Moodle XML Format: Structure, Example, and Import Steps

Updated October 25, 2026 · 8 min read

Moodle imports questions three ways — XML, GIFT, and Aiken. GIFT and Aiken are plain text and quick to hand-write, but they cannot carry everything. Moodle XML is the expressive format: it supports categories, per-answer feedback, hints, multiple correct answers, and question types beyond multiple-choice. This is the deep-dive — structure, a working example, and when to reach for it.

The three formats at a glance

Format	Type	Best for	Can carry feedback/hints?
XML	Markup	Rich, structured banks	Yes — fully
GIFT	Plain text	Bulk MCQ / short answer	Partly (inline)
Aiken	Plain text	Simple MCQ only	No

XML anatomy

Every Moodle XML file is a <quiz> root holding one or more <question> elements. Each question declares its type and contains:

<name> — internal question name.
<questiontext> — the stem (with a format attribute, usually html or plain_text).
<answer fraction="100"> — one per option; fraction is the scoring weight (100 = correct, 0 = wrong, or partial credit in between).
<feedback> — optional text shown for an answer or the whole question.
<hint> — optional hint shown on request.

A working example

This imports as one multiple-choice question with correct-answer feedback:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<quiz>
  <question type="multichoice">
    <name><text>Addition basics</text></name>
    <questiontext format="html">
      <text>What is 2 + 2?</text>
    </questiontext>
    <answer fraction="100">
      <text>4</text>
      <feedback><text>Correct.</text></feedback>
    </answer>
    <answer fraction="0">
      <text>3</text>
    </answer>
    <answer fraction="0">
      <text>5</text>
    </answer>
    <hint><text>Count up from 2.</text></hint>
  </question>
</quiz>

Import steps

Open the question bank

In your course, go to More → Question bank → Import (or a category's Import).

Choose XML

Select "XML" as the import format.

Upload the .xml

Pick your file and click Import. Moodle parses and reports any item it could not read.

Preview

Check the imported questions in the bank before adding them to a quiz.

When XML beats GIFT and Aiken

Reach for XML when you need categories (organize questions into the bank tree), per-answer feedback, hints, multiple correct answers (multichoice with more than one right option), or non-MCQ types like matching, essay, or calculated. For a fast batch of plain multiple-choice, GIFT or Aiken is less verbose — but you give up that metadata.

Generating XML from a spreadsheet

You do not have to hand-write XML. A fixed-column spreadsheet — Question, options, Correct, Explanation — can be transformed into Moodle XML, carrying categories, feedback, and hints from columns. That keeps XML's expressiveness without its typing burden. Our Moodle import guides are at examparser.com/blog/en.

Frequently asked questions

What are Moodle's three import formats?

Moodle imports questions from XML, GIFT, and Aiken. XML is the most expressive (categories, multi-answer, feedback, hints, question types). GIFT is a compact plain-text format good for bulk multiple-choice and short-answer. Aiken is the simplest plain-text format for multiple-choice only. All three reach the same question bank; they differ in how much metadata they can carry.

When should I use Moodle XML instead of GIFT or Aiken?

Use XML when you need anything the plain-text formats cannot express: question categories, per-answer feedback, hints, multichoice with multiple correct answers, or non-MCQ types like matching and essay. For a quick batch of plain multiple-choice, GIFT or Aiken is faster to hand-write. XML is the right call when structure and feedback matter.

What is the minimum valid Moodle XML for one question?

A <quiz> root containing one <question type="multichoice"> with a <name>, a <questiontext>, and one or more <answer> elements carrying a fraction (100 for correct, 0 for wrong) and the answer text. Wrap it in the standard XML declaration and it imports cleanly.

How do I import Moodle XML?

In Moodle, go to the Question bank for a course or category, choose 'Import', select 'XML' as the format, upload the .xml file, and click Import. Preview the parsed questions afterward; Moodle reports any item it could not parse.

Can I generate Moodle XML from a spreadsheet?

Yes. A fixed-column spreadsheet (question, options, correct answer, explanation) can be transformed into Moodle XML programmatically, or by a converter that outputs the format. That avoids hand-writing XML while keeping its expressiveness — categories, feedback, and hints can all be carried from columns.

Build a rich Moodle bank without hand-writing XML

Keep questions in a fixed-column spreadsheet and convert them to Moodle XML — categories, feedback, and hints included.

Try ExamParser →