Answer-until-correct (AUC) quizzes

Note: QuizSlides was discontinued on September 1st, 2023. Our demo quizzes no longer work.

AUC quizzes enable users to make repeated attempts at answering each question. This makes them…

  • very engaging, because users see how well they are doing as they go along
  • great as a revision aid, since users discover the correct answers immediately
  • ideal for self-assessment, and for fun quizzes

We have implemented two types of AUC quiz:

  1. A scratchcard version with 'scratch off box' animations, developed in collaboration with Cornell University. These are reminiscent of IF-AT (Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique) cards - a scratchcard-based test method pioneered by Epstein Educational Enterprises. Here is our demo Cornell AUC quiz with 'scratch off box' animations. The marking scheme is as follows:
    • 1 mark is awarded if the user selects the right answer at the 1st attempt
    • 0.5 is awarded if the user selects the right answer at the 2nd attempt
    • 0.25 is awarded if the user selects the right answer at the 3rd attempt
  2. Since the 'scratch off box' animations take a little time before revealing whether or not the correct option has been chosen, we have also provided a 'select button' alternative with the same marking scheme. Here is our demo Cornell AUC quiz with 'select buttons'.
     
  3. A novel type of AUC quiz featuring a 'Give up' option, developed in collaboration with London South Bank University. Here is our demo AUC quiz with 'Give up' option. The marking scheme that has been designed to discourage guesswork:
    • 3 marks are awarded if the user selects the right answer at the 1st attempt
    • 1 mark is awarded if the user selects the right answer at the 2nd attempt
    • -1 is awarded if the user selects the right answer at the 3rd attempt
    • -3 is awarded if the user selects all 3 wrong answers
    • the user may select 'Give up' at any stage to see what the right answer is; in that case one mark will be deducted for each previous incorrect attempt
    • if the user gives up at the start of a question their mark will be 0

The scratchcard version is particularly engaging thanks to the suspense of watching the scratch off box animations.

Further details about the latter version (featuring the 'Give up' option) are presented in Bush, M., 2015. Reducing the need for guesswork in multiple-choice tests. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 40(2), pp.218-231

Academic researchers have found that AUC quizzes are particularly effective for learning because of the immediate feedback they provide. For example, according to Persky and Pollack (2008):

"The immediate feedback format assessed students' mastery of course outcomes, provided immediate feedback to encourage deep learning and critical-thinking skills, and was preferred by students over the traditional examination format."

AUC quizzes have also been advocated for summative assessment – see for example: Slepkov, A. D., & Godfrey, A. T., 2019. Partial Credit in Answer-Until-Correct Multiple-Choice Tests Deployed in a Classroom Setting. Applied Measurement in Education, 32(2), pp.138-150.

See How to create a Traditional quiz… for guidance regarding the quiz creation process.