Learning should be fun; that also applies to continuing education for adults. In e-learning, you achieve this by using many different methods. Why quizzes and short tests are especially useful, you'll learn in this article.
Why quizzes are so helpful in e-learning
We already regularly wrote tests and short vocabulary quizzes at school, and for good reasons:
You prove your knowledge and show what you have learned.
At the same time, you check yourself and see where your weaknesses lie.
The fear of major exams decreases through repeated test situations.
Knowledge has to be checked regularly so that it really sticks. Repetition and application are THE success factors that help what you've learned stay in your head. The same applies to e-learning. Of course, you have to pay attention to a few things here, because the learning process takes place completely online:
The first impression counts, even in an online course! Engage your participants from the very beginning and make your first piece of content appealing - through a personal approach and good structure.
Ensure motivated participants by involving managers, for example. Good leadership makes it clear that continuing education is important.
Tap into your participants' playful side and motivate them with small quizzes - in the spirit of gamification.
Also make use of regular exchange with your participants by conducting short surveys.
Offer them added value and reward your participants with a certificate of participation.
Using quizzes, tests & surveys in e-learning with blink.it
In principle, at blink.it we distinguish between quizzes, tests, and surveys. This lets you build as many different online assessments as possible into your e-learnings. Here is a small guide to when you should use what:
Quiz: Independent knowledge check by participants
A quiz is used to review what has already been learned or to check the current level of knowledge before a new learning unit. It is the most playful form of assessment.
Test: Mandatory test to complete an e-learning
The test documents the knowledge your course participants have acquired and provides proof of participation in the course. It can be passed or failed.
Survey: Voluntary participation to capture sentiment
As a course instructor, the survey helps you gather information and opinions and allows participants to contribute to the e-learning. Use it especially at the beginning and at the end of your course.
These question types are available for quizzes with blink.it
Depending on the quiz format you want to use and the content you want to assess, different question types are suitable. You can implement the following questions with blink.it:
Tip: Find out which quiz to use when in e-learning in the blog article “How to make interactive online support succeed”.
1. Open-ended questions
Description of question type: Open-ended questions are suitable for open questions without fixed answer options. This allows your participants to formulate the answer themselves and gives them all the necessary freedom for complex questions. In addition to quizzes, you can also use this question type well for surveys.
Example of an open-ended question with blink.it:
2. Multiple and single-choice questions
Description of question type: For questions with predefined answer options, you can specify whether one or more answers are correct. Decide whether your participants can select multiple answers or whether there is only one correct solution. This allows you to use multiple or single-choice questions to ask for opinions or factual knowledge.
Example of a multiple/single-choice question with blink.it:
3. Scale questions
Description of question type: Questions designed to assess tendencies are called scale questions. Participants can decide for themselves which answer they tend to agree with or which answer they tend to reject. Keep in mind that, as a course instructor, you have the choice of whether there is a neutral answer in the middle or not: in the example question, there is this neutral option because of the odd number of points.
Example of a scale question with blink.it:
4. Drag-and-drop questions
Description of question type: The most playful question type comes at the end: in “drag and drop,” your participants are meant to assign statements or answers to the appropriate statement. Like in a puzzle, your participants drag the correct answer into the corresponding box. Optional dummy answers make this question type particularly challenging.
Example of a drag-and-drop question with blink.it:
These different quiz questions can be combined in any way you like. Get creative and design your quizzes exactly so that they fit your e-learning!
5 tips for successful quizzes in e-learning
1. Ask challenging questions that are still answerable
Your questions should be neither too easy nor too difficult; they should challenge participants without overwhelming them. Don't get hung up on the wording; after all, it's the content that matters.
2. Make quizzes exciting and varied
Don't just repeat what was learned in your e-learning; spark curiosity for more. Transfer tasks are especially suitable for this, because participants have to think for themselves and apply knowledge.
3. Always provide your participants with the correct answer
You should always explain incorrect answers so that participants ultimately remember the right thing. This is especially true for multiple-answer questions, where answers may differ only slightly. Of course, the exception here is surveys, where there is no right or wrong.
4. Involve employees and let experts ask the questions
Use specialist knowledge and involve experts to ask engaging questions, even on complex topics. Sometimes it comes down to small details that your specialists can work out much better.
5. Limit each question to at most one learning item
The principle of microlearning also applies to questions. Each question should cover only one topic. For complex topics, it is better to ask several questions so that your participants always know what they are referring to.
Microlearning: The all-rounder for quizzes in e-learning
For successful e-learning, you can firmly plan quizzes and tests into the process instead of one large final exam. You already know the advantages of regular short tests. That is why it is all the more important that the rest of your course fits as well.
The microlearning method is a particularly simple way to integrate short quizzes into small, self-contained learning units. That way, you don't overwhelm anyone and still have the option of regular knowledge checks.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Why are quizzes so effective in e-learning?
Quizzes encourage active repetition of knowledge and help learners anchor content for the long term. At the same time, participants receive direct feedback on their level of knowledge and recognize their own gaps in understanding more quickly.
When are quizzes, tests, or surveys suitable in an online course?
Quizzes are suitable for playful knowledge checks during the learning process. Tests serve as a binding proof of performance at the end of a course. Surveys help gather opinions, expectations, or feedback from participants.
Which quiz question types create varied knowledge checks?
Especially varied are combinations of open-ended questions, multiple-choice tasks, scale questions, and drag-and-drop exercises. Different question types promote different thought processes and keep learners' attention high.
How can quizzes be sensibly combined with microlearning?
Short quiz questions fit perfectly with small learning units in a microlearning style. Instead of one large final exam, knowledge and understanding are checked regularly in small steps, making learning more continuous and motivating.
Updated on 05/08/2026
