diff --git a/src/addon/qtype/ddmarker/providers/handler.ts b/src/addon/qtype/ddmarker/providers/handler.ts
index 3971da112..a3c2bd01e 100644
--- a/src/addon/qtype/ddmarker/providers/handler.ts
+++ b/src/addon/qtype/ddmarker/providers/handler.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { CoreQuestionProvider } from '@core/question/providers/question';
 import { CoreQuestionHandler } from '@core/question/providers/delegate';
 import { CoreQuestionHelperProvider } from '@core/question/providers/helper';
 import { AddonQtypeDdMarkerComponent } from '../component/ddmarker';
+import { CoreWSExternalFile } from '@providers/ws';
 
 /**
  * Handler to support drag-and-drop markers question type.
@@ -119,9 +120,9 @@ export class AddonQtypeDdMarkerHandler implements CoreQuestionHandler {
      *
      * @param question Question.
      * @param usageId Usage ID.
-     * @return List of URLs.
+     * @return List of files or URLs.
      */
-    getAdditionalDownloadableFiles(question: any, usageId: number): string[] {
+    getAdditionalDownloadableFiles(question: any, usageId: number): (string | CoreWSExternalFile)[] {
         this.questionHelper.extractQuestionScripts(question, usageId);
 
         if (question.amdArgs && typeof question.amdArgs[1] == 'string') {
diff --git a/src/addon/qtype/essay/providers/handler.ts b/src/addon/qtype/essay/providers/handler.ts
index 54c45ebd0..834850ca4 100644
--- a/src/addon/qtype/essay/providers/handler.ts
+++ b/src/addon/qtype/essay/providers/handler.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { CoreQuestionHandler } from '@core/question/providers/delegate';
 import { CoreQuestionHelperProvider } from '@core/question/providers/helper';
 import { CoreQuestion } from '@core/question/providers/question';
 import { AddonQtypeEssayComponent } from '../component/essay';
+import { CoreWSExternalFile } from '@providers/ws';
 
 /**
  * Handler to support essay question type.
@@ -67,6 +68,23 @@ export class AddonQtypeEssayHandler implements CoreQuestionHandler {
         return this.questionHelper.deleteStoredQuestionFiles(question, component, componentId, siteId);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the list of files that needs to be downloaded in addition to the files embedded in the HTML.
+     *
+     * @param question Question.
+     * @param usageId Usage ID.
+     * @return List of files or URLs.
+     */
+    getAdditionalDownloadableFiles(question: any, usageId: number): (string | CoreWSExternalFile)[] {
+        if (!question.responsefileareas) {
+            return [];
+        }
+
+        return question.responsefileareas.reduce((urlsList, area) => {
+            return urlsList.concat(area.files || []);
+        }, []);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Check whether the question allows text and/or attachments.
      *
diff --git a/src/core/question/providers/delegate.ts b/src/core/question/providers/delegate.ts
index 6caa7eb2b..7a0cd7675 100644
--- a/src/core/question/providers/delegate.ts
+++ b/src/core/question/providers/delegate.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { CoreEventsProvider } from '@providers/events';
 import { CoreSitesProvider } from '@providers/sites';
 import { CoreDelegate, CoreDelegateHandler } from '@classes/delegate';
 import { CoreQuestionDefaultHandler } from './default-question-handler';
+import { CoreWSExternalFile } from '@providers/ws';
 
 /**
  * Interface that all question type handlers must implement.
@@ -119,9 +120,9 @@ export interface CoreQuestionHandler extends CoreDelegateHandler {
      *
      * @param question Question.
      * @param usageId Usage ID.
-     * @return List of URLs.
+     * @return List of files or URLs.
      */
-    getAdditionalDownloadableFiles?(question: any, usageId: number): string[];
+    getAdditionalDownloadableFiles?(question: any, usageId: number): (string | CoreWSExternalFile)[];
 
     /**
      * Clear temporary data after the data has been saved.
@@ -324,9 +325,9 @@ export class CoreQuestionDelegate extends CoreDelegate {
      *
      * @param question Question.
      * @param usageId Usage ID.
-     * @return List of URLs.
+     * @return List of files or URLs.
      */
-    getAdditionalDownloadableFiles(question: any, usageId: number): string[] {
+    getAdditionalDownloadableFiles(question: any, usageId: number): (string | CoreWSExternalFile)[] {
         const type = this.getTypeName(question);
 
         return this.executeFunctionOnEnabled(type, 'getAdditionalDownloadableFiles', [question, usageId]) || [];
diff --git a/src/core/question/providers/helper.ts b/src/core/question/providers/helper.ts
index 9c6570858..b90274929 100644
--- a/src/core/question/providers/helper.ts
+++ b/src/core/question/providers/helper.ts
@@ -590,29 +590,39 @@ export class CoreQuestionHelperProvider {
      */
     prefetchQuestionFiles(question: any, component?: string, componentId?: string | number, siteId?: string, usageId?: number)
             : Promise<any> {
-        const urls = this.filepoolProvider.extractDownloadableFilesFromHtml(question.html);
 
         if (!component) {
             component = CoreQuestionProvider.COMPONENT;
             componentId = question.number;
         }
 
-        urls.push(...this.questionDelegate.getAdditionalDownloadableFiles(question, usageId));
+        const files = this.questionDelegate.getAdditionalDownloadableFiles(question, usageId) || [];
+
+        files.push(...this.filepoolProvider.extractDownloadableFilesFromHtml(question.html));
 
         return this.sitesProvider.getSite(siteId).then((site) => {
             const promises = [];
+            const treated = {};
 
-            urls.forEach((url) => {
-                if (!site.canDownloadFiles() && this.urlUtils.isPluginFileUrl(url)) {
+            files.forEach((file) => {
+                const fileUrl = typeof file == 'string' ? file : file.fileurl;
+                const timemodified = (typeof file != 'string' && file.timemodified) || 0;
+
+                if (treated[fileUrl]) {
+                    return;
+                }
+                treated[fileUrl] = true;
+
+                if (!site.canDownloadFiles() && this.urlUtils.isPluginFileUrl(fileUrl)) {
                     return;
                 }
 
-                if (url.indexOf('theme/image.php') > -1 && url.indexOf('flagged') > -1) {
+                if (fileUrl.indexOf('theme/image.php') > -1 && fileUrl.indexOf('flagged') > -1) {
                     // Ignore flag images.
                     return;
                 }
 
-                promises.push(this.filepoolProvider.addToQueueByUrl(siteId, url, component, componentId));
+                promises.push(this.filepoolProvider.addToQueueByUrl(siteId, fileUrl, component, componentId, timemodified));
             });
 
             return Promise.all(promises);