diff --git a/htdocs/js/AchievementList/achievementlist.js b/htdocs/js/AchievementList/achievementlist.js
index 707393170e..646fdd147f 100644
--- a/htdocs/js/AchievementList/achievementlist.js
+++ b/htdocs/js/AchievementList/achievementlist.js
@@ -65,17 +65,12 @@
 			const filter_text = document.getElementById('filter_text');
 			const filter_category = document.getElementById('filter_category');
 			if (filter === 'selected' && !is_achievement_selected()) {
-				e.preventDefault();
 				e.stopPropagation();
 				show_errors(['select_achievement_err_msg'], [filter_select]);
 			} else if (filter === 'match_ids' && filter_text?.value === '') {
 				e.preventDefault();
 				e.stopPropagation();
 				show_errors(['filter_text_err_msg'], [filter_select, filter_text]);
-			} else if (filter === 'match_category' && filter_category?.value === '') {
-				e.preventDefault();
-				e.stopPropagation();
-				show_errors(['filter_category_err_msg'], [filter_select, filter_category]);
 			}
 		} else if (['edit', 'assign', 'export', 'score'].includes(action)) {
 			const action_select = document.getElementById(`${action}_select`);
diff --git a/lib/WeBWorK/DB.pm b/lib/WeBWorK/DB.pm
index 4d59f2504c..2528e16cbc 100644
--- a/lib/WeBWorK/DB.pm
+++ b/lib/WeBWorK/DB.pm
@@ -1290,6 +1290,11 @@ sub getAchievements {
 	return $self->{achievement}->gets(map { [$_] } @achievementIDs);
 }
 
+sub getAchievementCategories {
+	my ($self) = shift->checkArgs(\@_);
+	return sort map {@$_} $self->{achievement}->get_fields_where("DISTINCT category");
+}
+
 sub addAchievement {
 	my ($self, $Achievement) = shift->checkArgs(\@_, qw/REC:achievement/);
 
diff --git a/templates/ContentGenerator/Instructor/AchievementList/filter_form.html.ep b/templates/ContentGenerator/Instructor/AchievementList/filter_form.html.ep
index c4234f0309..f4537464f8 100644
--- a/templates/ContentGenerator/Instructor/AchievementList/filter_form.html.ep
+++ b/templates/ContentGenerator/Instructor/AchievementList/filter_form.html.ep
@@ -27,17 +27,17 @@
 	<div id="filter_text_err_msg" class="alert alert-danger p-1 mb-2 d-inline-flex d-none">
 		<%= maketext('Please enter a list of IDs to match.') %>
 	</div>
+	% my @categories = $c->db->getAchievementCategories;
+	% for (@categories) {
+		% $_ = [$_ => $_];
+	% }
 	<div id="filter_category_elements" class="row mb-2">
 		<%= label_for 'filter_category', class => 'col-form-label col-form-label-sm col-sm-auto', begin =%>
-			<%= maketext('Match on which category? (enter in exact match)') =%>
-			<span class="required-field">*</span>
+			<%= maketext('Match on which category?') =%>
 		<% end =%>
 		<div class="col-auto">
-			<%= text_field 'action.filter.category' => '', id => 'filter_category', 'aria-required' => 'true',
-				class => 'form-control form-control-sm', dir => 'ltr' =%>
+			<%= select_field 'action.filter.category' => \@categories,
+				id => 'filter_category', class => 'form-select form-select-sm' =%>
 		</div>
 	</div>
-	<div id="filter_category_err_msg" class="alert alert-danger p-1 mb-2 d-inline-flex d-none">
-		<%= maketext('Please enter a category to match.') %>
-	</div>
 </div>