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Getting Started with Community Quiz

This step-by-step guide walks you through setting up Community Quiz from installation to your first fully functional quiz.

Step 1: Install the Package​

Download and Install​

  1. Download the pkg_communityquiz.zip package file from your account
  2. Log in to your Joomla Administrator panel
  3. Navigate to System → Install → Extensions
  4. Click the Upload Package File tab
  5. Drag and drop the package file, or click Browse to select it
  6. Click Upload & Install
  7. Wait for the success message confirming all extensions installed

Verify Installation​

After installation, verify everything is working:

  1. Go to Components menu
  2. Confirm Community Quiz appears in the list
  3. Click on it to open the dashboard

[!TIP] If the menu doesn't appear, go to Menus → Manage and click the Rebuild button in the toolbar.

Step 2: Create Categories for Organizing Quizzes​

Categories help organize your quizzes into logical groups.

Create Your First Category​

  1. Go to Components → Community Quiz
  2. Click Categories in the submenu (or sidebar)
  3. Click the New button in the toolbar
  4. Fill in the category details:
    • Title: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "General Knowledge")
    • Alias: Leave blank to auto-generate from title
    • Description: Optional description shown on category pages
    • Parent: Select "No parent" for top-level, or choose a parent for subcategories
    • Status: Set to Published
    • Access: Choose who can view (usually "Public")
    • Language: Select language or "All" for multilingual sites
  5. Click Save & Close

Suggested Category Structure​

├── Academic
│   ├── Mathematics
│   ├── Science
│   └── History
├── Training
│   ├── Onboarding
│   └── Compliance
└── Fun & Trivia
    ├── Pop Culture
    └── Sports

Create Multiple Categories​

Repeat the process to create additional categories. You can:

  • Create nested categories by selecting a parent
  • Set category images in the Options tab
  • Configure category permissions for restricted access

Step 3: Configure Global Options​

Set up component-wide settings before creating quizzes.

Access Global Options​

  1. Go to Components → Community Quiz
  2. Click the Options button in the toolbar

Essential Settings to Configure​

Quiz Settings Tab​

SettingRecommended ValueWhy
Enable RatingsYesLet users rate quizzes
Allow Multiple ResponsesBased on needFor practice quizzes: Yes
Allow RetryYesUsers can retake quizzes
Max Retries3Limit retakes if needed
Show Progress BarYesUsers see completion progress
Show AnswersYesDisplay results after completion

Shared Settings Tab​

SettingRecommended ValueWhy
Default EditorTinyMCEBest for rich content
Show ToolbarYesEnable frontend toolbar
Load Math LibraryYes (if needed)For mathematical formulas
User Display NameNameShow full names

Integration Tab​

SettingRecommended ValueWhy
UI LayoutBootstrap 5For Joomla 4/5 templates
Profile ComponentGravatar or your choiceUser avatars

Save Your Settings​

  1. Review all tabs and adjust as needed
  2. Click Save & Close

Step 4: Set Up Permissions for User Groups​

Configure who can do what with your quizzes.

Access Permissions​

  1. Go to Components → Community Quiz → Options
  2. Click the Permissions tab

For Registered Users​

PermissionSetting
Access Administration InterfaceDenied
CreateDenied (unless user-submitted quizzes)
EditDenied
Edit OwnAllowed (if users create quizzes)
DeleteDenied
RespondAllowed
View ResultsAllowed

For Authors/Editors (Quiz Creators)​

PermissionSetting
Access Administration InterfaceAllowed
CreateAllowed
EditDenied
Edit OwnAllowed
Edit State OwnAllowed
Delete OwnAllowed
RespondAllowed
View ResultsAllowed

For Administrators/Super Users​

PermissionSetting
Configure ACL & OptionsAllowed
All other permissionsAllowed

Category-Level Permissions (Optional)​

For more granular control:

  1. Go to Components → Community Quiz → Categories
  2. Edit a category
  3. Click the Permissions tab
  4. Override component permissions as needed

Step 5: Create Menu Items for Frontend Access​

Menu items provide frontend URLs and navigation.

Create Main Quizzes Page​

  1. Go to Menus → [Your Main Menu] → Add New Menu Item
  2. Click Select next to Menu Item Type
  3. Choose Community Quiz → Quizzes Layout
  4. Configure:
    • Menu Title: "Quizzes" or "Take a Quiz"
    • Alias: quizzes
    • Status: Published
  5. Click Save & Close

For each top-level category:

  1. Add a new menu item
  2. Select Community Quiz → Category
  3. In Required Settings, choose the category
  4. Set parent to your main Quizzes menu item (for submenu)
  5. Save

Additional Useful Menu Items​

Menu Item TypePurposeSuggested Title
Categories ListBrowse all categories"Quiz Categories"
Quiz SearchAdvanced search page"Search Quizzes"
My QuizzesUser's created quizzes"My Quizzes"
My ResponsesUser's quiz history"My Results"

Example Menu Structure​

Quizzes (Quizzes Layout)
├── Quiz Categories (Categories List)
├── Academic (Category)
│   ├── Mathematics (Category)
│   └── Science (Category)
├── My Results (My Responses)
└── Search Quizzes (Quiz Search)

Step 6: Enable and Configure the Quizzes Plugin​

The core plugin handles notifications, points, and activity streams.

Enable the Plugin​

  1. Go to System → Manage → Plugins
  2. Search for "Community Quiz"
  3. Find Community Quiz - Quizzes
  4. Click on it to open settings
  5. Set Status to Enabled

Configure Plugin Settings​

Activity Stream Tab​

Enable/disable activity notifications for:

  • ✅ New Quiz Posted
  • ✅ New Response Submitted
  • ✅ Quiz Passed
  • ✅ Quiz Failed

Emails Tab​

  1. Admin User Groups: Select groups to receive admin notifications
  2. Enable/disable email notifications for:
    • ✅ New Quiz notification to admins
    • ✅ New Response to quiz author
    • ✅ Passed Quiz notification
    • ✅ Failed Quiz notification

Points System Tab​

If using a points system, enable:

  • ✅ Points for creating quizzes
  • ✅ Points for quiz responses
  • ✅ Bonus points for passing
  • ✅ Points deduction for failing (optional)

Save Plugin Settings​

  1. Click Save & Close
  2. Enable other Community Quiz plugins as needed:
    • Smart Search - Quizzes: For search integration
    • Content - Quizzes: For embedding in articles
    • Maths Editor: For mathematical formulas

Step 7: Create Your First Quiz​

Now let's create a fully functional quiz!

Start Creating​

  1. Go to Components → Community Quiz → Quizzes
  2. Click New

Basic Information​

Fill in the main details:

FieldExample Value
Title"General Knowledge Quiz"
Aliasgeneral-knowledge-quiz
CategorySelect your category
StatusPublished
DescriptionBrief quiz introduction

Quiz Options​

Configure quiz behavior:

SettingRecommended for First Quiz
Duration0 (no time limit) or 10 (minutes)
Cutoff60 (passing score percentage)
Cutoff TypePercentage
Difficulty LevelEasy

Save the Quiz​

  1. Click Save (not Save & Close)
  2. The quiz is created but has no questions yet

Add Questions​

After saving, the question editor appears:

  1. Click Add Page to create the first page
  2. Give the page a title (e.g., "Round 1") or leave blank
  3. Click Add Question
  4. Choose a question type (start with Multiple Choice - Radio)

Create a Multiple Choice Question​

  1. Question Text: "What is the capital of France?"
  2. Click Add Answer to add choices:
    • "London" - Mark as incorrect
    • "Paris" - Mark as correct ✓
    • "Berlin" - Mark as incorrect
    • "Madrid" - Mark as incorrect
  3. Set Marks: 1
  4. Optional: Add Answer Explanation
  5. Click Save Question

Add More Questions​

Repeat to add 5-10 questions for a good first quiz:

  1. Mix different question types
  2. Add multiple pages for organization
  3. Set appropriate marks for each question

Configure Score Messages (Optional)​

  1. In quiz settings, find Scorewise Messages
  2. Add custom messages:
    • 0-40%: "Keep practicing! Try again soon."
    • 41-70%: "Good effort! You're getting there."
    • 71-100%: "Excellent work! You're a quiz master!"

Finalize and Publish​

  1. Review all questions
  2. Set Status to Published
  3. Ensure Publish Up date is current or past
  4. Click Save & Close

Step 8: Test Quiz Taking as a Frontend User​

Verify everything works from a user's perspective.

Test as Guest (If Allowed)​

  1. Open a new browser or incognito window
  2. Navigate to your Quizzes menu item
  3. Find and click your quiz
  4. Verify:
    • ✅ Quiz introduction displays correctly
    • ✅ Questions render properly
    • ✅ All answer options are clickable
    • ✅ Navigation between pages works

Test as Registered User​

  1. Create a test user account (or use existing)
  2. Log in to the frontend
  3. Take the quiz completely:
    • Answer all questions
    • Click Submit or Finish
  4. Verify results page:
    • ✅ Score displays correctly
    • ✅ Correct/incorrect answers shown
    • ✅ Scorewise message appears
    • ✅ Certificate offered (if configured)

Check Admin Reports​

  1. Go back to Components → Community Quiz → Responses
  2. Verify your test response appears
  3. Click to view details:
    • ✅ Response recorded correctly
    • ✅ Score calculated properly
    • ✅ Individual answers saved

Test Edge Cases​

  • ⬜ Incomplete quiz (leave and return)
  • ⬜ Timer expiration (if enabled)
  • ⬜ Retry functionality
  • ⬜ Multiple response restrictions

Troubleshooting Common Issues​

Quiz Not Appearing on Frontend​

  1. Check quiz is Published
  2. Verify Publish Up date is in the past
  3. Ensure category is published
  4. Check Access level permissions

Questions Not Saving​

  1. Ensure you clicked Save before adding questions
  2. Verify quiz type supports direct question adding
  3. Check for JavaScript errors in browser console

Users Can't Take Quiz​

  1. Verify Respond permission is allowed for user group
  2. Check category-level permissions
  3. Ensure quiz access level includes the user

Results Not Displaying​

  1. Check Show Answers is enabled in options
  2. Verify Show Report is enabled
  3. Ensure user has View Results permission

Next Steps​

🎉 Congratulations! Your Community Quiz is now fully set up and working!

Explore More Features​

Build More Quizzes​

  • Create quizzes for different categories
  • Experiment with different question types
  • Set up courses with learning paths
  • Build question banks for randomized tests