README.md

SZES - A Simple ZCE Exam Simulation

SZES is a simple ZCE Exam Simulation. It is based only in PHP and text files. The questions file (controllers/questions.php) has the questions details. The data folder has the example codes for the questions. This app was developed for and used at the 2012 PHP Conference.

Installation

Download the package and run the following commands in the folder you unzipped it:

curl http://getcomposer.org/installer | php
php composer.phar install

It will download the packages that is missing. Then configure your Server to point to the folder and use it!

Contributions

You can increase the number of questions in the controllers/questions.php file. OR - and this is better - you can create new entire simulation exams!

To create new simulation exams, create a new folder in simulations folder with this format:

<github user>-YYYY-MM-DD

Inside this folder, put a PHP file named questions.php that contains the questions (see questions details) and a folder named codes with the questions example codes.

See the example in the package!

So, if you want to make another simulation, just change the file controller/questions.php for another one in the simulations folder (with the respectives example codes). Remember to put your name in the questions file as the new simulation developer.

Simple Doc

1. Question number
2. Question example codes
3. Question description
4. Possible answers (see questions details)
5. "Answer" button - click if you're sure
6. "Review" button - click to review it later (it will save your answer)
7. "Next" and "Previous" questions buttons
8. "Close Exam" button - to close your exam and see the result
9. Exam Summary - what you answer so far. Show all the questions and mark them as blank (B), review (answer and (R)) and answered (shows the answer)
10. Your alias used in the exam simulation

Final results will be at the results folder. The files are named after the user alias and grade. Example: if the alias is John Doe and he got a score of 9, the file will be named John_Doe-9. And the file content is similar to the example below:

You've got 9 correct answers out of 10 questions!

YOUR ANSWERS
===========================
array (
  'Answer' => 
  array (
    0 => '2',
    1 => '1',
    2 => '2',
    3 => 
    array (
      0 => '1',
      1 => '2',
    ),
    4 => '0',
    5 => '3',
    6 => 'b',
    7 => '3',
    8 => '0',
    9 => '3',
  ),
  'Review' => 
  array (
  ),
  'Blank' => 
  array (
  ),
)
===========================

RIGHT ANSWERS
===========================
array (
  0 => 1,
  1 => 1,
  2 => 2,
  3 => 
  array (
    0 => 1,
    1 => 2,
  ),
  4 => 0,
  5 => 3,
  6 => 'b',
  7 => 3,
  8 => 0,
  9 => 3,
)
===========================

Questions Details

You detail the questions inside an array. Each value in the array is a question. The app will display the questions in the order. Each question is another array with the following indexes:

• text: the description of the question
• options (optional): the possible answers for the question. If the question is a direct question (those questions where you write the answer), you shouldn't use this index
• answer: the right answer (if direct question, an string; if choice, the index in options; if multiple choice, an array with indexes in options)
• code (optional): if the question has an example code (true)

The example below (inside controllers/questions.php file) displays a choice question:

return array(
    array(
        'text'    => 'Which of the following print statements will output the string “correct”?',
        'answer'  => 1,
        'options' => array(
            'print $a[\'purple\'][4][3];',
            'print $a[\'purple\'][\'hello\'][9];',
            'print $a[2][4][3];',
            'print $a[2][4][9];',
            'print $a[4][\'hello\'][9];'
        ),
        'code'    => true
    )
);

and returns the following construction:

The example below (inside controllers/questions.php file) displays a multiple choice question:

return array(
    array(
        'text'    => 'Which two internal PHP interfaces provide functionality which allow you to treat an object like an array? (Choose 2)',
        'answer'  =>  array(1, 2),
        'options' => array(
            'Array', 'ArrayAccess', 'Iterator', 'Iteration', 'ObjectArray'
        )
    )
);

and returns the following construction:

The example below (inside controllers/questions.php file) displays a direct question:

return array(
    array(
        'text'    => 'What the following code will print out?',
        'answer'  => 'b',
        'code'    => true
    )
);

and returns the following construction:

Example Codes

When a question has example codes ('code' => true), you have to do only one thing: create a text file (.txt) following this rule: If the index question is 7, then the file name is question7.txt and should go in data folder. You can put anything you want in the file and it will appear in the question.