Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/questions/QuestionParser.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r65ed4da382b320542dcd88cb1375662dcfac8769 -rf9b2102cf2cabf9b832a4d5cd002bd0618ce4050
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/questions/QuestionParser.java	(.../QuestionParser.java)	(revision 65ed4da382b320542dcd88cb1375662dcfac8769)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/questions/QuestionParser.java	(.../QuestionParser.java)	(revision f9b2102cf2cabf9b832a4d5cd002bd0618ce4050)
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
 			// do not support algorithmic question type
 			continue questionLoop;
 		    }
-		    question.setText(questionText);
+		    question.setText(WebUtil.removeHTMLtags(questionText));
 		} else if ("response_lid".equals(presentationChild.getNodeName())) {
 		    // parse answers
 		    NodeList answerList = ((Element) presentationChild).getElementsByTagName("response_label");
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@
 			Element textElement = (Element) answerElement.getElementsByTagName("mattext").item(0);
 			String answerText = ((CDATASection) textElement.getChildNodes().item(0)).getData();
 			Answer answer = new Answer();
-			answer.setText(answerText);
+			answer.setText(WebUtil.removeHTMLtags(answerText));
 			if (question.getAnswers() == null) {
 			    question.setAnswers(new ArrayList<Answer>());
 			}
@@ -203,14 +203,14 @@
 		    String feedbackType = feedbackElement.getAttribute("view");
 		    // it is a question feedback
 		    if ("All".equalsIgnoreCase(feedbackType)) {
-			question.setFeedback(feedbackText);
+			question.setFeedback(WebUtil.removeHTMLtags(feedbackText));
 		    } else {
 			// it is an answer feedback
 			String feedbackId = feedbackElement.getAttribute("ident");
 			String answerId = feedbackMap.get(feedbackId);
 			if (answerId != null) {
 			    Answer answer = answerMap.get(answerId);
-			    answer.setFeedback(feedbackText);
+			    answer.setFeedback(WebUtil.removeHTMLtags(feedbackText));
 			}
 		    }
 		}
@@ -240,7 +240,9 @@
 		String questionFeedback = WebUtil.extractParameterValue(queryString, "question" + questionIndex
 			+ "feedback");
 		// can be blank
-		question.setFeedback(URLDecoder.decode(questionFeedback, "UTF8"));
+		if (!StringUtils.isBlank(questionFeedback)) {
+		    question.setFeedback(URLDecoder.decode(questionFeedback, "UTF8"));
+		}
 		if (chooseAnswers) {
 		    String answerCountParam = WebUtil.extractParameterValue(queryString, "answerCount" + questionIndex);
 		    int answerCount = answerCountParam == null ? 0 : Integer.parseInt(answerCountParam);
@@ -256,12 +258,13 @@
 				if (!StringUtils.isBlank(answerScore)) {
 				    answer.setScore(Float.parseFloat(answerScore));
 				}
-				
+
 				String answerFeedback = WebUtil.extractParameterValue(queryString, answerId
 					+ "feedback");
 				// can be blank
-				answer.setFeedback(URLDecoder.decode(answerFeedback, "UTF8"));
-				
+				if (!StringUtils.isBlank(answerFeedback)) {
+				    answer.setFeedback(URLDecoder.decode(answerFeedback, "UTF8"));
+				}
 				question.getAnswers().add(answer);
 			    }
 			}
Index: lams_tool_lamc/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/mc/web/McAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r65ed4da382b320542dcd88cb1375662dcfac8769 -rf9b2102cf2cabf9b832a4d5cd002bd0618ce4050
--- lams_tool_lamc/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/mc/web/McAction.java	(.../McAction.java)	(revision 65ed4da382b320542dcd88cb1375662dcfac8769)
+++ lams_tool_lamc/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/mc/web/McAction.java	(.../McAction.java)	(revision f9b2102cf2cabf9b832a4d5cd002bd0618ce4050)
@@ -696,8 +696,8 @@
 	Question[] questions = QuestionParser.parseQuestionChoiceForm(request.getQueryString());
 
 	for (Question question : questions) {
-	    // quietly do same verification as in other question-adding methods 
-	    String questionText = WebUtil.removeHTMLtags(question.getText());
+	    // quietly do same verification as in other question-adding methods
+	    String questionText = question.getText();
 	    if (StringUtils.isBlank(questionText)) {
 		LamsDispatchAction.log.warn("Skipping a blank question.");
 		continue;
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@
 	    if (question.getAnswers() != null) {
 		for (Answer answer : question.getAnswers()) {
 		    McCandidateAnswersDTO mcCandidateAnswersDTO = new McCandidateAnswersDTO();
-		    String answerText = WebUtil.removeHTMLtags(answer.getText());
+		    String answerText = answer.getText();
 		    if (correctAnswer != null && correctAnswer.equals(answerText)) {
 			LamsDispatchAction.log.warn("Skipping an answer with same text as the correct answer: "
 				+ answerText);