Q1: Firstly, adding a pool to a test does not give the option on Ultra to create a

new pool of questions. Instead, it expects an existing pool to be reused. The

provided instructions do not go further on how to create a new pool.
Accordingly, I have had to create a new pool in Learn, export it then import it.
But what happens when Learn is switched off?

The only reason that Blackboard Ultra includes the Question banks option is for
legacy support from Blackboard Learn. Question pools have been reimagined and
therefore work differently in Blackboard Ultra.

To be able to offer you more advice and guidance it would help in gaining more
understanding in what it is exactly you are trying to achieve?

Are you wanting to create a question bank that includes questions that can be
accessed and used across multiple modules or just for one specific module?

In BBU you can:

 create a question pool of all previous assignment and quiz questions.
 set the number of questions to select from the pool. For example, 10 out of
50 questions in the pool.
 use the same questions from the pool for all students but randomise the
order.
 use different questions from the pool for all the students.

I have created a new support guide that can be accessed here that guides you
through the process of setting up and using question pools in Blackboard Ultra.

Q2: Secondly previewing the exam. The test is hidden from students until 12
Jan 22 when it starts. As such the only way I can attempt the exam to make
sure everything is fine is to make it available to students ahead of time, which
is not feasible. There is no option to attempt exam as preview user without
allowing access to all students. In terms of moderation, I have had to recreate
the exam on Learn so it could be moderated.

Using the method, you have highlighted above, you can set a release condition to
make the test available to your preview user so they are the only account that can
see and access the test. This would allow you to attempt and ensure that everything
is fine without any of your other learners seeing or having access to the assessment.

I have included screenshots highlighting this process:

Change the view option from the default Hidden from students to Release Conditions

In the Release Conditions menu, select the Specific members or groups option
and from the dropdown menu select and add your PreviewUser account. Save your
changes.
Enter Student Preview mode and test the assessment.

Once you are happy that the assessment is working as you expected you can Exit
Preview / Reset Preview, remove the Release Conditions.

Another option could be to set an Access Code that only you know so your learners
would be able to gain access to the test until you have given this code out to them, I
feel this is the lesser option as it may cause confusion with your learners as they
would be able to see the assessment but not be able to access it. The first option I
have suggested would mean that the learners would not be able to see the
assessment at all until you remove or change the release conditions.

In the test Settings panel, you can click the Add access code option.
Q3: Blackboard Test template. On learn I could create a Test template and then
customise this template as actual test, mock test and Resit test when
appropriate. Again, on Ultra there is no such option, accordingly this means
Three separate tests have to be create from scratch, which as you can
appreciate is not very efficient.

This is still possible however to achieve this you will have to follow this work around.

Create the test in your Blackboard sandbox module that you want to become the
template, then use the Course copy feature to copy the ‘template’ multiple times to
create the actual test, mock test and resit test you mentioned in your original
question.

The copy process can’t copy individual documents, quizzes or assessments so

please create a new Learning Module called “Test Templates” in the root (top level)
of your sandbox module. And create the test template document within the container.

Created Test Template Blackboard Ultra document

Created the Test Template Learning Module container and created the required
test template. All within my sandbox module/
Open the actual module you want to copy the content into (you cannot copy a BBU
object from within the same module back to itself – this is why we are creating
the test template in your sandbox module.) and click on the three dots in the top
righthand corner (opposite the Module content heading) and select Copy Content.

Select your sandbox module and navigate to the Test Template Learning Module
you created previously that holds the test template.

Using this process, you would have to repeat the copying procedure multiple times,
move the template from all consequent learning modules into the first learning
module that was created. This does seem like a long-winded way of achieving the
desired result however, at present, this is the most efficient means of duplicating
content in Blackboard Ultra that mimics the Blackboard Learn template process you
outlined in your email.