Types of Quizzes and When to Use Each One

TL;DR. The main types of quizzes are defined by purpose, not by question style: diagnostic (before teaching), formative (during), summative (after), pop quizzes, practice self-quizzes, open-book, timed, live game-show, trivia and personality quizzes. Pick the format from what you need to learn about the taker, then choose question types to fit it.

Quiz type versus question type

People searching for "types of quizzes" usually mean one of two things, and it helps to separate them early.

This guide is about the first. Question types are covered in detail in quiz question types explained, so here they only appear where they change how a format works.

The formats at a glance

1. Diagnostic quiz (pre-test)

A diagnostic quiz runs before teaching starts. Its job is not to grade anyone but to show you where the group is: what they already know, which misconceptions they bring, and whether some people could skip ahead.

When to use it: at the start of a new unit, a new course, or with a new group you have not taught before.

How to build it: keep it short (5 to 10 questions), cover the key ideas of the coming unit, and include at least a couple of items aimed at common misconceptions. Multiple choice works well here because wrong options can be written to reveal specific misunderstandings. Tell takers clearly that it does not count; otherwise they guess anxiously and the data gets noisier.

For a fuller walkthrough, see diagnostic quizzes for lesson planning.

2. Formative check

A formative quiz happens while learning is still in progress. It answers the question "is this landing?" in time for you to do something about it.

When to use it: at the end of a lesson, halfway through a topic, or as an exit ticket.

How to build it: three to five questions on today's material is enough. Low stakes is the point. Short answer and fill in the blank items are useful because they make takers produce the answer rather than recognise it, which shows you more about real understanding.

3. Summative test

A summative quiz or test measures learning at the end of a unit, term or course. It usually counts toward a grade, so it needs to be fair, aligned to what was taught, and consistent between takers.

When to use it: after the teaching and practice are done.

How to build it: cover the whole unit in proportion to the time spent on each part, mix easy and harder items, and decide in advance how partial answers will be marked. Multiple choice and true/false are quick to mark; short answer gives more evidence but takes longer to grade.

4. Pop quiz

A pop quiz is unannounced. Used well, it encourages people to keep up with reading rather than cramming. Used badly, it creates anxiety and resentment.

When to use it: sparingly, on material that was clearly assigned.

How to keep it fair: keep it short, keep the weight low (or make it ungraded), and make the questions about the reading itself rather than obscure details.

5. Practice quiz or self-quiz

A practice quiz is one you take to learn, not to be judged. Recalling an answer from memory strengthens it more than re-reading the same material, which is why self-testing is one of the most recommended study habits.

When to use it: while revising, spaced over several days before an exam.

How to build it: write questions from your notes, or generate them from a chapter. Take the quiz, check every answer, and come back to the ones you missed a few days later. Mixed question types help, because different formats make you retrieve the same fact in different ways.

6. Open-book quiz

In an open-book quiz, takers may use notes, the textbook or sometimes the internet. That changes what you can sensibly ask. Questions that only need a definition become pointless, because the answer is a page away.

When to use it: when the skill you care about is applying information, interpreting a source, or solving a problem.

How to build it: ask "why" and "what would happen if" questions, use short scenarios, and set a time limit so takers cannot look up everything from scratch.

7. Timed quiz

Any of the formats above can be timed. A time limit tests fluency: whether someone knows the material well enough to answer without working it out slowly.

When to use it: for skills that need to be automatic (times tables, vocabulary, key dates), or to keep an online quiz from turning into an open-book one.

Watch out for: time pressure that measures reading speed rather than knowledge. Give a generous limit unless speed is genuinely what you are testing, and remember that some learners have extra-time arrangements.

8. Live game-show quiz

Live quizzes are run in real time for a room or a video call: everyone sees the same question at once, answers on a device or on paper, and a leaderboard or scoreboard updates between questions.

When to use it: for review before a test, to open or close a lesson, or at team events.

How to build it: short questions that can be read aloud, four answer options at most, and a mix of easy and hard so nobody falls too far behind. Ideas for running these on a call are in Zoom quiz game ideas.

9. Trivia quiz

Trivia is quizzing for fun: pub quizzes, family game nights, fundraisers. Nothing is being assessed, so the only goals are variety, fairness between teams and a good pace.

How to build it: rounds of 8 to 10 questions on different themes, a picture or music round if you can manage it, and a tie-break question with a numeric answer. If you want to build one from scratch, see how to make your own trivia game.

10. Personality quiz

A personality quiz has no right answers. Each option maps to an outcome, and the most-picked outcome becomes the result ("Which study style are you?").

When to use it: icebreakers, self-reflection, marketing and fun.

How to build it: decide the outcomes first, then write questions where each option clearly points to one of them. Keep it to 6 to 10 questions.

Self-graded versus teacher-graded

One more way to sort quizzes is by who does the marking.

Most good quizzes mix both: a block of quick auto-marked items, then one or two questions that make the taker explain.

How question types fit each format

Making quizzes faster

If writing questions is the slow part, an AI quiz generator can draft them from a topic or your notes. SimpleQuizMaker supports four question types (multiple choice, true/false, short answer and fill in the blank) and lets you edit every question before you share it. Whatever tool you use, read every generated question before it reaches a class: check the answer key, and cut anything ambiguous.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main types of quizzes?

The main types by purpose are diagnostic (pre-test), formative, summative, pop quizzes, practice self-quizzes, open-book, timed, live game-show, trivia and personality quizzes.

What is the difference between a quiz format and a question type?

A quiz format describes the purpose and conditions of the whole quiz, such as whether it is timed or graded. A question type describes the shape of each item, such as multiple choice or fill in the blank.

Which type of quiz is best for studying?

A practice self-quiz, taken several times with gaps of a few days, with every answer checked afterwards. Recalling answers from memory is more effective practice than re-reading notes.

Should a pop quiz count toward a grade?

It can, but keep the weight low and the questions focused on assigned material. Many teachers make pop quizzes ungraded and use them as formative checks.

How many questions should a quiz have?

It depends on the type: 3 to 5 for a formative check, 5 to 10 for a diagnostic or practice quiz, and enough to cover the whole unit for a summative test.

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