diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/README.md b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/README.md
index 95a7373557..fed169cce9 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/README.md
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/README.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Edits an exercise's assessment items stored as [QTI 3](https://www.imsglobal.org
 2. `composables/useQtiItem.js` parses `raw_data` with `serialization/parseItem.js` into interaction blocks (`bodyXml` + `responseDeclarations`), hints and item metadata.
 3. `components/InteractionSection` resolves each block's descriptor and question type with `composables/useInteractionDescriptor.js`.
 4. The interaction's `Editor.vue` (`interactions/index.js`) edits a plain state object through `composables/useInteraction.js`: `descriptor.parse` → state → `descriptor.buildXML` → `descriptor.validate`.
-5. `useQtiItem` rebuilds the full item with `serialization/assembleItem.js`; `QTIItemEditor` emits `update:rawData`.
+5. `useQtiItem` rebuilds the full item with `serialization/assembleItem.js`; `QTIItemEditor` emits `update:rawData`. `validateItem.js` `isEditableItem` shows read-only any item holding content outside the body that this rebuild doesn't write or regenerate.
 
 `validateItem.js` `validateQtiItem` runs the same parse and validation headless, without the Vue editors.
 
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/__tests__/validateItem.spec.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/__tests__/validateItem.spec.js
index 58d645f9be..382b9f78e5 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/__tests__/validateItem.spec.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/__tests__/validateItem.spec.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { validateItemShape, validateQtiItem } from '../validateItem';
+import { isEditableItem, validateItemShape, validateQtiItem } from '../validateItem';
 import { QuestionType, ValidationError } from '../constants';
 import { assembleItemXml } from '../serialization/assembleItem';
 import { parseItem } from '../serialization/parseItem';
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ import {
   CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_NO_PROMPT,
   CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_NO_CORRECT_ANSWER,
   CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_NO_CORRECT_ANSWER_WITH_STIMULUS,
+  CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS,
+  CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_SCHEMA_LOCATION,
+  STYLESHEET_ITEM_DOCUMENT_NO_PROMPT,
   NO_INTERACTION_ITEM_DOCUMENT,
   INLINE_CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT,
   VALID_MATCH_ITEM_DOCUMENT,
@@ -53,6 +56,25 @@ describe('validateQtiItem', () => {
     expect(validateQtiItem(noPrompt, { allowFreeResponse: false })).toEqual([]);
   });
 
+  it('applies editor rules to an item with content an edit would drop', () => {
+    expect(codesOf(validateQtiItem(STYLESHEET_ITEM_DOCUMENT_NO_PROMPT))).toContain(
+      ValidationError.PROMPT_REQUIRED,
+    );
+    const templatedAnswer = CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+      /<qti-correct-response>[\s\S]*<\/qti-correct-response>/,
+      '',
+    ).replace(
+      '  <qti-item-body>',
+      `  <qti-template-processing>
+    <qti-set-correct-response identifier="RESPONSE">
+      <qti-base-value base-type="identifier">choice-a</qti-base-value>
+    </qti-set-correct-response>
+  </qti-template-processing>
+  <qti-item-body>`,
+    );
+    expect(codesOf(validateQtiItem(templatedAnswer))).toContain(ValidationError.NO_CORRECT_ANSWER);
+  });
+
   it('reports an item whose body holds no interaction', () => {
     expect(validateQtiItem(NO_INTERACTION_ITEM_DOCUMENT)).toEqual([
       { code: ValidationError.NO_INTERACTION },
@@ -247,6 +269,185 @@ describe('validateQtiItem', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('isEditableItem', () => {
+  const isEditable = xml => isEditableItem(parseItem(xml), xml);
+  const withRoot = attrs =>
+    CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace('xml:lang="en"', `xml:lang="en" ${attrs}`);
+  const withScoring = (outcomeDeclarations, responseProcessing = '') =>
+    CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+      '\n\n  <qti-item-body>',
+      `\n  ${outcomeDeclarations}\n  <qti-item-body>`,
+    ).replace('\n</qti-assessment-item>', `\n  ${responseProcessing}\n</qti-assessment-item>`);
+  const FEEDBACK_OUTCOME =
+    '<qti-outcome-declaration identifier="FEEDBACK" cardinality="single" base-type="identifier"/>';
+  const withHintCard = card =>
+    CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+      '<qti-catalog id="kolibri-hints">',
+      `<qti-catalog id="kolibri-hints">\n      ${card}`,
+    );
+
+  it.each([
+    ['hints', CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS],
+    ['xsi:schemaLocation', CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_SCHEMA_LOCATION],
+    ['converter metadata', withRoot('label="L" tool-name="other" tool-version="2"')],
+    ['adaptive="0"', CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace('adaptive="false"', 'adaptive="0"')],
+    [
+      'time-dependent="0"',
+      CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace('time-dependent="false"', 'time-dependent="0"'),
+    ],
+    [
+      'explicit match_correct rules',
+      withScoring(
+        '<qti-outcome-declaration identifier="SCORE" cardinality="single" base-type="float"/>',
+        `<qti-response-processing>
+    <qti-response-condition>
+      <qti-response-if>
+        <qti-match><qti-variable identifier="RESPONSE"/><qti-correct identifier="RESPONSE"/></qti-match>
+        <qti-set-outcome-value identifier="SCORE"><qti-base-value base-type="float">1</qti-base-value></qti-set-outcome-value>
+      </qti-response-if>
+    </qti-response-condition>
+  </qti-response-processing>`,
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a non-zero default SCORE',
+      withScoring(`<qti-outcome-declaration identifier="SCORE" cardinality="single" base-type="float">
+    <qti-default-value><qti-value>1</qti-value></qti-default-value>
+  </qti-outcome-declaration>`),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a score maximum and a MAXSCORE outcome',
+      withScoring(
+        `<qti-outcome-declaration identifier="SCORE" cardinality="single" base-type="float" normal-maximum="1"/>
+  <qti-outcome-declaration identifier="MAXSCORE" cardinality="single" base-type="float"/>`,
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a response declaration no interaction uses',
+      withScoring(
+        '<qti-response-declaration identifier="UNUSED" cardinality="single" base-type="identifier"/>',
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a pretty-printed bare-text hint',
+      withHintCard(`<qti-card support="ext:kolibri-hint">
+        <qti-html-content>
+          Try halving it first
+        </qti-html-content>
+      </qti-card>`),
+    ],
+    [
+      'an empty hint card',
+      withHintCard('<qti-card support="ext:kolibri-hint"><qti-html-content/></qti-card>'),
+    ],
+  ])('is true for an item with %s', (_, xml) => {
+    expect(isEditable(xml)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    [
+      'hint cards in a catalog by another id',
+      CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+        '<qti-catalog id="kolibri-hints">',
+        '<qti-catalog id="g1">',
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'an attribute on the catalog info',
+      CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+        '<qti-catalog-info>',
+        '<qti-catalog-info data-x="1">',
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a non-hint card in the hint catalog',
+      withHintCard(
+        '<qti-card support="glossary-on-screen"><qti-html-content><p>Term</p></qti-html-content></qti-card>',
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a hint card in two languages',
+      withHintCard(`<qti-card support="ext:kolibri-hint">
+        <qti-card-entry xml:lang="en"><qti-html-content><p>Hi</p></qti-html-content></qti-card-entry>
+        <qti-card-entry xml:lang="es"><qti-html-content><p>Hola</p></qti-html-content></qti-card-entry>
+      </qti-card>`),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a hint card pointing at a file',
+      withHintCard(
+        '<qti-card support="ext:kolibri-hint"><qti-file-href mime-type="text/html">hint.html</qti-file-href></qti-card>',
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a language on a hint card',
+      CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replaceAll(
+        '<qti-card support="ext:kolibri-hint">',
+        '<qti-card support="ext:kolibri-hint" xml:lang="es">',
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a language on hint content',
+      withHintCard(
+        '<qti-card support="ext:kolibri-hint"><qti-html-content xml:lang="es"><p>Hola</p></qti-html-content></qti-card>',
+      ),
+    ],
+    ['an unknown root attribute', withRoot('foo="bar"')],
+    ['a root attribute in another namespace', withRoot('xmlns:x="urn:x" x:label="L"')],
+    [
+      'adaptive="true"',
+      CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace('adaptive="false"', 'adaptive="true"'),
+    ],
+    [
+      'time-dependent="true"',
+      CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace('time-dependent="false"', 'time-dependent="true"'),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a known child in another namespace',
+      withScoring('<x:qti-outcome-declaration xmlns:x="urn:x" identifier="X"/>'),
+    ],
+    ['text outside the body', withScoring('Stray text')],
+    [
+      'a root language xml:lang does not accept',
+      CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace('xml:lang="en"', 'language="en_US"'),
+    ],
+    [
+      'feedback on an outcome an edit drops',
+      withScoring(FEEDBACK_OUTCOME).replace(
+        '>A</qti-simple-choice>',
+        '>A<qti-feedback-inline outcome-identifier="FEEDBACK" identifier="choice-a" show-hide="show">Yes</qti-feedback-inline></qti-simple-choice>',
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a printed outcome an edit drops',
+      withScoring(FEEDBACK_OUTCOME).replace(
+        'Pick one.',
+        'Pick one. <qti-printed-variable identifier="FEEDBACK"/>',
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a printed SCORE',
+      withScoring(
+        '<qti-outcome-declaration identifier="SCORE" cardinality="single" base-type="float"/>',
+      ).replace('Pick one.', 'Pick one. <qti-printed-variable identifier="SCORE"/>'),
+    ],
+    [
+      'feedback on SCORE',
+      CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+        '>A</qti-simple-choice>',
+        '>A<qti-feedback-inline outcome-identifier="SCORE" identifier="choice-a" show-hide="show">Yes</qti-feedback-inline></qti-simple-choice>',
+      ),
+    ],
+    [
+      'a hint card in another namespace',
+      withHintCard(
+        '<x:qti-card xmlns:x="urn:x" support="ext:kolibri-hint"><qti-html-content><p>hidden</p></qti-html-content></x:qti-card>',
+      ),
+    ],
+  ])('is false for an item with %s', (_, xml) => {
+    expect(isEditable(xml)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
 // What the editor asks about an item it is already showing, which is everything an
 // interaction cannot answer for itself.
 describe('validateItemShape', () => {
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/components/QTIItemEditor/__tests__/QTIItemEditor.spec.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/components/QTIItemEditor/__tests__/QTIItemEditor.spec.js
index dbc33766d4..691a74bfb3 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/components/QTIItemEditor/__tests__/QTIItemEditor.spec.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/components/QTIItemEditor/__tests__/QTIItemEditor.spec.js
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ import {
   FREE_RESPONSE_ITEM_DOCUMENT,
   NO_INTERACTION_ITEM_DOCUMENT,
   CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS,
+  CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS_AND_GLOSSARY,
+  CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_MODAL_FEEDBACK,
+  CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_SCHEMA_LOCATION,
+  CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_STYLESHEET,
+  STYLESHEET_ITEM_DOCUMENT_NO_PROMPT,
   VALID_ASSOCIATE_ITEM_DOCUMENT,
   VALID_MATCH_ITEM_DOCUMENT,
   MATCH_THREE_SETS_XML,
@@ -25,6 +30,7 @@ import {
   UNRECOGNIZED_INTERACTION_ITEM_DOCUMENT,
   INLINE_CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT,
 } from '../../../utils/testingFixtures';
+import { QTI_SCHEMA_LOCATION, XSI_NS } from '../../../serialization/xml';
 
 jest.mock('shared/views/TipTapEditor/TipTapEditor/TipTapEditor');
 jest.mock('kolibri-design-system/lib/composables/useKResponsiveWindow', () => {
@@ -47,6 +53,7 @@ const {
   questionNumberAndTypeLabel$,
   unknownTypeLabel$,
   responsePoolLabel$,
+  deleteHintBtn$,
 } = qtiEditorStrings;
 
 const defaultProps = {
@@ -252,10 +259,14 @@ describe('QTIItemEditor', () => {
           CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS_AND_STIMULUS,
         'text sharing the text entry paragraph': TEXT_ENTRY_ITEM_DOCUMENT_SHARED_PARAGRAPH,
         'content after the text entry paragraph': TEXT_ENTRY_ITEM_DOCUMENT_TRAILING_CONTENT,
+        'a stylesheet': CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_STYLESHEET,
+        'modal feedback': CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_MODAL_FEEDBACK,
+        'a catalog beside the hints': CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS_AND_GLOSSARY,
       };
       const documents = {
         ...publishableDocuments,
         'no interaction': NO_INTERACTION_ITEM_DOCUMENT,
+        'a stylesheet and no prompt': STYLESHEET_ITEM_DOCUMENT_NO_PROMPT,
       };
 
       test.each(Object.entries(publishableDocuments))(
@@ -308,6 +319,7 @@ describe('QTIItemEditor', () => {
         'a match interaction that cannot be read',
         VALID_MATCH_ITEM_DOCUMENT.replace(MATCH_XML, MATCH_THREE_SETS_XML),
       ],
+      ['a stylesheet and no prompt', STYLESHEET_ITEM_DOCUMENT_NO_PROMPT],
     ])(
       'asks the author to delete a question with %s instead of only saying it cannot be edited',
       (_, raw_data) => {
@@ -532,6 +544,37 @@ describe('QTIItemEditor', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  test('keeps xsi:schemaLocation through an edit', async () => {
+    const { emitted } = renderComponent({
+      item: { ...defaultProps.item, raw_data: CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_SCHEMA_LOCATION },
+      mode: 'edit',
+    });
+    await fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: hintsLabel$() }));
+    await fireEvent.click(screen.getAllByRole('button', { name: deleteHintBtn$() })[0]);
+    await nextTick();
+    const [xml] = emitted()['update:rawData'].at(-1);
+    const root = new DOMParser().parseFromString(xml, 'text/xml').documentElement;
+    expect(root.getAttributeNS(XSI_NS, 'schemaLocation')).toBe(QTI_SCHEMA_LOCATION);
+  });
+
+  test('keeps the label through an edit', async () => {
+    const { emitted } = renderComponent({
+      item: {
+        ...defaultProps.item,
+        raw_data: CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+          'xml:lang="en"',
+          'xml:lang="en" label="L"',
+        ),
+      },
+      mode: 'edit',
+    });
+    await fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: hintsLabel$() }));
+    await fireEvent.click(screen.getAllByRole('button', { name: deleteHintBtn$() })[0]);
+    await nextTick();
+    const [xml] = emitted()['update:rawData'].at(-1);
+    expect(xml).toContain(' label="L"');
+  });
+
   describe('associate interaction', () => {
     const renderAssociateItem = () =>
       renderComponent({
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/components/QTIItemEditor/index.vue b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/components/QTIItemEditor/index.vue
index db003f725d..c0498bdf76 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/components/QTIItemEditor/index.vue
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/components/QTIItemEditor/index.vue
@@ -115,8 +115,7 @@
   import { qtiEditorStrings } from '../../qtiEditorStrings';
   import { AssessmentItemTypes, QuestionType } from '../../constants';
   import useQtiItem from '../../composables/useQtiItem';
-  import { validateItemShape, validateQtiItem } from '../../validateItem';
-  import { isSupportedItem } from '../../interactions/resolveDescriptor';
+  import { isEditableItem, validateItemShape, validateQtiItem } from '../../validateItem';
   import InteractionSection from '../InteractionSection/index.vue';
   import HintsSection from '../HintsSection/index.vue';
 
@@ -159,12 +158,17 @@
       /**
        * Whether this editor can edit the item's XML faithfully: it is readable, and it is
        * either blank or holds exactly one interaction this editor knows, in the body shape its
-       * builder writes.
+       * builder writes, and nothing outside the body that an edit would drop.
        */
-      const isBlank = !props.item.raw_data;
+      const sourceXml = props.item.raw_data;
       const isEditableQti = computed(
         () =>
-          !parseError.value && (isBlank || isSupportedItem(interactions.value, itemBodyXml.value)),
+          !parseError.value &&
+          (!sourceXml ||
+            isEditableItem(
+              { interactions: interactions.value, itemBodyXml: itemBodyXml.value },
+              sourceXml,
+            )),
       );
 
       /**
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/composables/useQtiItem.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/composables/useQtiItem.js
index 5ac183c70a..be848c42f9 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/composables/useQtiItem.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/composables/useQtiItem.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import { assembleItemXml } from '../serialization/assembleItem';
 export default function useQtiItem(rawXml, { bodyXml, responseDeclarations } = {}) {
   const identifier = ref('');
   const title = ref('');
+  const label = ref('');
   const language = ref('');
   const itemBodyXml = ref('');
   const interactions = ref([]);
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ export default function useQtiItem(rawXml, { bodyXml, responseDeclarations } = {
       const model = parseItem(rawXml);
       identifier.value = model.identifier;
       title.value = model.title;
+      label.value = model.label;
       language.value = model.language;
       itemBodyXml.value = model.itemBodyXml;
       interactions.value = model.interactions;
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ export default function useQtiItem(rawXml, { bodyXml, responseDeclarations } = {
     assembleItemXml({
       identifier: identifier.value,
       title: title.value,
+      label: label.value,
       language: language.value,
       bodyXml: bodyXml?.value ?? '',
       responseDeclarations: responseDeclarations?.value ?? [],
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/interactions/InteractionDescriptor.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/interactions/InteractionDescriptor.js
index 3cce104b50..2baee54b36 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/interactions/InteractionDescriptor.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/interactions/InteractionDescriptor.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
  */
 
 import { Placement } from '../constants';
-import { isContentNode } from '../serialization/xml';
+import { contentChildrenOf } from '../serialization/xml';
 
 /**
  * Methods a subclass has to implement. `matches` and `getTypeOptions` are not listed
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export class InteractionDescriptor {
    * @returns {boolean}
    */
   isSupportedBody(bodyEl) {
-    const content = [...bodyEl.childNodes].filter(isContentNode);
+    const content = contentChildrenOf(bodyEl);
     return content.length === 1 && this.matches(content[0]);
   }
 
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/interactions/textEntry/parse.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/interactions/textEntry/parse.js
index 48e025faee..ccdc053163 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/interactions/textEntry/parse.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/interactions/textEntry/parse.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { QTIDeclaration } from '../../serialization/qti/QTIDeclaration';
 import {
   buildXmlNode,
+  contentChildrenOf,
   hasNonNamespaceAttributes,
   isContentNode,
   parseXML,
@@ -51,10 +52,6 @@ export function _defaultState() {
   };
 }
 
-function contentOf(el) {
-  return [...el.childNodes].filter(isContentNode);
-}
-
 function hasContentAfter(node) {
   for (let sibling = node.nextSibling; sibling; sibling = sibling.nextSibling) {
     if (isContentNode(sibling)) {
@@ -78,7 +75,7 @@ export function isSupportedTextEntryBody(bodyEl) {
   if (
     paragraph.localName !== 'p' ||
     hasNonNamespaceAttributes(paragraph) ||
-    contentOf(paragraph).length > 1 ||
+    contentChildrenOf(paragraph).length > 1 ||
     hasContentAfter(paragraph)
   ) {
     return false;
@@ -89,7 +86,7 @@ export function isSupportedTextEntryBody(bodyEl) {
     (container.localName === 'div' &&
       !hasNonNamespaceAttributes(container) &&
       container.parentElement === bodyEl &&
-      contentOf(bodyEl).length === 1)
+      contentChildrenOf(bodyEl).length === 1)
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/__tests__/assembleItem.spec.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/__tests__/assembleItem.spec.js
index 8278c26045..22867eea52 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/__tests__/assembleItem.spec.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/__tests__/assembleItem.spec.js
@@ -360,4 +360,23 @@ describe('assembleItemXml', () => {
       expect(parseXML(xml).querySelectorAll('qti-response-processing')).toHaveLength(1);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('root metadata', () => {
+    const rootOf = params =>
+      parseXML(
+        assembleItemXml({
+          identifier: 'item-1',
+          title: 'T',
+          language: 'en',
+          bodyXml: '<qti-item-body/>',
+          responseDeclarations: [],
+          ...params,
+        }),
+      ).documentElement;
+
+    it('writes a label only when given one', () => {
+      expect(rootOf({ label: 'L' }).getAttribute('label')).toBe('L');
+      expect(rootOf().hasAttribute('label')).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/__tests__/convertedItem.spec.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/__tests__/convertedItem.spec.js
index 9881ac94e1..593cc431c2 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/__tests__/convertedItem.spec.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/__tests__/convertedItem.spec.js
@@ -13,31 +13,53 @@ import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
 import { parseItem } from '../parseItem';
 import { assembleItemXml } from '../assembleItem';
-import { isSupportedItem } from '../../interactions/resolveDescriptor';
+import { isEditableItem } from '../../validateItem';
 
 const FIXTURES = path.join(__dirname, '../../../../../../tests/utils/qti/fixtures');
 
 const read = name => fs.readFileSync(path.join(FIXTURES, `${name}.xml`), 'utf8');
 
-const rebuild = item =>
-  assembleItemXml({
+const rebuild = original => {
+  const item = parseItem(original);
+  return assembleItemXml({
     identifier: item.identifier,
     title: item.title,
+    label: item.label,
     language: item.language,
     bodyXml: item.interactions[0].bodyXml,
     responseDeclarations: item.interactions[0].responseDeclarations,
     hints: item.hints,
   });
+};
+
+const FIXTURE_NAMES = fs
+  .readdirSync(FIXTURES)
+  .filter(file => file.endsWith('.xml'))
+  .map(file => path.basename(file, '.xml'));
 
 describe('converted items the editor opens', () => {
-  it.each(
-    fs
-      .readdirSync(FIXTURES)
-      .filter(file => file.endsWith('.xml'))
-      .map(file => path.basename(file, '.xml')),
-  )('%s', name => {
-    const { interactions, itemBodyXml } = parseItem(read(name));
-    expect(isSupportedItem(interactions, itemBodyXml)).toBe(true);
+  it.each(FIXTURE_NAMES)('%s', name => {
+    const xml = read(name);
+    expect(isEditableItem(parseItem(xml), xml)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  // Before c51c5e035 the converter wrote the root language as `language`.
+  it('single_selection, as converted before c51c5e035', () => {
+    const stored = read('single_selection').replace(' xml:lang="', ' language="');
+    expect(isEditableItem(parseItem(stored), stored)).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+// Keyed by namespace, since jsdom writes `xsi:` back under another prefix.
+const rootAttributes = xml =>
+  [...new DOMParser().parseFromString(xml, 'text/xml').documentElement.attributes]
+    .filter(attr => attr.prefix !== 'xmlns' && attr.name !== 'xmlns')
+    .map(attr => `{${attr.namespaceURI ?? ''}}${attr.localName}=${attr.value}`);
+
+describe('converted items, once edited', () => {
+  it.each(FIXTURE_NAMES)('%s keeps every root attribute', name => {
+    const xml = read(name);
+    expect(rootAttributes(rebuild(xml))).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(rootAttributes(xml)));
   });
 });
 
@@ -49,13 +71,19 @@ describe('a converted single-selection item', () => {
   });
 
   it('writes the language back as xml:lang, the attribute QTI declares', () => {
-    const xml = rebuild(parseItem(original));
+    const xml = rebuild(original);
+    expect(xml).toContain('xml:lang="en-US"');
+    expect(xml).not.toContain(' language="');
+  });
+
+  it('writes a root language as converted before c51c5e035 back as xml:lang', () => {
+    const xml = rebuild(original.replace(' xml:lang="', ' language="'));
     expect(xml).toContain('xml:lang="en-US"');
     expect(xml).not.toContain(' language="');
   });
 
   it('keeps its scoring outcome and response processing', () => {
-    const xml = rebuild(parseItem(original));
+    const xml = rebuild(original);
     const doc = new DOMParser().parseFromString(xml, 'text/xml');
     expect(doc.querySelector('parsererror')).toBeNull();
     expect(doc.querySelector('qti-outcome-declaration').getAttribute('identifier')).toBe('SCORE');
@@ -65,7 +93,7 @@ describe('a converted single-selection item', () => {
   });
 
   it('puts the children in the order the schema fixes', () => {
-    const xml = rebuild(parseItem(original));
+    const xml = rebuild(original);
     const order = [...xml.matchAll(/<(qti-[a-z-]+)/g)]
       .map(m => m[1])
       .filter(tag =>
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/assembleItem.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/assembleItem.js
index cee17841e5..80e1872d17 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/assembleItem.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/assembleItem.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import { HINT_CATALOG_ID, HINT_SUPPORT, hintHasContent } from './hints';
 import { QTIDeclaration } from './qti/QTIDeclaration';
-import { buildFloatNode, buildXmlNode, parseXML } from './xml';
+import { QTI_SCHEMA_LOCATION, XSI_NS, buildFloatNode, buildXmlNode, parseXML } from './xml';
 
 const serializer = new XMLSerializer();
 
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ function buildScoringNodes(declNodes) {
  * @param {object}   params
  * @param {string}   params.identifier            - Item identifier attribute
  * @param {string}   params.title                 - Item title attribute
+ * @param {string}   [params.label]               - Item label attribute, or '' to omit it
  * @param {string}   params.language              - Language tag, or '' to omit it
  * @param {string}   params.bodyXml               - Serialized interaction element XML string
  * @param {string[]} params.responseDeclarations  - Array of serialized declaration XML strings
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ function buildScoringNodes(declNodes) {
 export function assembleItemXml({
   identifier,
   title,
+  label,
   language,
   bodyXml,
   responseDeclarations,
@@ -206,11 +208,15 @@ export function assembleItemXml({
       // only cover items assembled from XML that never carried them.
       identifier: identifier || 'item',
       title: title || '',
+      label: label || null,
       adaptive: 'false',
       'time-dependent': 'false',
       // Omitted rather than guessed when the item has no language: the schema allows an
       // item without one.
       'xml:lang': language || null,
+      // As the converter writes them (utils/assessment/qti/assessment_item.py).
+      'tool-name': 'kolibri',
+      'tool-version': '0.1',
     },
     // The schema fixes this order: declarations, the body, the catalog, the processing.
     children: [
@@ -221,6 +227,8 @@ export function assembleItemXml({
       ...(responseProcessing ? [responseProcessing] : []),
     ],
   });
+  // As the converter writes it; setAttribute would leave it outside the xsi namespace.
+  assessmentItemNode.setAttributeNS(XSI_NS, 'xsi:schemaLocation', QTI_SCHEMA_LOCATION);
 
   return `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>\n${serializer.serializeToString(assessmentItemNode)}`;
 }
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/hints.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/hints.js
index ddfd43aff6..b9f43d529e 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/hints.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/hints.js
@@ -16,7 +16,13 @@
 
 import { generateRandomSlug } from '../utils/generateRandomSlug';
 import { hasRichTextContent } from '../utils/richText';
-import { getContentHTML } from './xml';
+import {
+  attributesOf,
+  contentChildrenOf,
+  getContentHTML,
+  hasNonNamespaceAttributes,
+  isChildElement,
+} from './xml';
 
 /** The catalog this editor writes hints into. */
 export const HINT_CATALOG_ID = 'kolibri-hints';
@@ -48,6 +54,49 @@ export function parseHints(doc) {
   });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Whether this is a hint card in the shape the editor writes, which parseHints reads in full.
+ *
+ * @param {Node} card
+ * @returns {boolean}
+ */
+function isHintCard(card) {
+  if (!isChildElement(card, 'qti-card')) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const attrs = attributesOf(card);
+  const [content, ...rest] = contentChildrenOf(card);
+  return (
+    attrs.length === 1 &&
+    attrs[0].name === 'support' &&
+    attrs[0].value === HINT_SUPPORT &&
+    !rest.length &&
+    (!content ||
+      (isChildElement(content, 'qti-html-content') && !hasNonNamespaceAttributes(content)))
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Whether the item's `<qti-catalog-info>` holds only the hint catalog, with only cards
+ * parseHints reads in full, so an edit that rewrites it drops nothing. Change it with
+ * parseHints.
+ *
+ * @param {Element} catalogInfo
+ * @returns {boolean}
+ */
+export function holdsOnlyHints(catalogInfo) {
+  return (
+    !hasNonNamespaceAttributes(catalogInfo) &&
+    contentChildrenOf(catalogInfo).every(
+      catalog =>
+        isChildElement(catalog, 'qti-catalog') &&
+        attributesOf(catalog).length === 1 &&
+        catalog.getAttribute('id') === HINT_CATALOG_ID &&
+        contentChildrenOf(catalog).every(isHintCard),
+    )
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * Whether a hint holds anything worth writing.
  *
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/parseItem.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/parseItem.js
index f059897f4e..f75c60e541 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/parseItem.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/parseItem.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ const serializer = new XMLSerializer();
  * @returns {{
  *   identifier: string,
  *   title: string,
+ *   label: string,
  *   language: string,
  *   itemBodyXml: string,
  *   interactions: Array<{ bodyXml: string, responseDeclarations: string[] }>,
@@ -37,7 +38,9 @@ export function parseItem(rawData) {
   const root = doc.querySelector('qti-assessment-item');
   const identifier = root?.getAttribute('identifier') ?? '';
   const title = root?.getAttribute('title') ?? '';
-  const language = root?.getAttribute('xml:lang') ?? '';
+  const label = root?.getAttribute('label') ?? '';
+  // Items converted before c51c5e035 carry the root language as `language`.
+  const language = root?.getAttribute('xml:lang') ?? root?.getAttribute('language') ?? '';
 
   const body = doc.querySelector('qti-item-body');
 
@@ -79,6 +82,7 @@ export function parseItem(rawData) {
   return {
     identifier,
     title,
+    label,
     language,
     itemBodyXml: body ? serializer.serializeToString(body) : '',
     interactions,
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/xml.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/xml.js
index b5223546b4..4434ba4edf 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/xml.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/serialization/xml.js
@@ -133,6 +133,22 @@ function adoptNode(node, doc = xmlDoc, plainNamespace = XHTML_NS) {
 
 const XMLNS_NS = 'http://www.w3.org/2000/xmlns/';
 
+export const XSI_NS = 'http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance';
+
+/** The `xsi:schemaLocation` the converter writes on an item. */
+export const QTI_SCHEMA_LOCATION =
+  'http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imsqtiasi_v3p0 https://purl.imsglobal.org/spec/qti/v3p0/schema/xsd/imsqti_asiv3p0p1_v1p0.xsd';
+
+export const XML_NS = 'http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace';
+
+/**
+ * @param {Element} el
+ * @returns {Attr[]} The element's attributes, less namespace declarations
+ */
+export function attributesOf(el) {
+  return [...el.attributes].filter(attr => attr.namespaceURI !== XMLNS_NS);
+}
+
 /**
  * Whether an element has attributes beyond namespace declarations.
  *
@@ -140,7 +156,7 @@ const XMLNS_NS = 'http://www.w3.org/2000/xmlns/';
  * @returns {boolean}
  */
 export function hasNonNamespaceAttributes(el) {
-  return [...el.attributes].some(attr => attr.namespaceURI !== XMLNS_NS);
+  return attributesOf(el).length > 0;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -158,6 +174,16 @@ export function isContentNode(node) {
   );
 }
 
+/** @returns {boolean} Whether the node is this element, in its parent's namespace */
+export function isChildElement(node, localName) {
+  return node.localName === localName && node.namespaceURI === node.parentNode.namespaceURI;
+}
+
+/** @returns {Node[]} The node's children that isContentNode counts */
+export function contentChildrenOf(node) {
+  return [...node.childNodes].filter(isContentNode);
+}
+
 /**
  * Serialize XML nodes as an HTML string, for state that a rich text editor parses as HTML.
  *
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/utils/testingFixtures.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/utils/testingFixtures.js
index 4096e3684e..1f698802bc 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/utils/testingFixtures.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/utils/testingFixtures.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import { QTI_INTERACTION_TAGS } from '../constants';
 import { registry } from '../interactions/descriptors';
+import { QTI_SCHEMA_LOCATION, XSI_NS } from '../serialization/xml';
 
 export const CHOICE_SINGLE_SELECT_XML = `<qti-choice-interaction response-identifier="RESPONSE" max-choices="1">
   <qti-prompt>Which planet is closest to the Sun?</qti-prompt>
@@ -333,6 +334,54 @@ export const CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS_AND_STIMULUS = CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT
   '<qti-item-body><p>Read the passage.</p>',
 );
 
+/** A glossary catalog beside the hints, which the prompt points at. */
+export const CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS_AND_GLOSSARY = CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+  '<qti-prompt>Pick one.</qti-prompt>',
+  '<qti-prompt>Pick <span data-catalog-idref="g1">one</span>.</qti-prompt>',
+).replace(
+  '  </qti-catalog-info>',
+  `    <qti-catalog id="g1">
+      <qti-card support="glossary-on-screen">
+        <qti-html-content><p>Exactly one.</p></qti-html-content>
+      </qti-card>
+    </qti-catalog>
+  </qti-catalog-info>`,
+);
+
+export const CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_SCHEMA_LOCATION = CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+  'xml:lang="en"\n>',
+  `xml:lang="en"
+  xmlns:xsi="${XSI_NS}"
+  xsi:schemaLocation="${QTI_SCHEMA_LOCATION}"
+>`,
+);
+
+export const CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_STYLESHEET = CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+  '\n\n  <qti-item-body>',
+  `
+  <qti-stylesheet href="style.css" type="text/css"/>
+  <qti-item-body>`,
+);
+
+export const STYLESHEET_ITEM_DOCUMENT_NO_PROMPT = CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_STYLESHEET.replace(
+  '<qti-prompt>Pick one.</qti-prompt>',
+  '',
+);
+
+export const CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_MODAL_FEEDBACK = CHOICE_ITEM_DOCUMENT_WITH_HINTS.replace(
+  '\n\n  <qti-item-body>',
+  `
+  <qti-outcome-declaration identifier="FEEDBACK" cardinality="single" base-type="identifier"/>
+  <qti-item-body>`,
+).replace(
+  '\n</qti-assessment-item>',
+  `
+  <qti-modal-feedback outcome-identifier="FEEDBACK" identifier="correct" show-hide="show">
+    <qti-content-body><p>Well done.</p></qti-content-body>
+  </qti-modal-feedback>
+</qti-assessment-item>`,
+);
+
 export const VALID_ASSOCIATE_ITEM_DOCUMENT = `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <qti-assessment-item
   xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imsqtiasi_v3p0"
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/validateItem.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/validateItem.js
index 4dfad5ecc5..29284bff7a 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/validateItem.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/validateItem.js
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 import { QuestionType, ValidationError } from './constants';
+import { holdsOnlyHints } from './serialization/hints';
 import { parseItem } from './serialization/parseItem';
+import {
+  XML_NS,
+  XSI_NS,
+  attributesOf,
+  contentChildrenOf,
+  isChildElement,
+  parseXML,
+} from './serialization/xml';
 import { isSupportedItem, resolveDescriptor } from './interactions/resolveDescriptor';
 
 /**
@@ -33,6 +42,90 @@ export function validateItemShape({ interactions, questionTypes = [], allowFreeR
   return [];
 }
 
+/** Root attributes an edit writes, from the item or as the converter does. */
+const EDITOR_ROOT_ATTRIBUTES = ['identifier', 'title', 'label', 'tool-name', 'tool-version'];
+
+/** Root flags the editor writes as false, which it can't edit when true. */
+const EDITOR_ROOT_FLAGS = ['adaptive', 'time-dependent'];
+
+/** The `xs:language` values an edit can write as `xml:lang`. */
+const XS_LANGUAGE = /^[a-zA-Z]{1,8}(-[a-zA-Z0-9]{1,8})*$/;
+
+/**
+ * @param {Attr} attr
+ * @returns {boolean} Whether an edit writes this root attribute back
+ */
+function isEditorRootAttribute(attr) {
+  switch (attr.namespaceURI) {
+    case null:
+      return (
+        EDITOR_ROOT_ATTRIBUTES.includes(attr.localName) ||
+        // `language` as converted before c51c5e035, which an edit writes as `xml:lang`.
+        (attr.localName === 'language' && XS_LANGUAGE.test(attr.value)) ||
+        (EDITOR_ROOT_FLAGS.includes(attr.localName) && ['false', '0'].includes(attr.value.trim()))
+      );
+    case XML_NS:
+      return attr.localName === 'lang';
+    case XSI_NS:
+      return attr.localName === 'schemaLocation';
+    default:
+      return false;
+  }
+}
+
+/** The item children the editor writes; any other child makes the item read-only. */
+const EDITOR_CHILDREN = [
+  'qti-response-declaration',
+  'qti-outcome-declaration',
+  'qti-item-body',
+  'qti-catalog-info',
+  'qti-response-processing',
+];
+
+/**
+ * Whether anything in the item reads an outcome, such as feedback or a printed variable.
+ * The rich-text editors drop these elements, so an edit would lose them even for SCORE.
+ *
+ * @param {Element} root
+ * @returns {boolean}
+ */
+function readsOutcome(root) {
+  return root.querySelector('[outcome-identifier], qti-printed-variable') !== null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Whether this item holds outside its body only what the editor writes or regenerates.
+ * Response processing and outcome declarations belong to the editor, which regenerates
+ * them on every save.
+ *
+ * @param {string} rawData - The item's XML
+ * @returns {boolean}
+ */
+function keepsItemContent(rawData) {
+  const root = parseXML(rawData).documentElement;
+  return (
+    attributesOf(root).every(isEditorRootAttribute) &&
+    contentChildrenOf(root).every(
+      el =>
+        EDITOR_CHILDREN.some(name => isChildElement(el, name)) &&
+        (el.localName !== 'qti-catalog-info' || holdsOnlyHints(el)),
+    ) &&
+    !readsOutcome(root)
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Whether the editor can edit this parsed, non-blank item faithfully; it shows any other
+ * item read-only.
+ *
+ * @param {{ interactions: Array, itemBodyXml: string }} item - The parsed item
+ * @param {string} rawData - The item's XML
+ * @returns {boolean}
+ */
+export function isEditableItem({ interactions, itemBodyXml }, rawData) {
+  return isSupportedItem(interactions, itemBodyXml) && keepsItemContent(rawData);
+}
+
 /**
  * Validate a QTI assessment item from its raw XML, without rendering it.
  *
@@ -40,8 +133,8 @@ export function validateItemShape({ interactions, questionTypes = [], allowFreeR
  * @param {object} [options]
  * @param {boolean} [options.allowFreeResponse] - Whether a free-response question counts
  *   as valid. Consumers that only accept scorable questions pass false.
- * @returns {Array<{ code: string, id?: string }>} Empty when the item is valid. Items the
- *   editor shows read-only report only unreadable XML or a missing interaction.
+ * @returns {Array<{ code: string, id?: string }>} Empty when the item is valid. Items whose
+ *   body the editor can't read in full report only unreadable XML or a missing interaction.
  */
 export function validateQtiItem(rawData, { allowFreeResponse = true } = {}) {
   if (!rawData) {
@@ -61,7 +154,7 @@ export function validateQtiItem(rawData, { allowFreeResponse = true } = {}) {
   }));
 
   if (item.interactions.length && !isSupportedItem(item.interactions, item.itemBodyXml)) {
-    // Shown read-only: the editor's rules don't apply, only unreadable interactions count.
+    // The editor can't read the body in full: only unreadable interactions count.
     return resolved.filter(({ error }) => error).map(({ error }) => ({ code: error }));
   }
 
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/utils/qti/fixtures/single_selection_with_hints.xml b/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/utils/qti/fixtures/single_selection_with_hints.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9689c1b731
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/utils/qti/fixtures/single_selection_with_hints.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<qti-assessment-item xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imsqtiasi_v3p0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imsqtiasi_v3p0 https://purl.imsglobal.org/spec/qti/v3p0/schema/xsd/imsqti_asiv3p0p1_v1p0.xsd" identifier="KEjRWeJCrze8SNFZ4kKvN7w" title="Test Question 1" adaptive="false" time-dependent="false" xml:lang="en-US" tool-name="kolibri" tool-version="0.1">
+    <qti-response-declaration identifier="RESPONSE" cardinality="single" base-type="identifier">
+        <qti-correct-response>
+            <qti-value>choice_0</qti-value>
+        </qti-correct-response>
+    </qti-response-declaration>
+    <qti-outcome-declaration identifier="SCORE" cardinality="single" base-type="float" />
+    <qti-item-body>
+        <qti-choice-interaction response-identifier="RESPONSE" shuffle="false" max-choices="1" min-choices="0" orientation="vertical">
+            <qti-prompt>
+                <p>What is 2+2?</p>
+            </qti-prompt>
+            <qti-simple-choice identifier="choice_0" show-hide="show" fixed="false"><p>4</p></qti-simple-choice>
+            <qti-simple-choice identifier="choice_1" show-hide="show" fixed="false"><p>3</p></qti-simple-choice>
+        </qti-choice-interaction>
+    </qti-item-body>
+    <qti-catalog-info>
+        <qti-catalog id="kolibri-hints">
+            <qti-card support="ext:kolibri-hint">
+                <qti-html-content><p>Count on your fingers</p></qti-html-content>
+            </qti-card>
+            <qti-card support="ext:kolibri-hint">
+                <qti-html-content><p>See <img alt="diagram" src="images/hint123.png" /></p></qti-html-content>
+            </qti-card>
+        </qti-catalog>
+    </qti-catalog-info>
+    <qti-response-processing template="https://purl.imsglobal.org/spec/qti/v3p0/rptemplates/match_correct.xml" />
+</qti-assessment-item>
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/utils/qti/test_convert.py b/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/utils/qti/test_convert.py
index e7cdbb1c01..83bc884f70 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/utils/qti/test_convert.py
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/utils/qti/test_convert.py
@@ -680,6 +680,20 @@ def test_no_hints_produces_no_catalog_info(self):
         self.assertNotIn("<qti-catalog-info", result.xml)
         self.assertTrue(validate_qti_item(result.xml.encode("utf-8")).is_valid)
 
+    def test_single_selection_with_hints(self):
+        item = self._item_with_hints(
+            [
+                {"hint": "Count on your fingers", "order": 1},
+                {"hint": "See ![diagram](images/hint123.png)", "order": 2},
+            ]
+        )
+        result = convert_legacy_assessment_item_to_qti(item)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            _normalize_xml(_load_fixture("single_selection_with_hints.xml")),
+            _normalize_xml(result.xml),
+        )
+        self.assertTrue(validate_qti_item(result.xml.encode("utf-8")).is_valid)
+
     def test_multi_hint_ordering_is_independent_of_input_list_order(self):
         item = self._item_with_hints(
             [