Numerically equal to

Method overview

The "numerically equal to" (equivValue) scoring method checks whether a learner’s response is numerically equal to the sample correct answer, even if it’s expressed in different ways. This makes it useful for answers involving decimals, fractions, percentages, or numeric values with units of measurement.

Unlike "symbolically equal to", the "numerically equal to" method doesn't accept variables, it’s designed specifically for numeric comparisons and unit conversions. It’s especially valuable when you want flexibility while still ensuring precise and fair scoring. Authors can set tolerance rules, such as a range, absolute error, or percent error—to allow for reasonable variations in learner responses, while making sure answers remain within acceptable bounds.

Authors can also configure additional options regarding decimal and thousand separators, acceptable units, and rounding to control how responses are scored.

Demo 1: Default settings

This demo uses the "numerically equal to" scoring method, which checks whether a learner’s response is numerically equal to the authored answer. It's ideal for math and science questions where only the numeric value matters, regardless of formatting.

Demo 2: Tolerance options

This demo showcases the tolerance range—one of three available tolerance options. This setting helps account for different ways a learner may estimate their answer. The tolerance options are useful for problems involving decimal calculations, measurements, or approximations.

Demo 3: Specifying units

his demo uses the "numerically equal to" scoring method with the option to accept only specific units enabled. This ensures the learner includes acceptable units with their numeric answer. The method automatically handles variations in value-unit combinations, eliminating the need for multiple alternate responses and saving authors valuable setup time. This option provides authors additional control when only certain units are relevant for the question.