5 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Google Forms Quizzes

Imagine this.

The last bell has just rung on a Friday afternoon.

You sit down in your chair, put your feet up and look out of the window. The sun is shining – it’s forecast to be a glorious weekend.

Then you spot the pile of tests your students took today that you have to grade.

UGH!

A stack of poorly organized papers on a desk.

What if I told you it didn’t have to be this way? What if I told you there was an easier way?

Do I have your attention?

Great! Now, come closer so I can tell you my secret. The secret is…. Google Forms Quizzes!

Yep – Google to the rescue, once again. You already know I love using Google Slides in my classroom.

Creating quizzes in Google Forms is one of my favorite classroom hacks of all time.

Here are my top 5 reasons why I love using Google Forms Quizzes, and why you will too!

Reason 1: They are easy to create

No, really. Making quizzes in Google Forms does not require a large learning curve at all. When you make a form, you can create a blank form or use one of the templates provided by Google.

You are ready to start creating your quiz.

All you need to do is start typing your questions and select or write the answers. Then, select the point value for each question.

It is also very easy to differentiate the types of questions on the quiz. For example, you can create multiple-choice questions with a single answer or more than one answer, short-answer questions, and drop-down questions. You can even upload an image to a question or answer choice!

Here are a few examples of quizzes I have created in Google Forms:

Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Cells: I have added an image of mitochondria that students need to use for two questions. Students need to answer a single-response multiple-choice question and a multiple-choice question that has more than one answer.

Isn’t it great the picture is in COLOR?! If you copied this on paper, it would just be a plain black-and-white image. B-O-R-I-N-G!

An iPad on a wooden desk with pen, notepad, sharpener. There is a Google Forms Quiz showing a picture of a mitochondrion with two questions: a single response multiple-choice question and a multiple-choice question with more than one answer.

Introduction to Ecology: I included an image and I wanted to engage my students in critical thinking skills so I included an open response question.

An iPad on a wooden desk showing a screenshot of a portion of a Google Form Quiz about ecology. The screenshot shows a picture of the earth and a short answer question.

Once your questions and answers are created, all you have left to do is adjust the settings based on your class. Just click the little gear icon in the top right corner of the screen and edit away!

Reason 2: They save you time

What teacher doesn’t need more time? I certainly can’t think of any.

Let Google Forms give you just a little bit of time back in your day.

So, we have already talked about how easy it is to create and differentiate Google Forms, but I haven’t mentioned one of the best parts…

Are you ready?

THEY ARE SELF-GRADING!

That’s right. You get to enjoy your beautiful weekend because the quiz will grade itself. Could teaching life get any better?

Gone are the days of grading tests page by page. Now, as students hit submit, their quiz or test is automatically graded and ready to be put into the grade book!

If you can tell me something better than this, I’ll listen. Let’s hear it…

(insert sound of crickets)

Nothing? I didn’t think so!

A pink background with a computer showing a screenshot of a portion of a Google Form Quiz about mutations. The screenshot shows a screen with the first question being correct and the second question being incorrect. This is the screen students see when they submit their quiz.

Reason 3: Google Forms Quizzes collect the data for you

Data, data, data. Everyone talks about data these days.

You need to collect data for state observations. You need to collect data for special education students. You need to collect data for your own instructional practices.

The need for data is greater than ever and it’s not going away. Data drives every part of the education system, but it is time-consuming and difficult to organize!

This is where Google Forms comes in to save the day, again.

Google Forms will turn all of the questions and answers into easy-to-read infographics as students send in their quizzes.

A light green background with a computer showing a screenshot of a portion of a Google Form Quiz about photosynthesis. The screenshot shows the data screen with bar graphs indicating the number and percentages of students that answered a question right or wrong.

The magic doesn’t stop there!

You can choose to export all of the student data into a spreadsheet using Google Sheets.

Talk about real-time data!

A laptop on a desk showing a screenshot of a portion of a Google Sheets data page with questions and answers from a Google Form Quiz about Photosynthesis. The screenshot demonstrates what the teacher sees when the data is exported from Google Forms to Google Sheets.

Now, what can you do with the data?

You can use this information to guide your teaching in terms of what might need more work. You could also use the data to form student groups for upcoming projects or laboratory exercises. The possibilities are endless.

But, guess what?

You now have the time to analyze the data!

Reason 4: You will stay more organized

Say hello to your desk and goodbye to organized chaos!

By using Google Forms Quizzes, you are eliminating the stacks of paper that usually cover the top of your desk.

Remember the days when you realized that you had lost a student’s paper and the panic that overwhelmed you?

Those days are long gone!

All of your quizzes and results will now be housed within the Google platform, and the work is done for you.

Just sit back and enjoy your clean, organized workspace.

A clean and organized teacher desk with a cup of pencils, an apple, and two books.

Reason 5: Your quizzes will remain secure

The main concern I hear about using online quizzes is the lack of test security.

Well… As usual, Google is 10 steps ahead of you!

When you assign a quiz in Google Forms, you have the option to “lock” the quiz if your students use Chromebooks. By locking the quiz, you are taking away the student’s ability to open other tabs or navigate off of the quiz while they are taking it.

From experience, I always use the lock feature and have never had any security issues!

A purple background with a computer showing a screenshot of the settings page when making a Google Forms Quiz. This page shows that the Locked Mode is turned on.

Are you convinced yet?

I love making quizzes in Google Forms, and after reading this, I hope you will find them as beneficial as I do!

Every Google Slides lesson that I make includes a Google Forms Quiz, as I think it’s super important to know how well students have understood the material.

If you want to save time with these ready-to-use quizzes, you can check them out in my shop.

Shop my Google Slides and Quizzes

I hope you have a wonderful day,