diff --git a/public/admin.html b/public/admin.html
index d955908..639ce23 100644
--- a/public/admin.html
+++ b/public/admin.html
@@ -226,7 +226,10 @@
           </div>
 
           <div id="ie-field-quiz" class="ie-field">
-            <div class="inline-form" style="margin-bottom:.5rem">
+            <label>Instructions <small style="color:#888">(optional — shown to student before questions)</small>
+              <textarea id="ie-quiz-instructions" rows="2" placeholder="e.g. Choose the best answer for each question." style="width:100%;margin-top:.25rem;resize:vertical"></textarea>
+            </label>
+            <div class="inline-form" style="margin:.5rem 0">
               <select id="ie-template-select"><option value="">— load from template —</option></select>
               <button type="button" id="ie-load-template" class="secondary">Load</button>
               <button type="button" id="ie-save-template" class="secondary">Save as template</button>
@@ -236,7 +239,10 @@
           </div>
 
           <div id="ie-field-matching" class="ie-field">
-            <p class="hint" style="margin-bottom:.5rem">Enter word-clue pairs. Words are shown as A, B, C… (alphabetical order) in the word bank.</p>
+            <label>Instructions <small style="color:#888">(optional — shown to student before the word bank)</small>
+              <textarea id="ie-matching-instructions" rows="2" placeholder="e.g. Match each definition to the correct term." style="width:100%;margin-top:.25rem;resize:vertical"></textarea>
+            </label>
+            <p class="hint" style="margin:.5rem 0">Enter word-clue pairs. Words are shown as A, B, C… (alphabetical order) in the word bank.</p>
             <div id="ie-pairs"></div>
             <button type="button" id="ie-add-pair" class="secondary">+ Add pair</button>
           </div>
diff --git a/public/admin.js b/public/admin.js
index ae459f3..d0b3daa 100644
--- a/public/admin.js
+++ b/public/admin.js
@@ -406,8 +406,12 @@ async function openItemEditor(unitId, itemId) {
     $('#ie-retake-policy').value = item.retake_policy || 'latest';
     if (item.type === 'spelling_practice' || item.type === 'spelling_test') $('#ie-list').value = item.ref_id;
     if (item.type === 'flashcards') $('#ie-deck').value = item.ref_id;
-    if (item.type === 'quiz') (item.questions || []).forEach(addQuestionRow);
+    if (item.type === 'quiz') {
+      $('#ie-quiz-instructions').value = item.body || '';
+      (item.questions || []).forEach(addQuestionRow);
+    }
     if (item.type === 'matching') {
+      $('#ie-matching-instructions').value = item.body || '';
       $('#ie-pairs').innerHTML = '';
       pairCount = 0;
       (item.questions || []).forEach(addMatchingRow);
@@ -425,6 +429,8 @@ async function openItemEditor(unitId, itemId) {
     $('#ie-title').value = '';
     $('#ie-body-lesson').innerHTML = '';
     $('#ie-body-assignment').innerHTML = '';
+    $('#ie-quiz-instructions').value = '';
+    $('#ie-matching-instructions').value = '';
     $('#ie-points').value = 10;
     $('#ie-due-date').value = '';
     $('#ie-allow-retakes').checked = false;
@@ -713,7 +719,11 @@ $('#item-form').addEventListener('submit', async (e) => {
     unitId: Number($('#ie-unit-id').value),
     type,
     title,
-    body: type === 'lesson' ? getLessonBody() : type === 'assignment' ? getAssignmentBody() : '',
+    body: type === 'lesson' ? getLessonBody()
+        : type === 'assignment' ? getAssignmentBody()
+        : type === 'quiz' ? $('#ie-quiz-instructions').value.trim()
+        : type === 'matching' ? $('#ie-matching-instructions').value.trim()
+        : '',
     points: type === 'assignment' ? Number($('#ie-points').value) || 0 : 0,
     refId: type === 'spelling_practice' || type === 'spelling_test' ? Number($('#ie-list').value)
          : type === 'flashcards' ? Number($('#ie-deck').value) : null,
diff --git a/public/app.js b/public/app.js
index f1a1556..b121a05 100644
--- a/public/app.js
+++ b/public/app.js
@@ -771,6 +771,9 @@ async function openQuiz(itemId, forceRetake = false) {
   const item = await api(`/api/items/${itemId}?studentId=${currentStudent.id}`);
   $('#quiz-kicker').textContent = `${item.course_name} · ${item.unit_name}`;
   $('#quiz-title').textContent = item.title;
+  const instrEl = $('#quiz-instructions');
+  if (item.body) { instrEl.textContent = item.body; instrEl.hidden = false; }
+  else instrEl.hidden = true;
   const graded = !forceRetake && item.submission && item.submission.status === 'graded';
   const result = $('#quiz-result');
 
@@ -865,6 +868,9 @@ async function openMatching(itemId, forceRetake = false) {
   const item = await api(`/api/items/${itemId}?studentId=${currentStudent.id}`);
   $('#quiz-kicker').textContent = `${item.course_name} · ${item.unit_name}`;
   $('#quiz-title').textContent = item.title;
+  const instrEl = $('#quiz-instructions');
+  if (item.body) { instrEl.textContent = item.body; instrEl.hidden = false; }
+  else instrEl.hidden = true;
   const graded = !forceRetake && item.submission && item.submission.status === 'graded';
   const result = $('#quiz-result');
 
diff --git a/public/index.html b/public/index.html
index dd208f4..0e7f359 100644
--- a/public/index.html
+++ b/public/index.html
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@
     <div class="item-card">
       <p class="item-kicker" id="quiz-kicker"></p>
       <h1 id="quiz-title"></h1>
+      <p id="quiz-instructions" class="quiz-instructions" hidden></p>
       <form id="quiz-form"></form>
       <div id="quiz-result" class="status-banner" hidden></div>
     </div>
diff --git a/public/styles.css b/public/styles.css
index e86b34a..8df9577 100644
--- a/public/styles.css
+++ b/public/styles.css
@@ -830,6 +830,14 @@ body.theme-indigo { --accent: #5b6abf; --accent-dark: #4a57a0; --bg: #f4f5ff; }
   font-size: 1.05rem;
 }
 
+/* ---------- quiz / matching instructions ---------- */
+.quiz-instructions {
+  background: var(--bg); border-left: 3px solid var(--accent);
+  border-radius: 6px; padding: 0.55rem 0.9rem;
+  font-size: 0.95rem; color: var(--ink);
+  margin-bottom: 1rem; text-align: left;
+}
+
 /* ---------- matching quiz ---------- */
 .match-word-bank {
   background: var(--bg); border: 2px solid var(--accent);