score.

Step 1: prepare your question source

Excel / CSV — a fixed column layout: question text, each option in its own column, the correct answer, and an optional image column. Keep the columns in place; a shifted column silently drops a question.
Word / DOCX — a table of questions or questions written as headings with options beneath. ExamParser maps them into that same fixed structure.
PDF — text-based or scanned (via OCR). Questions are extracted and reshaped into GIFT.

One rule applies to every format: each question may have at most one image, and it must be supplied as a URL — embedded or multiple images are not carried over.

Step 2: generate the GIFT file

Upload your file

Drop in the Excel, Word, or PDF that holds your questions. ExamParser reads them exactly as written.

Map to fixed columns

For spreadsheets, ExamParser lines up your data with the required columns. No content is added or rewritten.

Generate the GIFT .txt

ExamParser outputs a GIFT file with the correct ::title::, =/~ markers, and question-type wrappers — ready for Moodle.

Step 3: import into Moodle

Open Import

In your course, go to Question bank › Import.

Choose GIFT

Select GIFT as the format and upload the .txt file ExamParser generated.

Confirm the category

Pick the question category and click Import. The items land in your bank, ready to attach to any quiz.

Why a deterministic generator beats an AI one

When a quiz is for practice, an AI guess is tolerable. When it is for a midterm, a hallucinated answer is a problem — for the student who gets it wrong and the instructor who has to defend it. Because ExamParser only reorganizes questions you authored, the output is auditable: what you wrote is what lands in Moodle. The same source can also feed Canvas, Brightspace, and other platforms, so you generate once and deploy everywhere.

Browse more import guides at examparser.com/blog/en.

Frequently asked questions

Is ExamParser an AI gift format generator?

No. ExamParser does not invent questions or answers. It is a deterministic generator: you supply the questions (from an Excel/CSV, Word/DOCX, or PDF file), and it generates a GIFT file from exactly that content. Because the content comes from you, answers are always correct and verifiable.

What question types does Moodle GIFT support?

GIFT handles multiple choice, true/false, short answer, matching, fill-in-the-blank, numerical, and essay questions, plus feedback and partial credit. That is why it is the most capable plain-text format Moodle imports — more complete than Aiken, which only covers multiple choice.

How do I import the generated GIFT file into Moodle?

In your course, open Question bank > Import, choose GIFT as the format, upload the .txt file ExamParser produced, and click Import. The questions land in the selected question category, ready to attach to any quiz.

What source files can I use to generate a GIFT file?

Excel/CSV (with fixed columns), Word/DOCX, or PDF. For spreadsheets, ExamParser expects a fixed column layout (question, each option, correct answer, optional image URL). Each question may have at most one image, supplied as a URL.

Ready to generate a GIFT file from your own questions?

Skip the AI guesswork. Upload the questions you already trust and generate a Moodle-ready GIFT file in minutes.

Try ExamParser →