Text Answer Question

Defined inquizzes.hcl

The text answer question resource creates open-ended questions where users type free-form text responses. These questions allow for flexible answers and can test deeper understanding beyond multiple choice options.

Use Cases

As a lab author, you use text answer questions to assess deeper understanding:

• Conceptual Understanding: Test ability to explain concepts, principles, or reasoning in the user’s own words
• Command Recall: Test knowledge of specific commands, syntax, or procedures that must be typed exactly
• Troubleshooting Skills: Assess ability to diagnose problems and articulate solution approaches

Text answer questions provide rich insight into user understanding beyond what multiple choice questions can reveal.

HCL Syntax

Basic Syntax

resource "text_answer_question" "name" {
  question = "Explain the main benefit of using containers in software development."
  answer   = "portability"
}

Full Syntax

resource "text_answer_question" "name" {
  question = "What is the primary purpose of a Dockerfile?"
  answer   = "define container image instructions"

  hints = [
    "Think about what Docker uses to build images",
    "Consider the relationship between Dockerfile and image creation"
  ]

  exact = false

  tags = ["docker", "containers", "dockerfile"]
}

Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
question	string	✓	The question that learners will answer
answer	string	✓	The correct text answer (case-insensitive by default)
exact	bool	—	Enable for case-sensitive exact matching, disable for case-insensitive matching Defaultfalse
hints	list(string)	—	Optional hints that can be revealed to help learners
tags	list(string)	—	Optional tags for organizing and filtering questions

Examples

Simple Definition Question

resource "text_answer_question" "define_pod" {
  question = "What is a Pod in Kubernetes?"
  answer   = "smallest deployable unit"

  tags = ["kubernetes", "concepts", "pods"]
}

Command Usage Question

resource "text_answer_question" "docker_command" {
  question = "What Docker command lists all running containers?"
  answer   = "docker ps"

  exact = true

  tags = ["docker", "commands"]
}

Usage in Quizzes

Text answer questions are referenced in quiz resources:

resource "quiz" "conceptual_understanding" {
  questions = [
    resource.text_answer_question.define_pod,
    resource.text_answer_question.docker_command
  ]

  show_hints = true
  attempts   = 3
}

Best Practices

1. Clear Instructions: Indicate expected answer length or format in the question
2. Appropriate Matching: Use exact matching for commands, flexible for concepts
3. Educational Focus: Use text questions to test understanding, not memorization
4. Reasonable Expectations: Don’t expect users to guess exact wording