Quizzes Reinforce Training

Requiring cardholders and their managers to pass a quiz in conjunction with their initial P-Card training, as well as annually, helps confirm their understanding of key points, policies and procedures. Like any initiative, a successful quiz requires good planning. Following are quiz tips and example questions.

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Quiz Format

An electronic tool that can present a multiple-choice quiz and also score each one is ideal. Ask your management if such a system is already available within your organization. If not, inquire about your options. 

Within each question, provide a link to where the answer resides within online policies and procedures. After all, you just want people to know what the answer is. If they have to look up the answer, so be it; at least they are learning.

Length

A quiz does not need to be long to be effective. In many cases, 10 to 20 questions are enough to cover important material without causing “test fatigue.”

Tips for Writing Quiz Questions 

  • Avoid questions containing “not,” such as “Which type of purchase is NOT allowed on a P-Card?” 

  • Focus on important content and key points everyone should know. Do not test on trivia, such as “In what year did the organization implement a P-Card program?”

  • Keep the questions as concise as possible.

  • Offer distinct answer options rather than “all of the above” or “none of the above.”  

  • Try to make all answer options a similar length. 

  • Allow others to review the quiz before finalizing.

Topics to Address

The following examples highlight the type of information you might want to include. See also 10 sample P-Card quiz questions and answers.

  • What is the primary reason the organization has a P-Card program? or What is a benefit of the P-Card program?

  • Who is authorized to use a P-Card?  

  • Where is the approved supplier list located?

  • What is the purpose of transaction reconciliation by cardholders?

  • What is the purpose of transaction review by cardholders’ managers (“manager-approvers”)?

  • By what date each month must cardholders reconcile their transactions? 

  • Within how many days of the Post Date may a cardholder dispute a transaction? 

  • What should the supporting documentation for each transaction include?

  • What should a cardholder do with the supporting documentation for each transaction? 

  • What is the P-Card single purchase/transaction limit? 

  • What is the first step for requesting a temporary limit change?

  • When are gift card purchases allowed on a P-Card? 

  • When are travel expenses allowed on a P-Card?

  • What is the policy about Amazon usage?

  • What form of refund is acceptable when returning a product?

Quiz Communications

At the beginning, communicate why the training/quiz is important—what’s in it for them? Also be sure to inform the participants up front about the passing score and what happens if they do not pass, such as required attendance at classroom training.

Finally, when it comes to mandated annual training in particular, participants are likely to be more receptive if the directive comes from upper management who explain the rationale and stress the importance of the training. Also, if your organization mandates other kinds of annual training, this can improve their acceptance of P-Card training.