Questionnaires
The Manage Questionnaires tab lists all assessment questionnaires that exist for a tenant. From this page, questionnaires can be created, edited, imported, or deleted. Assessment questions have two primary purposes:
- 1.To make the assessment more robust, provide context, and enhance the process.
- 2.To pass the information on as a finding when the assessment is completed and submitted as a report.
An assessment for a client can also be initiated from this page.
Step 1: Click New Questionnaire from the Manage Questionnaires tab of the Assessments module.
Step 2: Enter a unique title and select the reference framework from the pulldown menu.
The reference framework value is used to tag assessments and questions for future categorization and management.
Step 3: Click Create Questionnaire.
The "Edit Questionnaire" page has been launched. This page has multiple sections that are further explained below.
Step 4: Edit this section as needed.
- Questionnaire Title (required): This is the value entered in Step 3 but can be edited here. This value will appear in the expanded section of the questionnaire (reference number one in the question example below).
- Reference Framework: This value was selected in Step 3 and cannot be edited. The reference framework value is used to tag assessments and questions for future categorization and management.
- Require Completion of All Questions: If all questions must be answered before the assessment is complete, check the box.
Step 5: Click Save Basic Info.
- Title (required): Question title and value that will appear in the expanded section of the questionnaire (see number 1 in the example below).
- Description (required): Description of the question that will appear as additional context for the user when answering the question (see number 2 in the example below).
- Answer Types (required): Header value for multiple-choice questions (see number 3 in the example below). Additional multiple-choice questions can be added by clicking Add Answer Type, which is helpful for assessments that score off multiple categories, such as Process and Practice maturity in CMMC. Check the box under "Require?" to make answering the question mandatory when completing the assessment. The list of values available for each multiple-choice question can be previewed by hovering over the informational icon to the right of the "Answer Types" label (but only admins can edit answer type labels and answer type values).
- Add Input Field: Additional label that can be provided and made mandatory if required (see number 4 in the example below). The label will be presented to the user with a box for data entry. Enter as many Input Fields as required.
- Add Custom Field: Provides additional RTF fields with a label, if needed. Repeat as often as needed.
- Default Severity: Pulldown menu list of values to define the default severity of the question. If a question is based on a Framework Control, it may have a predefined severity. This will be the severity of the report finding that this question will become upon submission.
- Default Score: Optional method for providing a default score.
- Default Score Calculation: If required, enter as a plain text string.
- Tags: Additional information to improve search and reporting.
- Recommendations: Recommendations relevant to the question, such as a remediation technique or policy suggestion.
- References: References to questions to assist with the implementation or verify the assertion, such as website links.
Information from a writeup can be linked to a question. This metadata and content from the writeup will not appear in the assessment. Still, after the assessment is submitted and the question becomes a finding, the writeup information is included on the finding detail page.
- Writeup: Pulldown menu list of available writeups to link to the question.
- Tags: Additional information to improve search and reporting. This is the same field found under the "Custom" button.
Not every field edited for a question will be displayed when taking the assessment. Still, it will be passed to a finding in the report generated upon submission, as each question in the assessment will become a finding.
The screenshot below illustrates this: Every field greyed out and below the yellow line will not appear in the assessment but will be passed on to the finding details page after an assessment is submitted.
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Step 6: Click Create.
The created question now appears in the "All Questions" column on the left.
This section contains a record of all questions in an assessment and provides the sequence they will appear in an assessment.
Step 7: Create more questions to complete the assessment. This can be done in two ways:
- 1.Clicking Add Question to bring up a new blank list of fields.
- 2.Clicking the copy icon of the question to clone.​
Step 8: Click Create after completing the second question. Create as many questions as needed to complete the assessment.
After multiple questions exist, the ability to sequence each question is provided should the creation of steps be outside the desired final sequence.
Questions can be moved by clicking the question box in the "All Questions" column and dragging it to the desired arrangement on the list. The numbering will dynamically change so that they are ordered as shown on the page (i.e., the question on top is always Question #1).
PlexTrac allows questionnaires in JSON file format to be imported.
Step 1: From the Assessments module, click the Manage Questionnaires tab.
Step 2: Click Import.
Step 3: Drag the JSON file to the modal or click to browse to file on the computer. Repeat if necessary. When finished, click Upload.
Importing a questionnaire removes all linked writeups.
If the wrong JSON file is used, an error message will appear. If the import is successful, the new file will appear in the list of questionnaires.
A questionnaire can be exported as a JSON file for backup or imported to another instance. Questionnaires can be exported during editing or directly from the Manage Questionnaires page.
Step 1: From the Assessments module, click the Manage Questionnaires tab.
Step 2: Click the three dots under the "Actions" menu of the questionnaire and then click Export.
Step 3: A confirmation appears. Click Export.
The questionnaire is downloaded locally as a JSON file.
Step 1: From the Assessments module, click the Manage Questionnaires tab.
Step 2: Click Edit under the "Actions" menu of the questionnaire to export.
Step 3: Click Export.
The questionnaire is downloaded locally as a JSON file.
All question titles, descriptions, and tags can be quickly viewed by clicking the row of the questionnaire on the Manage Questionnaire tab. The questions are listed in sequence.
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Last modified 1mo ago