Do you want to create an interactive quiz using JavaScript? If so, you’re in the right place! JavaScript is a powerful programming language that can be used to create engaging quizzes that users will enjoy. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the How to Make a Quiz in JavaScript.
Things to Be Aware of Before Starting
- This tutorial focuses on front-end development, allowing anyone with basic knowledge of inspecting page source code to find solutions. For more robust quizzes requiring backend data handling, this tutorial doesn’t cover that aspect.
- The JavaScript code in this article uses modern syntax (ES6+), which means it won’t be compatible with Internet Explorer. However, it will function well on modern browsers like Microsoft Edge.
- If you require support for older browsers, I’ve created a JavaScript quiz tutorial that works with IE8 and above. Additionally, for a refresher on ES6, you can explore Darin Haener’s course on SitePoint Premium.
- Some familiarity with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is necessary, and each line of code will be thoroughly explained throughout the tutorial.
How to Make a Quiz in JavaScript
Creating Questions and Answers: We must first draft our questions and responses. We can store our questions and answers in an object in JavaScript. In JavaScript, an object is a box that can hold various kinds of data, including text strings, numbers, and even other objects.
Example:
var question1 = {
question: “What is the capital of Australia?”,
options: [“Sydney”, “Melbourne”, “Canberra”, “Perth”],
answer: “Canberra”
};
This piece of code contains an object called question1, which contains the first quiz question. The properties of the question are options and answers. The actual question is represented by a string in the question property. The list of potential responses is stored in the options property, which is organized as an array. A string indicating the right answer is contained in the answer property.
Displaying the Questions and Options: We must show the user our questions and answers now that we have them. JavaScript can be used to manipulate the HTML of our webpage to accomplish this. This is similar to altering the content of our webpage remotely with JavaScript.
Example:
document.getElementById(“question”).innerText = question1.question;
document.getElementById(“option1”).innerText = question1.options[0];
document.getElementById(“option2”).innerText = question1.options[1];
document.getElementById(“option3”).innerText = question1.options[2];
document.getElementById(“option4”).innerText = question1.options[3];
Document.getElementById(“question”) in this code is equivalent to telling JavaScript: “Find the element on the webpage with the id ‘question’.” “Change the text inside that element to…” is what the.innerText effectively says.
Checking the Answer: We want a means to verify whether the user’s response is accurate. To accomplish this, we can write a function. In JavaScript, a function is similar to a machine in that it receives input, processes it, and then outputs results.
Example:
function checkAnswer(userAnswer) {
if (userAnswer === question1.answer) {
alert(“Correct!”);
} else {
alert(“Sorry, that’s not correct.”);
}
}
The function checkAnswer in this code accepts userAnswer as input, which is the user’s selected answer. The if statement functions similarly to a fork in the road: it will display the message “Correct!” if the user’s response matches the correct response (user answer === question1.answer); if not, it will display the message “Sorry, that’s not correct.”
Keeping Score: Let’s incorporate a scoring system now. A variable could be made to record the user’s score. A variable in JavaScript is comparable to a box that holds a single piece of data.
Example:
var score = 0;
function check answer(user answer) {
if (user answer === question1.answer) {
alert(“Correct!”);
score = score + 1;
} else {
alert(“Sorry, that’s not correct.”);
}
}
Moving to the Next Question: Finally, once the user has responded, we must move on to the next question. We can accomplish this by writing a new function that updates the question and options:
Example:
function next question (question) {
document.getElementById(“question”).innerText = question.question;
document.getElementById(“option1”).innerText = question.options[0];
document.getElementById(“option2”).innerText = question.options[1];
document.getElementById(“option3”).innerText = question.options[2];
document.getElementById(“option4”).innerText = question.options[3];
}
When the user answers, we can use this function to move on to the next question.
var current question = 0;
function check answer(user answer) {
if (user answer === questions[currentQuestion].answer) {
alert(“Correct!”);
score = score + 1;
} else {
alert(“Sorry, that’s not correct.”);
}
current question = current question + 1;
next question(questions[currentQuestion]);
}
Conclusion
A powerful framework for making interactive tests is provided by JavaScript. This tutorial walks newcomers through the steps of How to Make a Quiz in JavaScript, dynamically displaying them, cross-checking answers, and setting up a scoring system. With a focus on front-end development, it offers a strong framework for creating interesting web-based tests.
