Create Start Button in WatuPRO Using The {{{button}}} Tag

Since version 4.0.8 WatuPRO supports starting the quiz with a start buttons, similar to how other plugins do it. We don’t do this by default because it’s not suitable for all cases. But it’s super easy to configure, and this page will show you how.

Please do not use this together with “Ask for user contact details” setting. When you require user contact details, the button is created automatically when appropriate.

The start button tag should be placed into the quiz description box, and it will render a HTML button tag. More about this later.

Timed and Non-Timed Quizzes

First, note the difference between timed quizzes (quizzes with time-limit) and non-timed quizzes (quizzes without time limed). If you place the start button in a timed quiz, the start button will appear in the place of our default “Click here to start exam” link. If you place the start button in a non-timed quiz, the button will appear where you have placed it in the description.

See example timed quiz and example non-timed quiz.

Configure the button

By default placing the {{{button}}} tag will generate a HTML button tag with default style and text “Start Exam”. But you can easily customize this:

{{{button "Start My Quiz Now"}}} – just add text in quotes after the button word (don’t forget the space) and WatuPRO will generate the button with that text.

{{{button "Start My Quiz Now" "color:green;background-color:black;padding:20px;"}}} – add any CSS as third argument (note the space and the quotes) and WatuPRO will apply your CSS to the button.

Easy!

Practice Mode Exams in WatuPRO

The “Practice mode” which is available in the Intelligence module of WatuPRO sometimes causes a bit of confusion. Let’s clear it all here by outlining some important points.

The purpose of practice mode is to let user train themselves on the matter – not to calculate grade or show them the right answers. Because of this “Practice mode” exams work this way:

  • Grade and result is not calculated
  • The user performance is not stored anywhere
  • Answers to the questions are not shown – it only shows if the answer is correct or not. If you want to display the answer you can use the “optional answer explanation” field. It’s shown even in practice mode.
  • Questions are always shown one per page
  • Many settings like payment required, timers, grouping, and so on are disregarded in practice mode.

So if you want all your settings to be taken into account, answers to be revealed and so on, please use “Live mode” exam.

Alternative of Practice Mode

From version 4.9.0.7 WatuPRO supports one option that in many cases will be more suitable for practice. It’s available on the Advanced Settings tab of the Edit Quiz page:

dont-store-takingSuch quizzes will work exactly as live quizzes except that the results achieved here will not affect reprots, user points balance, stats, anything. And on top of this, the data from such quizzes won’t fill your database which is important for customers with thousands of quiz takers that don’t need to run reports.

 

WatuPRO Troubleshooting: Emailing Quiz Results

This post will address some of the most common questions / support requests we get about emailing results:

Results are not mailed at all

In this case please check:

  • Have you selected them to be mailed at all
  • Please have in mind that our plugin only instructs your WordPress installation to send emails. It doesn’t handle the technical side of sending them. So if you have problems sending emails you most likely have to talk to your hosting support or server admin. But here is a super-short guide that will most probably help you resolve your issue:Install WP Mail SMTP or Postman SMTP, set the sender name and email and select “PHP Mail” as sending mode. Try to send a test mail to yourself. If this email is sent properly, please contact us to have a look. If this email is not sent or goes to junk box, the problem is in your installation. You have two options:
    • Contact your hosting support for help
    • Switch to SMTP email sending and enter SMTP details. If emails start going out, you are all set – WatuPRO mailing will also work. If even SMTP test email does not get sent you absolutely should talk to your hosting support. Please do not contact us in this case until your mailing issue is resolved.
  • Note that some email servers may block outgoing emails if the sender email address is different than the SMTP account email. Make sure both are the same and test again.

I don’t see the correct / incorrect checkmarks in the email

  • You can disable showing correct/incorrect checkmarks from the “Advanced settings” page for the quiz. Please make sure you have not done this.
  • Don’t forget that survey questions do not have correct / incorrect checkmarks.
  • Many email client programs by default do not show graphics in emails. For example in Gmail you have to click “Show graphics from xyz@xyz.com” to make the graphics show. From version 5.3.8.5 you can choose to use textual symbols instead of graphical checkmarks on emailed results. You can do this from the WatuPRO Settings page, section Design Theme and Adjustments
  • Microsoft Outlook 2010 (and maybe other versions) has bug and doesn’t show .png images so it won’t show the correct/incorrect checkmarks. This is a bug in Outlook, not in our software. More info here.

There are “funny” characters in the email

WatuPRO emails are generated and sent in UTF8 which is the modern international format for email. Some old email programs are not configured for UTF8 by default. To reduce the number of users who experience problems with their email clients you’d better avoid pasting text from Word. Its weird apostrophes and dashes will often come as “funny” characters when UTF8 is not supported.

If you are using the quiz in a non-English language that uses special charactes (like German, or entirely non-Latin languages) then having UTF8 enabled client is a must. Most non-English users have that anyway.

For problems that are not listed above or not resolved after following the instructions you are welcome to contact support.