Sample Quiz File

##title=Choose the Correct Verb Form
##level=Easy
##category=Grammar
##date=April 23, 1999
##writer=Charles Kelly
##url=http://aitech.ac.jp/~ckelly/
##email=ckelly@putYouAddressHere.jp
// Any number of questions is allowed by the program.
She ___ in that office.
works
work

Ms. Franklin ___ us music.
teaches
teach
teachs

Both my sister and I ___ how to bake bread.
know
knows
am know
are knowing

I ___ a letter last Friday.
wrote
write
writes
writing
written

He ___ the window a few days ago.
broke
break
breaks
broken
breaking
to break

Basic Quiz Data Structure

##title=Quiz Title
##writer=The Writer's Name
//Question must start on the next line.
QUESTION ONE
Correct answer 1
Distractor 1b
Distractor 1c

QUESTION TWO
Correct answer 2
Distractor 2b
Distractor 2c
Distractor 2d

QUESTION THREE
Correct answer 3
Distractor 3b
Distractor 3c
Distractor 3d
Distractor 3e

How to Format Data Format

• 2 RETURNS before each question (one blank line) (Except the first question.)
• 1 RETURN after each line of the question item.

Line 1 - QUESTION
Line 2 - CORRECT Answer
Line 3 - INCORRECT Answer - At least 1 is required
Line 4 - INCORRECT Answer - The rest are optional.  (Up to 2 incorrect choices for Marmo's)
Line 5 - INCORRECT Answer
Line 6 - INCORRECT Answer (Up to 4 incorrect choices for a4esl.org/q/j/) JavaScript
Line 7 - INCORRECT Answer (Up to 5 incorrect choices for a4esl.org/q/f/) Flash

Some of the Features

• You can create the data using a regular word processor.
  • This allows you to write quizzes offline. You do not need to be connected.
  • This allows you to run a spell checker and use other features of your word processor.
  • This allows you to easily archive your quizzes for future use. (Maybe in the future, I'll have different quiz formats. You will not need to re-type your data in order to use these.)
• You can use the same data file to generate quizzes in various formats.
  • ...or re-generate the same quiz format with another randomization of the choices.
• The computer does the tedious work for you.
  • Mulitple-choices are randomly shuffled.
  • For printed quizzes, the answer key is provided for you. No chance of human error if you have typed your data properly (which is easy to do).
• You can easily edit the quiz data.
  • You can easily delete and add questions.
  • You can easily eliminate poorly-chosen distractors and replace them with new ones for the same quiz next year.
  • You can add more distractors to questions that only have a few choices.
• Questions do not all need to have the same number of choices.
  • You can have some questions with 2 choices, others with 6 choices, if you like.
  • Even though some of the online quizzes may not show all the choices, you may still include extra distractors in your data.
• You can include feedback for any choice. You may also include a hint on how to answer the question.
  • All quizzes will not use these, but including them in the data will not interfere with quiz generation.

Optional Data that may be Included

##title=The Quiz Title

##instructions=Please choose the correct answer.

##writer=The Writer's Name

##url= http://writer's URL.

If included, then the writer's name will be clickable for web quizzes.

##email=yourname@yourserviceprovider.com

##date=February 14, 2003

If not included, our computer will use today's data (Japan Standard Time).

##copyright=1999

If not included, our computer will use this year.

##charset=iso-8859-1

If not included, the default is iso-8859-1.

##description=This is the meta description for the web page.

##keywords=These are the meta keywords for the web page.

##footer=You may add a line at the bottom of some of the web quizzes.

There is a default footer for some of the web quizzes. This will often replace those. It depends on the quiz.

## any line beginning with 2 #'s is a variable. You may use variables that I have yet to define, if you like. Undefined variables will be ignored. This means you can make up your own (temporary) variable, then request that I add it. (If I agree it's a good idea and if I have the time, I will.)

// Comments begin with 2 slashes at the beginning of a line. These are for memos to yourself, but do not appear on the quizzes.

Advanced

Advanced Quiz Data Structure

LINE 1: question + TAB + hint
LINE 2: correct answer + TAB + why the correct answer is correct.
LINE 3: wrong answer + TAB + why this answer is wrong.
LINE 4: wrong answer + TAB + why this answer is wrong.
LINE 5: wrong answer + TAB + why this answer is wrong.
LINE 6: wrong answer + TAB + why this answer is wrong.
LINE 7: wrong answer + TAB + why this answer is wrong.

Some Quizzes Don't Use the Advanced Features

• The "hint" variable is available to quizzes at ...
  • http://www.manythings.org/fq/
  • Jerry Stanbrough's Applet Quiz
• The "why this is correct" variable is available to quizzes at ...
  • http://www.manythings.org/fq/
  • http://a4esl.org/q/f
  • http://a4esl.org/q/j/
  • Hot Potatoes
  • Jerry Stanbrough's Applet Quiz
• The "why this is wrong" variable is available to quizzes at ...
  • http://www.manythings.org/fq/
  • http://a4esl.org/q/f
  • Hot Potatoes

Sample Quiz File with Advanced Additions

##title=Sample Quiz
##level=Easy
##writer=Charles Kelly
##url=http://aitech.ac.jp/~ckelly/
##email=ckelly$$ge.aitech.ac.jp
She ___ in that office.	The subject is singular.
works	Explain why it's correct here.
work	Explain why it is wrong here.
working	Explain why it is wrong here.

Ms. Franklin ___ us music.	HINT:
teaches	WHY CORRECT:
teach	WHY WRONG: ....
teaching	WHY WRONG: ....
teachs	WHY WRONG: ....

Both my sister and I ___ how to bake bread.	HINT:
know	WHY CORRECT:
knows	WHY WRONG: ....
knowing	WHY WRONG: ....
are knowing	WHY WRONG: ....
am know	WHY WRONG: ....

I ___ a letter last Friday.	HINT:
wrote	WHY CORRECT:
write	WHY WRONG: ....
writing	WHY WRONG: ....
will write	WHY WRONG: ....
written	WHY WRONG: ....
writes	WHY WRONG: ....

He ___ the window a few days ago.	HINT:
broke
break	WHY WRONG: ....
breaks	WHY WRONG: ....