Test vs. Quiz — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 3, 2023
A test is a comprehensive examination assessing one's knowledge or abilities, while a quiz is a shorter, often informal, assessment focusing on specific topics.
Difference Between Test and Quiz
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
The words "test" and "quiz" both refer to methods of evaluation, but they differ in scope, depth, and often in formality. A test is typically longer and covers a broader range of material. This can be seen in academic settings where tests often account for a significant portion of one's grade. Conversely, a quiz, while also evaluative, is usually shorter and targets specific concepts or topics, offering a quick assessment.
In many educational systems, the word "test" conjures images of a serious and extended examination process. It could be a midterm, a final, or any major examination. Its purpose is not just to assess but also to assign grades that could significantly impact a student's overall performance. In contrast, a quiz might be something a teacher gives without prior announcement to check if students have been keeping up with their readings.
Furthermore, the format can be a differentiator. Tests usually have a mix of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. Quizzes might often lean towards true/false or multiple-choice questions due to their brevity. While both tests and quizzes aim to evaluate, tests usually demand a deeper understanding, whereas quizzes might just skim the surface.
Another distinction lies in the feedback loop. After a quiz, immediate feedback or correction is typically provided to clear any misconceptions. This isn't always the case with tests, which might require a more extended grading process due to their length and depth. Despite their differences, both tests and quizzes serve the overarching purpose of evaluation and feedback in the learning process.
Comparison Chart
Length and Depth
Comprehensive, covering broad material.
Shorter, focusing on specific topics.
ADVERTISEMENT
Formality
Often formal and counts significantly for grading.
Generally less formal, quick checks.
Format
Mixed formats: MCQs, short answers, essays.
More MCQs or true/false due to brevity.
Feedback Timing
May take longer to grade and return.
Often immediate or quick feedback.
Purpose
Deep understanding and significant grading.
Quick checks and immediate feedback.
Compare with Definitions
Test
A means of establishing the presence or absence of a particular condition.
He had a blood test to check for diabetes.
Quiz
A short examination to gauge someone's knowledge.
The teacher gave a surprise quiz on today's lecture.
Test
A procedure for critical evaluation; a means of determining the presence, quality, or truth of something; a trial
A test of one's eyesight.
Subjecting a hypothesis to a test.
A test of an athlete's endurance.
Quiz
An informal test on a particular subject.
I'll quiz you on the state capitals later.
Test
A series of questions, problems, or physical responses designed to determine knowledge, intelligence, or ability.
Quiz
A set of questions about a particular subject.
He filled out a personality quiz online.
Test
A basis for evaluation or judgment
"A test of democratic government is how Congress and the president work together" (Haynes Johnson).
Quiz
A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which players attempt to answer questions correctly about a certain or variety of subjects. Quizzes can be used as a brief assessment in education and similar fields to measure growth in knowledge, abilities, or skills.
Test
(Chemistry) A physical or chemical change by which a substance may be detected or its properties ascertained.
Quiz
A test of knowledge, especially as a competition between individuals or teams as a form of entertainment
A quiz show
A pub quiz
A sports quiz
Test
A cupel.
Quiz
A practical joke or hoax
I am impatient to know if the whole be not one grand quiz
Test
A hard external covering, as that of certain amoebas, dinoflagellates, and sea urchins.
Quiz
An odd or eccentric person
She means to marry that quiz for the sake of his thousands
Test
To subject to a test; try
Tested the pen by scribbling on scrap paper.
Testing job applicants.
Quiz
Ask (someone) questions
Four men have been quizzed about the murder
Test
To reveal the degree of (a given quality) in someone or something by or as if by means of a test
The experiment tested the rats' ability to solve spatial problems. The long war tested the country's resolve.
Quiz
Look curiously or intently at (someone) through or as if through an eyeglass
Deep-set eyes quizzed her in the candlelight
Test
To identify the presence or amount of one or more substances in
Tested the water for lead.
Quiz
Make fun of
Is it possible he has heard of my foible and is quizzing me?
Test
To identify the amount of (a substance) in something
Tested the nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil.
Quiz
To question (someone), especially closely or repeatedly
"His searching questions as he quizzed me on my work made me tongue-tied at first" (Susan Sellers).
Test
To ascertain the properties of
Tested the steel for hardness and tensile strength.
Quiz
To test the knowledge of by posing questions
Quizzed the class on state capitals.
Test
To assay (metal) in a cupel.
Quiz
(Archaic) To poke fun at; mock.
Test
To undergo a test.
Quiz
A questioning or inquiry.
Test
To administer a test
Test for acid content.
Test for the presence of an antibody.
Quiz
A short oral or written test.
Test
To achieve a score or rating on tests
Tested high on the entrance exams.
Quiz
(Archaic) A practical joke.
Test
To exhibit a given characteristic when subjected to a test
Test positive for the tubercle bacillus.
Quiz
(dated) An odd, puzzling or absurd person or thing.
Test
A challenge, trial.
Quiz
(dated) One who questions or interrogates; a prying person.
Test
A cupel or cupelling hearth in which precious metals are melted for trial and refinement.
Quiz
A competition in the answering of questions.
We came second in the pub quiz.
Test
(academia) An examination, given often during the academic term.
Quiz
(education) A school examination of less importance, or of greater brevity, than others given in the same course.
Test
A session in which a product, piece of equipment, or system is examined under everyday or extreme conditions to evaluate its durability, etc.
Quiz
To hoax; to chaff or mock with pretended seriousness of discourse; to make sport of, as by obscure questions.
Test
A Test match.
Quiz
To peer at; to eye suspiciously or mockingly.
Test
(marine biology) The external calciferous shell, or endoskeleton, of an echinoderm, e.g. sand dollars and sea urchins.
Quiz
(transitive) To question (someone) closely, to interrogate.
Test
(botany) Testa; seed coat.
Quiz
(transitive) To instruct (someone) by means of a quiz.
Test
(obsolete) Judgment; distinction; discrimination.
Quiz
To play with a quiz. en
Test
(obsolete) A witness.
Quiz
A riddle or obscure question; an enigma; a ridiculous hoax.
Test
Testosterone
Quiz
One who quizzes others; as, he is a great quiz.
Test
To challenge.
Climbing the mountain tested our stamina.
Quiz
An odd or absurd fellow.
Test
To refine (gold, silver, etc.) in a test or cupel; to subject to cupellation.
Quiz
An exercise, or a course of exercises, conducted as a coaching or as an examination.
Test
To put to the proof; to prove the truth, genuineness, or quality of by experiment, or by some principle or standard; to try.
To test the soundness of a principle
To test the validity of an argument
Quiz
To puzzle; to banter; to chaff or mock with pretended seriousness of discourse; to make sport of, as by obscure questions.
He quizzed unmercifully all the men in the room.
Test
(academics) To administer or assign an examination, often given during the academic term, to (somebody).
Quiz
To peer at; to eye suspiciously or mockingly.
Test
To place a product or piece of equipment under everyday and/or extreme conditions and examine it for its durability, etc.
Quiz
An examination consisting of a few short questions
Test
(copulative) To be shown to be by test.
He tested positive for cancer.
Quiz
Examine someone's knowledge of something;
The teacher tests us every week
We got quizzed on French irregular verbs
Test
(chemistry) To examine or try, as by the use of some reagent.
To test a solution by litmus paper
Quiz
A competition or game where knowledge is tested.
We joined the weekly trivia quiz at the local bar.
Test
To attest (a document) legally, and date it.
Quiz
To interrogate or enquire closely.
She quizzed him about his trip to Europe.
Test
To make a testament, or will.
Test
A cupel or cupelling hearth in which precious metals are melted for trial and refinement.
Our ingots, tests, and many mo.
Test
Examination or trial by the cupel; hence, any critical examination or decisive trial; as, to put a man's assertions to a test.
Test
Means of trial; as, absence is a test of love.
Each test every light her muse will bear.
Test
That with which anything is compared for proof of its genuineness; a touchstone; a standard.
Life, force, and beauty must to all impart,At once the source, and end, and test of art.
Test
Discriminative characteristic; standard of judgment; ground of admission or exclusion.
Our test excludes your tribe from benefit.
Test
Judgment; distinction; discrimination.
Who would excel, when few can make a testBetwixt indifferent writing and the best?
Test
A reaction employed to recognize or distinguish any particular substance or constituent of a compound, as the production of some characteristic precipitate; also, the reagent employed to produce such reaction; thus, the ordinary test for sulphuric acid is the production of a white insoluble precipitate of barium sulphate by means of some soluble barium salt.
Test
A set of questions to be answered or problems to be solved, used as a means to measure a person's knowledge, aptitude, skill, intelligence, etc.; in school settings, synonymous with examination or exam; as, an intelligence test. Also used attributively; as a test score, test results.
I leave him to your gracious acceptance, whose trial shall better publish his commediation.
Thy virtue, prince, has stood the test of fortune,Like purest gold, that tortured in the furnace,Comes out more bright, and brings forth all its weight.
Test
A witness.
Prelates and great lords of England, who were for the more surety tests of that deed.
Test
The external hard or firm covering of many invertebrate animals.
Test
The outer integument of a seed; the episperm, or spermoderm.
Test
To refine, as gold or silver, in a test, or cupel; to subject to cupellation.
Test
To put to the proof; to prove the truth, genuineness, or quality of by experiment, or by some principle or standard; to try; as, to test the soundness of a principle; to test the validity of an argument.
Experience is the surest standard by which to test the real tendency of the existing constitution.
Test
To examine or try, as by the use of some reagent; as, to test a solution by litmus paper.
Test
To administer a test to (someone) for the purpose of ascertaining a person's knowledge or skill; especially, in academic settings, to determine how well a student has learned the subject matter of a course of instruction.
Test
To make a testament, or will.
Test
Any standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity or memory or intelligence or aptitude or personality etc;
The test was standardized on a large sample of students
Test
The act of testing something;
In the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately
He called each flip of the coin a new trial
Test
The act of undergoing testing;
He survived the great test of battle
Candidates must compete in a trial of skill
Test
Trying something to find out about it;
A sample for ten days free trial
A trial of progesterone failed to relieve the pain
Test
A set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge;
When the test was stolen the professor had to make a new set of questions
Test
A hard outer covering as of some amoebas and sea urchins
Test
Put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to;
This approach has been tried with good results
Test this recipe
Test
Test or examine for the presence of disease or infection;
Screen the blood for the HIV virus
Test
Examine someone's knowledge of something;
The teacher tests us every week
We got quizzed on French irregular verbs
Test
Show a certain characteristic when tested;
He tested positive for HIV
Test
Achieve a certain score or rating on a test;
She tested high on the LSAT and was admitted to all the good law schools
Test
Determine the presence or properties of (a substance)
Test
Undergo a test;
She doesn't test well
Test
A formal examination of one's knowledge or skills.
She studied hard for the math test.
Test
A method to ascertain the quality or reliability of something.
They conducted a test on the new software.
Test
An event or situation that reveals the strength or quality of someone.
The marathon was a real test of his endurance.
Test
A hard or crucial situation that challenges one's character.
Losing his job was a test of his resilience.
Common Curiosities
Do both tests and quizzes always have scores?
Most do, but some might be for feedback without a numerical score.
Are standardized exams considered tests?
Yes, standardized exams like the SAT or ACT are types of tests.
Is a pop quiz the same as a surprise test?
Essentially, yes. Both are given without prior announcement.
Can a quiz be longer than a test?
While quizzes are typically shorter, there's no strict rule, and context matters.
Why are tests more stressful than quizzes for many students?
Tests often count more towards final grades and cover more material.
Can both tests and quizzes be open book?
Yes, depending on the instructor's intent and the material's nature.
Which one is more formal, a test or a quiz?
Tests are generally more formal, though context can vary.
Are all evaluations considered either tests or quizzes?
No, evaluations can also be projects, assignments, or oral presentations.
Are oral evaluations considered tests or quizzes?
They can be either, depending on their depth and significance.
Do all cultures and educational systems differentiate between tests and quizzes?
The distinction can vary by region and educational system.
Is feedback more crucial after a test or a quiz?
Feedback is vital for both, but quizzes often aim for more immediate feedback.
Can quizzes be just for fun?
Absolutely! Many online quizzes are designed for entertainment.
Are online assessments considered tests or quizzes?
They can be either, depending on length, depth, and purpose.
Can one study for a quiz the same way as for a test?
Strategies might differ due to the scope and depth of each.
Why are quizzes often used in classrooms?
They offer quick checks on understanding and provide immediate feedback.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Maya vs. Houdini
Next Comparison
Playdough vs. PlasticineAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
