Taking Quizzes
What a learner sees and does during a quiz — starting, answering, navigating, the timer, and getting results.
This page describes the quiz from the learner's side. As an admin or instructor, it helps to know exactly what your learners experience so you can set the rules with confidence.
Starting a quiz
- The learner opens the quiz from their course or quiz list.
- If the quiz is not yet open or closed, they cannot start it.
- If a password is required, they enter it first.
- If there is a seat limit and it is full, they are told it is not available.
- Otherwise, they click Start and the quiz begins.
If the quiz has a time limit, the countdown starts now.
Answering questions
- Each question shows its text and the way to answer it (choosing options, typing, dragging, clicking an image, and so on) — see Question types.
- Some questions have their own per-question timer that counts down separately.
- Answers are saved as the learner works, so progress is not lost.
Moving through the quiz
What learners can do depends on the quiz settings:
- Going back — they may or may not be allowed to return to earlier questions.
- Skipping — they may or may not be allowed to leave a question for later.
- Required questions — these must be answered before they can submit.
- A progress bar may show how far along they are.
Time running out
- When the quiz time limit is reached, the quiz auto-submits with whatever has been answered (a short grace period may apply first).
- When a per-question timer runs out, that question locks with its current answer and the learner moves on.
Submitting
The learner clicks Submit when finished (or it submits automatically when time is up).
- Auto-graded questions (multiple choice, true/false, matching, and so on) can be scored instantly.
- Manually graded questions (essays, file uploads, and so on) stay pending until an instructor grades them.
Seeing results
What the learner sees afterward depends on your display settings:
- A score and pass/fail result (instant for auto-graded questions; final once any manual grading is done).
- A score breakdown, the correct answers, and explanations — only if you chose to reveal them.
- A custom completion message if you set one.
For manually graded quizzes, set expectations in the completion message — for example, "Your written answers will be marked within 3 days."
Retaking
If the quiz allows more than one attempt, the learner can retake it according to the retake policy — immediately, after a cooldown, or after approval. See Quiz settings.
Related pages
- Question types
- Quiz settings
- Grading quizzes
- Exams — the learner's "My Exams" list.